How to read a deodorant label

The most important information on a deodorant label is on the back, in small print, in a specific order. Here is how to read it on any brand, including ours.

Rule 1: ingredient order matters

Companies must list ingredients by weight, heaviest first. That single convention tells you more than any claim on the front of the package.

• The ingredients at the top of the list do the most work.
• The ingredients at the bottom are present only in trace amounts.

So if a product is named after a botanical ingredient and that ingredient is listed near the end, it is mostly there for marketing.

Rule 2: know the difference between the categories

• Antiperspirants are over-the-counter drugs in the United States. They reduce sweat using an aluminum compound, and they must carry a "Drug Facts" panel and an "Active Ingredient" line.
• Deodorants are cosmetics. They manage odor and do not stop sweat, so they carry neither panel.

If a label promises to stop sweat but has no active ingredient panel, the claim is inaccurate.

Rule 3: ignore the unregulated words

Many words on the front of a label have no strict legal definition:

• "Natural." Unregulated. It can be applied to almost anything.
• "Clean" and "non-toxic." Marketing terms with no standard behind them.
• "Dermatologist tested." This means a test happened. It does not say what the result was.
• "Chemical-free." Not possible. Water is a chemical.

None of these words are dishonest by themselves. They simply cannot be checked, so they carry no information. The back label does, once you know how to read it.

Rule 4: watch for "fragrance"

The words "Fragrance" and "Parfum" can legally stand in for dozens of undisclosed compounds, under trade-secret rules. So an ingredient list that looks complete can end with one word that hides many ingredients. If a product irritates your skin, this hidden blend is often the cause, and the rules are why you cannot identify it in advance.

You will not find that word on our labels. We name each essential oil: chamomile and ylang ylang, anise and mint, eucalyptus and mint, lemongrass and lavender. The Pure Collection has none at all. Naming them is not difficult. It is a choice about whether a brand wants you to know what you are buying.

Apply this to us

Use the same test on Hosanna. Our complete formula is published exactly as it appears on the packaging, with an explanation of what each ingredient does and how strong the evidence is, including the ingredients that are there only for comfort.

If a line on our label does not make sense to you, write and ask. A formula that cannot be explained line by line should not be sold.