They come in a range of formats, including creams, pastes, crystals, roll-ons and pump-action spray formulas. The base ingredients include tapioca starch for moisture absorption and sodium bicarbonate for odour control. It also contains a range of natural fragrances including patchouli oil. There are several scents to choose from.

Even so, Crystal meets Whole Foods’ exacting standards according to Steven Benoit, the grocery brand's global Whole Body buyer. “We ban [100-plus] ingredients from our Whole Body department,” he says. “While we carry a variety of effective natural deodorants, Crystal has been a long-time customer favorite as a dependable deodorant with clean, simple ingredients.” Also, the lid is made out of regular plastic - the company says that when it tried to design a sugarcane lid, it crumbled.Though the Crystal deodorant stone is famously free of aluminum chloride and aluminum chlorohydrate—synthetic chemicals that have been linked to breast cancer—its key ingredient does contain naturally-occurring aluminum that could potentially penetrate the skin when mixed with water. (Same goes for theother stone deodorant brands.) No studies have directly proventhe element in its organic state to be harmful, but it’s still caused some controversy among natural-beauty devotees. However, these particular salts only have a deodorising effect, and sit on the skin, whereas aluminium chlorohydrate and aluminium zirconium are antiperspirant ingredients that plug pores to prevent sweating. We've rounded up the key players, costs, eco and ethical claims, and some insights from users to help you decide. The best time to apply the deodorant is right after you shower or bathe, when your underarms are freshly cleaned and still slightly damp. You can apply it to other body parts as well, but you may wish to have a separate stone for this.

What they do contain is Potassium Alum, which Salt of the Earth explains is from the aluminium salt family. Does Salt of the Earth deodorant work?

Will you be claiming the VAT back?

Users of Fit Pit in the office had mixed opinions on it. Some told us it was 'effective and long lasting' but 'can be a bit messy to apply'. Several brands offer this option and several also offer stronger or more gentle formulations (usually based on the amount of sodium bicarb) for different activity levels or those with more sensitive skin Subscription deodorant might seem a bit unusual, but you can pause, edit or cancel the subscription at any time, and adjust deliveries or swap scents to suit you. As for its eco credentials, Akt has a stylish recyclable aluminium tube and cap, and comes in cardboard boxes. But it's worth knowing that this is not necessary for letting out toxins, as some brands claim. Your body already has sophisticated detoxing processes in the form of your liver and kidneys. Sweating is more about effective temperature regulation than detoxing.