Welcome to Robb Recommends, a regular series in which we suggest something our editors think might just change your life for the better. The products, services and experiences featured herein are independently selected and vetted by Robb Report’s editorial staff. However, we may earn a small commission if you buy something on this page.
You could be forgiven for your budding interest in natural skincare products—after all, there’s no shortage of new brands entering the market that rail against chemicals in favor of ingredients you can eat. Soapwalla, a Brooklyn-based purveyor of some of the finest grooming products we’ve tried, just turned 10 years old, an age that makes the company something of a veteran in the space. Its marquee product (and, arguably, the key to its staying power) is a $16 deodorant that’s turned no shortage of people into diehard fans.
I’ve been using Soapwalla’s Deodorant Cream for about two years, since Tara Foley, founder of Boston’s all-natural skincare boutique Follain, sent me some to try. After a little bit of a transition period from the drugstore stick I’d been using since adolescence, I was hooked. Like other products in the category, this vegan variant is made from a list of ingredients that look more like a hipster’s food co-op shopping list than anything that might actually work. And yet, its thoughtful formulation of arrowroot powder, citrus essential oils, baking soda and even a little vanilla combine to form one of the most effective deodorants I’ve ever used. It reliably blocks sweat and odor better than some mass-market products I’ve tried.
Its singular drawback is that it comes in a jar, which means you have to apply it with your finger. (Its frosting-like consistency makes this a lot easier than you’d think.) It’s a small concession to make for something that works as well as this does, and it helps you notice just how much of the product you’re using. At a moment when social and environmental consciousness means analyzing every element of your consumption, that’s not a bad thing.
