Salt & Stone’s Lily & Yuzu Deodorant Smells Incredible – So Why Won’t I Repurchase It?
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Deodorant. A boring, daily necessity that, much like toothpaste or dental floss, you can pick up on your weekly food shop (the cheapest will do) and hide it away in your bathroom. That’s how I have always looked at it anyway – until now.
Because like me, you may have noticed that natural deodorants are having a moment. Containing fewer synthetic chemicals and no aluminum salts, natural deodorants are meant to be healthier for the skin. They also don’t actually stop you from sweating – they simply neutralise odour.
There are natural deodorant brands…and then there are natural deodorant brands with an edge. Take Salt & Stone, for example. The brand prides itself on celebrating the ‘all-consuming power of scent’ and producing soothing and restoring skincare. (Shamefully, I have never said deodorant and skincare in the same sentence.)
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For me, the first piece of evidence to show that Salt & Stone’s natural deodorants were a hit was when I walked into Space NK and saw women literally flocking around them. Exhibit B was when I googled the brand and discovered that it is Sephora’s top deodorant brand and worth $165 million. Woah. Where had I been?!
I have never tried a natural deodorant and have always been a Dove roll-on deodorant kind of girl. It’s cheap, does the job and I don’t have to think about it for the rest of the day. So how would I fare with Salt & Stone’s Lily & Yuzu Deodorant which costs £20/$20, is meant to do the job and leaves a lingering scent… for the rest of the day?
As long as a deodorant smells nice, doesn’t irritate my skin or make me have sweat patches, I’m happy. But it would need to be particularly good for me to spend that kind of money on a deodorant. Keep scrolling to see how I got on.
What is Salt & Stone deodorant?
Salt & Stone was founded in 2017 by former professional snowboarder, Nima Jalali. The brand sells everything from body washes to facial cleansers, but it is the deodorants that have gained particular traction.
There are seven scents of Salt & Stone deodorant altogether, which comes in a stick format – Ambrette & Pear, Santal & Vetiver, Bergamot & Hinoki, Saffron & Cedar, Lily & Yuzu, Neroli & Basil and Black Rose & Oud – and you can choose between an extra strength deodorant or a deodorant gel for sensitive skin. There are no anti-perspirant formulas available from Salt & Stone as, unlike natural deodorants (which just control odour), anti-perspirants block sweat ducts to prevent sweating.
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The extra strength deodorants contain magnesium for freshness and spirulina and niacinamide help to smooth and soften the skin and the gel formulas are without baking soda. All of the deodorants promise 48-hour protection.
How I tested Salt & Stone Deodorant
I tested the Lily & Yuzu deodorant every morning for two weeks before writing this review. Most of those fourteen days included doing the school run (on foot), sitting still working at my laptop and going out in the evenings with friends.
My first impression
I’ll be honest, I was pretty sceptical about this product overall since it costs £20 and is *just* a deodorant. But when I opened the lid and smelt what was inside…I instantly got it.
It smells utterly gorgeous. In fact, it took me straight back to a DKNY perfume I used to wear in the early noughties which, like this deodorant, also had notes of amber and lily. I remember thinking, if the smell of this deodorant lingers all day long then I will be very happy.
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I applied it to my underarms, and it felt smooth and creamy. Not sticky, wet or slippery, – it certainly didn’t feel like it was going to get all over my clothes. The smell was just as nice – if not better – once on the skin but it wasn’t overpowering or ‘headachey’. In fact, I could have done with it being a little bit stronger.
That day, I did my usual on-foot rush to pick up my daughter from school in a thick jumper that I really didn’t need to be wearing in the abnormally warm autumn weather. A great test for a deodorant. Amazingly, I didn’t experience any sweat patches, white residue on my clothing or anything much different to my usual deodorant really. The only thing I noticed was the occasional waft of well, myself – which I am delighted to say was really rather beautiful.
My results after 14 days
After wearing it for a full day, it was pretty clear how I felt about this deodorant – completely and utterly converted.
I am obsessed with the smell – I keep whipping the lid off and thrusting it under my husband’s nose shouting “how GOOD is this?” And by the way, I can still smell it subtly as I go to bed each night. I’m not sure if it lasts 48 hours or not (as claimed) – I shower every day so it’s hard to tell. But it certainly sees me from one shower to the next.
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I never need to reapply it during the day either. There have been a couple of ‘sweaty’ situations because – well, life – and, whilst I have felt a bit damp under the arms, it’s nothing I haven’t experienced with my usual deodorant. In fact, I’d say the Salt & Stone one keeps me drier than my usual and over time, it has proved to be really consistent. Announcement – I like it better than Dove. There I said it.
What other users are saying
A recurring complaint is that some just don’t like the scents of these Salt & Stone deodorants which is of course subjective. Also, some don’t like how it makes their clothes smell.
“It made the pit area of my shirts and sweaters smell horrible,” writes BikeLiftHikeSleep on Reddit. “And the smell didn’t come out in the wash. I smelled fine, but my clothes smelled bad. Stopped using it and went back to a Non-natural deo and smell on my clothes went away.”
Others noticed it leaves stains. “I don’t remember it making my clothes stinky but I think it did stain some of my old work uniforms,” says DefiantFruit6860.
Wifeofpsy on the other hand is a huge fan. “I love it. I never have issue with it failing or staining clothes at all ,and it doesn’t irritate my skin.” Julie C agrees with me about the smell of Lily & Yuzu. “I absolutely love the quality and feel of this deodorant, but the smell is what send its rating over the top!!!” And Cindy H says, “It will last on me 2-3 days or until I shower it off. This smell is wonderful.”
Is Salt & Stone’s deodorant worth the money?
This is where I am completely torn. But, really, I know deep down that I’m not. The same question keeps popping up in my head – would I really continue to spend £20/$20 on a deodorant?
Well first let’s consider what other qualities this deodorant has. It is kind to skin but to be honest, I haven’t experienced a deodorant that isn’t. Others may have had trouble with deodorants in the past though so if you’re looking for one that doesn’t irritate the skin, this might be worth a try.
In the fragrance stakes, it certainly lasts longer than my everyday Jo Malone cologne, which I find pretty devastating actually, given that that cost me £120. (£20/$20 isn’t looking so steep now, is it?) However, I wouldn’t say the smell is strong enough to equate to a fragrance. I mean why would it? But if it did, I’d be perfectly happy about it.
Which brings me to some exciting information: Salt & Stone do the Lily & Yuzu fragrance in a body mist (£45/$45) and a body wash (£36/$36), plus there is a trio gift set, which includes the deodorant and costs £90/$90. So I think (I know) my money is better off going there.
I’ll be interested to see how long my stick lasts. I haven’t had to massively wind the stick up yet and I’ve been using it for two weeks so I’m taking that as a good sign.
Another premium natural deodorant by MALIN+GOETZ costs £14 – considerably less than the Salt & Stone one – whereas AKT sell theirs for £21/$29. But I bet they don’t smell as good as this one. So, would I, could I keep buying a £20/$20 deodorant? Regrettably I could not.
The takeaway
I feel like this is the sort of product you’d have a fling with every so often. It’s naughty but oh so nice. It ticks every single one of my boxes, except for the cost. If it was £12, I would spend it continually but – honestly? £20 is just too much for me to spend on something that’s solely for my armpits.
If it doubled up as a strong enough perfume (again, why would it?), I would see it as a ‘two for the price of one’ but I genuinely think the only person who benefits from the occasional waft of gloriousness is me. And whilst I enjoy knowing I smell nice, I want others to notice too if I’m investing that kind of money on a deodorant. So, merrily onto the Christmas wish list the trio set goes. I am counting the days until I can unwrap it.
