Hey Humans Deodorant is branded with a luxury feel but priced very affordably. Their deodorant is “naturally derived” using “safe, effective formulas” and “99% plastic free packaging.”
But is Hey Humans deodorant actually healthier than typical deodorant? Does it have research-backed ingredients? Does it have any questionable additive ingredients? And how do real users rate and describe its effects?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Hey Humans Deodorant to give our take on whether or not it's actually healthy and effective for odor-blocking.
We’ll also feature unsponsored customer reviews and ratings, and provide a cost comparison to show which retailer sells this product for the best price.
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in the Rosewater Ginger scent of Hey Humans Deodorant is shown above.
This deodorant contains several natural, research-backed ingredients for odor control.
Sodium bicarbonate, better known as baking soda, is a well-studied ingredient for neutralizing odor which is why it’s often included in dish detergent.
A 2015 clinical trial found that this ingredient reduced odor by up to 70% in industrial settings.
Coconut oil is one of the most effective natural antibacterial and antifungal agents.
A clinical trial published in the Scientific Reports journal found that coconut oil reduced levels of harmful bacteria and increased levels of healthy bacteria when applied to the skin.
Arrow root powder is a natural deodorizer and is used as a non-toxic, botanical alternative to talc, as we documented in our review of Lume Deodorant.
Zinc ricinoleate is a zinc salt that was shown in a clinical trial to reduce underarm odor for up to 24 hours.
Clearly this formulation contains a number of effective, natural, odor-blocking ingredients, but it also includes one ingredient we recommend avoiding.
Fragrance is included in all Hey Humans deodorant scents at the time of updating this article, and the chemical compounds used to create cosmetic fragrances may be harmful to human health.
An extensive medical review published in the Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health journal analyzed consumer health data and concluded that “Results of this study provide compelling evidence that everyday fragranced products can impose serious risks to human health.”
It’s unfortunate that Hey Humans does not currently sell an unscented version of their deodorant, because we would recommend their unscented version if they did. It’s a very well-formulated and fairly priced product otherwise.
Overall, we consider Hey Humans Deodorant likely to be effective for odor blocking, but we don't currently recommend it due to the use of fragrance.
Hey Humans vs. Competitors
The typical drugstore deodorant contains a number of questionable additive ingredients that we recommend avoiding for health reasons.
As an example, below is a list of some of the ingredients in Degree Advanced women's deodorant:
Fragrance is included and we already documented its health risks in the previous section.
BHT is a synthetic preservative with a metabolite shown to cause tumors in animal studies, as we documented in our Monday Shampoo reviews article (on another cosmetic product containing this ingredient).
Talc is a cosmetic ingredient used to absorb moisture, and a 2020 clinical trial found that 3 of 21 cosmetic products containing talc were contaminated with asbestos (a carcinogen).
Given that Hey Humans is talc-free and preservative-free, we consider it to be significantly healthier than Degree's deodorant and than the majority of commercial deodorants.
Real People Try Hey Humans
A YouTube channel called “Brightly” has a review of Hey Humans deodorant that discusses the scent and the product's effects on sweating:
A YouTube user named “CurlsWithLove” compared the effects of Hey Humans deodorant with Dove deodorant for a week:
Our Clean Deodorant Pick
Native Deodorant Unscented is our top clean deodorant pick.
This deodorant contains the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus which was shown in clinical research to reduce odor and normalize bacteria levels when applied topically.
It also contains coconut oil which is another natural antibacterial and antifungal ingredient.
Most importantly, this deodorant is entirely free of questionable additive ingredients like fragrance.
Where to Get the Best Price
Hey Humans Deodorant is available at a variety of online retailers.
Here's a price breakdown for a one-time purchase at the time of updating this article:
Walmart: $9.90 (free shipping, link)
Target: $6.99 (plus shipping, link)
Amazon: $6.99 (free shipping, link to Amazon listing)
Hey Humans Deodorant is currently around 30-50% cheaper on Amazon than at other retail websites when factoring in shipping fees.
Customers Rate Hey Humans
Amazon is a better resource for unbiased customer reviews than a brand's website in our opinion.
The 3-pack of Lavender Vanilla deodorant is the brand's most-reviewed product on Amazon currently, with over 900 total reviews and an average customer review rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
A top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “bcriminger” who gave the product a 5/5 rating, and appreciates its environmentally-friendly packaging and scent:
“I’ve been searching for a clean deodorant that is also in planet friendly packaging and I finally found it! I’ve tried other cardboard packaging ones and they weren’t great. This one works excellently! Both my husband and I use it, as the scent is pretty neutral.”
A top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “Yuri” who gave the product a 1/5 rating, and dislikes the smell:
“The smell is overpowering.”
Hey Humans currently has an average review rating of 4 out of 5 stars on Facebook.
Hey Humans Deodorant currently has an average review rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars on Google.
Hey Humans Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of Hey Humans Deodorant in our opinion:
Pros:
- Research-backed odor-blocking ingredients
- Affordable
- Aesthetic packaging & branding
- Positive online customer reviews
- Healthier than most drugstore deodorants
Cons:
- Contains fragrance
- No fragrance-free version
- Currently unavailable for purchase on the brand's website
