Humble Deodorant vs Native (Tested & Compared)

I tested and compared Humble Deodorant (original formula) with Native Sensitive (baking soda-free) and Native Original (with baking soda).

I will compare them on effectiveness, smell, texture, safety of ingredients, and cost.

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Summary Comparison:

Both brands were effective at 12 hours and even at just about 24 hours in their aluminum-free baking soda formulas. (They both offer baking-soda-free versions, though those never work for me). Both come in fragrance-free. Humble is all-natural with all-natural fragrances which I much prefer; Native is mostly natural in the formula, partially synthetic in the fragrances. Both come in plastic-free which is great. If you want unscented, both have the best EWG score (1), but for scented versions, Humble scores better on EWG than Native. Humble did test positive for low fluorine, an indicator, potentially, of unintentional PFAS, which Native did not. Humble is just a little less expensive than Native. Humble is my top choice between the two, as it came down to the scents for me.

Effectiveness: In my 12-hour tests, I would not use any baking soda-free option/brand again, as no brands work for me. But both Humble and Native with baking soda worked well at 12 hours and almost at 24 for me. I prefer Humble because I like the natural scents; synthetic scents tend to mix oddly with my sweat. I have to say that Routine and Pretty Frank (both natural and based on baking soda) can get me through 24 hours which is why I will stick to Routine in the future (I don’t like Pretty Frank’s texture). Though that difference in effectiveness was not huge between those two vs Humble or Native.

The products:

• Humble, a small company, makes a natural, aluminum-free deodorant based on baking soda.
• (They also offer a baking-soda-free version based on magnesium, not reviewed here, because baking-soda-free doesn’t work for me at all).
• And Native, owned by Proctor & Gamble, makes a mostly natural formula that is aluminum-free, made with magnesium, and cyclodextrin, and comes either with or without baking soda and probiotics.

Effectiveness

Humble

Claims: No exact time frame given, other than saying “to stay fresh all day”.

My Test: The original formula gets me through 12 hours easily, it just about reaches to 24 though not quite comfortably.

Native

Claims: “A couple swipes of our deodorant go a long way – odor protection for up to 72 hours to be exact.”

My Test: Native (without baking soda) struggled to get me through 12 hours on many days. Sometimes I ended up with a sour smell in my armpits, some reaction between my sweat and the deodorant itself.

Native with baking soda, works really well, almost 24 hours in my tests.

Smell

Humble – They do have an unscented version and the scented ones are naturally scented, unlike Native’s scents. I loooooved the Moroccan Rose scent. It does smell natural to me.

Native – The unscented sensitive has a sweet smell which seems to be partly the natural ingredients (like coconut) but may also be fragrance cross-contamination from the machinery? (in very slight amounts), though I was not certain of this. The baking soda formula has a very natural food like smell (very subtle).

Their fragranced options are a mix of synthetic and natural fragrance. They don’t smell natural to me.

Ingredients

Humble Ingredients

• Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (MCT)
• Zea Mays (Corn) Starch
• Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)
• Cera Alba (Beeswax)
• In Moroccan Rose: Essential Oils & Botanical Extracts for Fragrance: Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Oil, Rosa Damascena (Rose) Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot Bf) Peel Oil

EWG & Clean Ratings

All of Humble Deodorants listed on EWG have an EWG rating of 1 (the best rating), even the scented versions.

Humble Vanilla & Cardamon Baking Soda-Free Deodorant (scent no longer available) tested positive for 50 ppm organic fluorine by Mamavation in May 2025, potentially indicating cross-contamination of PFAS (but not enough to be intentionally added according to Mamavation).

Machinery is often made with PFAS-coatings or lubricants so that is one possibility that is not at all confirmed. This is speculative.

I will still use this deodorant because of the low levels and because avoiding PFAS and fluorine is far from a possible goal right now.

Native Sensitive Whole Body Deodorant Stick:

Native has a baking soda option and a baking soda-free option. I bought both formulas.

Sensitive formula (baking-soda-free, unscented):

• Coconut Oil
• Shea Butter
• Tapioca Starch
• Ozokerite – Natural mineral wax
• Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride – Made by combining glycerin with fatty acids from natural oils, like coconut oil
• Cyclodextrin – Semi-natural odor control agent
• Magnesium Oxide – Natural antiperspirant

The original formula (unscented) contains:

• Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride – Made by combining glycerin with fatty acids from natural oils, like coconut oil
• Tapioca Starch
• Ozokerite – Natural mineral wax
• Sodium Bicarbonate – Baking soda, changes the pH of skin
• Magnesium Hydroxide – Natural antiperspirant
• Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
• Cyclodextrin – Odor control agent
• Butyrospermum Parkii – Shea butter
• Glucose
• Lactobacillus Acidophilus – Probiotic

EWG & CLEAN RATINGS

Both formulas of unscented Native deodorant have an EWG rating of 1. Most of the scented options are rated 2, and a couple of options are rated a 3.

They also tested free of PFAS via fluorine testing by Mamavation.

It’s mostly natural with the major exception being the synthetic fragrances in the scented options.

Active Ingredients Comparison

Humble – Baking soda in the original formula, magnesium in the baking-soda-free formula. Baking soda changes the pH of the skin to stop bacteria (works really well for me, but can be irritating for some people).

Native – The first option I chose has only magnesium and cyclodextrin as the active ingredients (the sensitive or full body formulas). According to the Doctorly dermatologists, magnesium acts as a natural antiperspirant. Cyclodextrin is a semi-natural compound that traps odor molecules (it’s the ingredient in Febreeze).

Their Original formula has magnesium, cyclodextrin, baking soda, and probiotics. Probiotics help to provide a healthy bacteria balance.

Scent Options:

Humble – Unscented, Frankincense & Fir, Bergamot & Ginger, Black Spruce, Lavender & Holy Basil, Lemongrass & Sage, Moroccan Rose, Mountain Lavender, Palo Santo & Frankincense, Patchouli & Copal, Rosemary & Mint, Cedarwood & Grapefruit, Sweet Amber.

There are fewer scent options in the baking-soda-free version, just a few from that list.

Native – Baking soda free: unscented, coconut & vanilla, lilac & white tea, cucumber & mint.

With baking soda: Unscented, coconut & vanilla, cucumber & mint, lavender & rose, honey & white oak. Honey and white oak smells like men’s cologne to me.

Native scents are a mix of synthetic and natural scents.

Texture

Humble – Very oily, just like Native. Crumbles just a little when you put it on. It’s hard to put on just a little. You need to wait a few minutes so your clothes don’t get oily.

Native (without baking soda) – Oily like Humble, glides easily, goes on clear on the skin, and after two minutes you cannot feel it on the skin (assuming you did not over-apply). The baking soda formula is similar.

Cost Comparison

Humble – $10.99 on their website + 3.99 shipping for one tube, subscription brings it down to 9.34 + shipping. Plastic-free version is a little more.

I bought it on Amazon, the three pack is a really good deal (cheaper than the website at the time of writing).

The singles are also less than the non-subscription website price.

Native – Around $13 both on their website and on Amazon.

(It’s the same price for the original formula, baking soda-free formula and plastic-free formula).

Corinne Segura is an InterNACHI-certified Healthy Homes Inspector with certifications in Building Biology, Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, and more. She has 10 years of experience helping others create healthy homes. You can book a consult here.