I received a lovely email, offering me a free Proverb Refillable Deodorant to test and blog about.
I’m always pleased to see innovative sustainable products and happy to test them out.
Why I Said Yes?
Who doesn’t enjoy a freebie!
But I was genuinely interested in the product.
Although, looking at their Instagram feed, there are lots of images of guys doing fitness things and sporty young women, had I stumbled across this brand, I doubt I would have identified with it.
It is also ‘Proverb Skin’, so I probably would have assumed it was a skincare brand.
How Sustainable Is It?
It has a lot going for it in terms of sustainability:
- It’s vegan
- Produced in the UK – minimal miles
- Refillable
- Plastic free packaging
But, the case is plastic. Being reusable, it is at least not single use, but I would like to see them develop the product from sustainable materials too – for example, hard bamboo ‘plastic’ instead. When the case reaches the end of it’s useful life there is still the problem of disposing of plastic waste.
However, you can read about the reasons for this decision on the Proverb blog. In short, they spent years developing the product and tested multiple alternatives and plastic was the best option, until a better alternative is developed, one that doesn’t currently exist. I can understand that.
Market Alternatives
The product is more robust and lasts longer than some of the other eco-friendly deodorant sticks on the market.
Previously I have used disposable but compostable alternatives in cardboard tubes, such as this one. I get these in my local Zero Waste Shop – Preserve.
Value for Money?
The Proverb product is not cheap, each refill is £15. But they are larger than your average deodorant stick. They are also much larger than these other natural deodorants, so value for money wise are comparable.
I’ve been using the Proverb deodorant daily for a month and have hardly had to wind the stick.
Their website claims it will last 2 to 3 months, only time will tell for this test.
It has kept me fresh all day, which is also true for other natural deodorants. I have never found a chemical laden ‘traditional’ deodorant I can say that for.
Before I started using, or making, natural deodorant I always had sweat patches under my arms by the end of the day, even on a sedentary day!
I would never go back to disgusting, chemical-laden, plastic-packaged deodorant ever again!
My Choices
I went for the yellow canister – easier to see in the bottom of a bag or bedroom drawer.
The range of scents is limited. I went for the Wild Mint an Eucalyptus – which is fresh and clean.
I also like that it is all gender neutral, from the packaging and branding to the scents used.
Once the current Proverb stick runs out, I think I will experiment with using my homemade deodorant as the refill. Therefore saving some money, but also being able to mix my own scent.
A stick is much more convenient and less messy than cream in a pot!
Read the recipe for my all natural homemade deodorant here:
The Verdict
Overall, I really like this product. Despite not being their ‘target audience’. I would recommend it, and buy the refills if I fail to make it work with my own recipe!