Salt & Stone is an "Aluminum Free Deodorant." The brand claims to sell "award-winning skincare with active ingredients from the sea to the mountains."
But does Salt & Stone deodorant contain active ingredients shown in research studies to block odor? Does it contain any unhealthy ingredients? What's the healthiest scent? And is Salt & Stone better or worse than other luxury deodorants like Humble Deodorant?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Salt & Stone deodorant to give our take on whether or not it's likely to block odor, and whether or not it's healthy.
We'll pick our healthiest scent, and compare Salt & Stone to other "luxury" deodorant brands to pick our winners.
Key takeaways:
- Contains research-backed ingredients for blocking odor
- Contains one inactive ingredient we consider unhealthy
- We do not currently recommend Salt & Stone deodorant
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Salt & Stone Santal & Vetiver deodorant are shown below:
Sodium bicarbonate, otherwise known as baking soda, is clinically shown to block odor (at least in industrial settings).
Magnesium hydroxide was shown to have odor-blocking effects in a medical review published in the Water Research journal.
Tapioca starch serves as a natural deodorizer, as we discussed in our Curie deodorant review article.
Shea butter is naturally moisturizing to skin, as documented in a 2021 medical review.
While there are certainly research-backed active ingredients in this deodorant, there is one inactive ingredient we consider unhealthy.
Fragrance is commonly included in cosmetic products, but a 2016 medical review analyzed safety data on this compound and concluded that it can pose a risk to human health.
Overall, we consider Salt & Stone relatively likely to block odor, but we do not currently recommend it due to the inclusion of fragrance.
What's the Healthiest Scent?
At the time of publishing this article, Salt & Stone does not appear to sell a fragrance-free version of their deodorant.
We consider the Saffron & Cedar version to be the healthiest scent. Its ingredients are shown below:
This version is free of benzyl benzoate, a synthetic preservative (though not one we find particularly questionable like BHT) and contains only one added fragrance ingredient (limonene).
The other version without benzyl benzoate (Neroli & Basil) contains additional fragrance ingredients (citronellol, eugenol, geraniol, linalool.
Salt & Stone vs. Popular Deodorants
Here's how Salt & Stone compares to other popular "luxury" deodorant brands in terms of healthiness and potential odor-blocking, in our opinion:
Native Deodorant
Contains a probiotic species that's clinically shown to block odor when used on the skin.
Most importantly from a health perspective, a fragrance-free version is available.
Winner: Native Deodorant
Humble Deodorant
This brand uses fragrance ingredients derived exclusively from essential oils and botanical extracts, as we documented in our Humble Deodorant reviews article.
We consider this to be a healthier option than generic "fragrance," which can include harmful synthetic compounds in some cases.
Winner: Humble Deodorant
Wild Deodorant
Very similar formulation to Salt & Stone, but no probiotic, so we give Salt & Stone the edge in regard to potential efficacy.
Winner: Salt & Stone
Salt & Stone Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Research-backed active ingredients for odor-blocking
- Research-backed active ingredients for skin support
- Some versions are free of synthetic preservatives
- Milder synthetic preservatives are used
Cons:
- All versions seem to contain fragrance
- Synthetic preservatives used in some formulations
- Additional fragrance ingredients used in some formulations
- Relatively expensive
