No Pong deodorant paste, I love this natural deodorant. I’ve been using original No Pong for quite a while and now that they have come out with the new bicarbonate free No Pong, I'm even more impressed.

This new bicarb free deodorant is designed for people who are sensitive to bicarbonate in deodorants.  This is also low fragrance, so  it's really great for those with super sensitive skin.

A few of the reasons I love this deodorant are - It doesn’t sting after shaving. It lasts all day long, through an enormous amount of racing around at work and all the way through to yoga class in the evening.   I even think it would last longer than that, but I haven’t tested an all nighter yet!  It also doesn’t stain my clothes.  I've been wearing it heading into this hot Gold Coast weather, have worn it for a swim in the ocean and it's kept me dry, No Pong is also water resistant!

One of the key ingredients to keep your pits dry in the bicarb free formula is diatomaceous earth and it really works!   Diatomaceous earth is almost perfectly pH neutral, meaning it won't irritate skin that is sensitive to acidic or alkaline levels. It also has odour eliminating properties, I can vouch for that!

The main reason I stopped using mainstream deodorants was because of the extremely toxic ingredients such as mercury, which has been linked to alzheimers disease and parabens, which have been linked to breast cancer. Not to mention a few other dangerous ingredients - PEG 20, propylene glycol and triclosan. This is also very important for pregnant and breast feeding mothers, as these toxins are passed through into the bloodstream, into the breastmilk and to the baby.    

The founders of No Pong, Chris Caley and Melanie McVean have spent a lot of time researching and developing, what I think is the perfect natural deodorant.   You can read more in my interview with them here.

I love the packaging, it’s a cool looking recyclable tin.  The paste is easy to apply, just a small dot on fingers and it smooths onto skin easily.   

Here are the full ingredients, as you can see, all completely natural, certified organic and good for you - 

Cocos Nucifera (Coconut Oil), Magnesium Hydroxide, Diatomaceous Earth, Beeswax, a reduced concentration of fresh, gender neutral, proprietary blend of 100% pure, certified organic essential oils consisting of Orange Sweet, Vanilla, Lemongrass, Cedarwood Atlas, Bergamot, Lime, Frankincense, Ylang Ylang, and Geranium.

Proudly Australian made and suitable for all members of the family.  It allows skin to breathe and sweat naturally, at the same time keeping you smelling sweet.

No Pong is available online.
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From humble beginnings, Chris Caley and Melanie McVean developed a unique natural deodorant paste which was free from nasty chemicals. Now they are the entreprenuers who founded No Pong, the deodorant which has gained a massive following.

Get to learn more about Chris and Melanie in our interview below - 

​When did you first start making natural deodorant?

We were making a variant of No Pong for about a year before we decided to turn it into a real-world product, so around 3 years ago.  It was quite a different product to the one it is today! 
 
The idea of applying a deodorant paste with your fingers seems quite different (I love it), what are the benefits to this type of application? 
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We believe it’s healthy and natural to be in touch with your body.  As outdoorsy people we’ve always been used to applying lotions and creams for different sports, so the idea of a deodorant paste comes quite naturally to us.
 
We’ve actually had a couple of really humbling moments because of the way No Pong is applied.  One customer contacted us to let us know that because it’s applied with her hands, she detected a lump in her armpit.  Thankfully it turned out to be benign, but it’s a good example of showing there is a benefit in being in touch with your body.
 
Another customer got in touch to tell the story of her daughter, who has a Neuromuscular condition similar to Muscular Dystrophy.  She can’t use sprays or rolls-on as she has difficulty holding them and making the movement required to apply them.  However, she is able to reach her armpit with her hands, and to quote her:
 
“You have brought back to a young lady, some dignity in achieving one of life's simple & basic every day task to an able body person.” 
 
We still tear up when we think about that!  We never would have thought we would have such an impact on anyone’s lives when we set out.
 
Another benefit of being a paste is that it means we don’t need to use any plastic in our packaging as many stick, roll-ons and sprays do!  We’re surfers and love the ocean, and have made a personal commitment not to use plastic anywhere in our packaging, and it’s all 100% recyclable
 
What are the health issues connected to using conventional deodorants and which ingredients should be avoided?
 
This might sound counter-intuitive coming from a natural deodorant company, but we’re science people as well and the truth is, the jury is still out.
 
There are lots of ingredients to be mindful of, and to be honest there is some conflicting research around some of them.  Aluminium is known to have potential to cause mutation to genetic code.  Parabens are known to mimic hormone functions, particularly oestrogen, and its well known effects on breast cancer.  Triclosan is a common anti-bacterial found in traditional deodorants, and actually banned for use in soaps by the US Food and Drug Administration, but not in Australia.
 
However, the scientific jury is out on the real-world, long term effect of many of these as used in deodorants. At the end of the day though, why use these ingredients at all if you don’t have to? 
 
No Pong is simple, natural, doesn’t contain any contentious ingredients and our customers would say is even more effective than traditional deodorants.
 
Which alternative ingredients do you use to replace chemicals and preservatives in your deodorant?
 
It’s not so much a matter of replacing, or switching out ingredients compared to traditional deodorants. No Pong comes from a different sheet of paper.  No Pong works by creating a water-resistant layer using coconut oil and beeswax, and uses this to carry the other bacteria busting and absorbent ingredients in No Pong.
 
Chemical preservatives are often added to other products to reduce the microbial growth that can occur when products are used in the real world.
 
Because No Pong is not water based, and is antibacterial by design, it’s naturally preserved and has an extremely long shelf life.  Microbes hate No Pong, they just can’t survive!
 
How do you see the natural deodorant industry evolving in the future?
 
We think the natural deodorant category will grow quite a bit.  As people start to cotton on to the fact that that natural deodorants can be simple, and ridiculously effective we think they will attract more and more attention. 
 
That said, not all natural deodorants are created equally, and there are definitely some products out there that don’t really do what they say on the tin!
 
Before you started No Pong, what types of deodorants were you using and why did you stop using these deodorants?
 
We’ve always been fairly health conscious, but we used to use low fragrance roll-ons without thinking too much about it.  After losing a relative to cancer, Chris particularly became more aware of what he was putting on his skin and eating, and around the same time we started experimenting with making a whole range of natural products from sunscreen and zinc, to deodorant.
 
As people are becoming more aware of their health and natural products, there are now quite a few natural deodorants on the market, what makes No Pong stand out from the others?
 
No Pong does what it says on the tin!  One of the things we do differently compared to other skincare and deodorant brands, is focus on doing one thing, really well. 
 
Rather than having a huge range, with loads of variants, or other non-deodorant products in our range we’re committed to being the best possible Natural Deodorant Company we can be, and creating the best possible customer experience anywhere!  As an online focused business, being really customer-first is an area we know we have to really be outstanding in.
 
We’re also about to bring out a version for people with sensitive skin which has been a long time in development and we’re quite excited about. 
 
Why is it particularly important for breastfeeding mothers to use natural deodorants?
 
It is particularly important for women in general, particularly those women who plan or want to breastfeed to avoid as many toxins and chemicals as possible.  This is because toxins and chemicals are stored in adipose tissue, which is mainly in the breast and then can be passed through breastmilk to the baby.
 
In regards to using natural deodorants, per se, well, this is a contentious one!  Melanie is also a Registered Midwife and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and there’s actually some controversy around use of essential oils during pregnancy and lactation.
 
Many natural deodorants use essential oils, either as an active ingredient or as part of their fragrance so it’s important for breastfeeding mothers to be aware of the ingredients in any natural deodorant they choose.
 
That said, there is a lot of information out there and not all of that information is evidence or research based.  We use high quality essential oils in our product to add a fresh scent and not for therapeutic value.
 
There is no current evidence that any of the oils we use in No Pong are not safe in pregnancy and/or lactation.  The percentage of actual essential oils per whole tin of No Pong is less than 0.5%.  These oils are a lovely blend, so that fraction is further diluted.
 
We are advocates for knowing exactly what goes into the products that you put on your body, so we publish the full list of the ingredients, including all of the essential oils in our fragrance on our website here: http://www.nopong.com/directions/
 
What has been the most rewarding aspect of creating No Pong?
 
Without a doubt the overwhelming groundswell of support we see, feel and hear from our customers every day.  From the hilarious, to surprise that it really works, to just the sincere thanks we often get for creating this product, it is truly humbling.  Without our awesome customers there would be no No Pong, so thank you!
 

I Iam just loving these natural paste deodorants!   If you haven’t tried one before, now is the time to think about changing.  What I love about No Pong is that it’s so economical, all I need is a tiny dot sized amount and it literally lasts all day long.   It contains beeswax and coconut oil to help it stay put and the cornstarch absorbs moisture. Baking soda adjusts PH levels, so that bacteria can't survive. Added to this are a beautiful blend of certified organic essential oils of Sweet Orange, Vanilla, Lemongrass, Cedarwood, Bergamot, Lime, Frankincense, Ylang Ylang and Geranium.

A stand out for me with this deodorant is that it is water resistant for up to 12 hours!, so I can go to the beach, go swimming, go for long walks and still feel nice and fresh.   It also contains frankincense!   one of my all time favourite essential oil scents, it has a very calming effect on my mind.   The overall scent of No Pong is light and anyone can wear it, male or female.    I would describe it as light and refreshing, slightly woodsy and citrusy and this scent lasts through the day without a hint of any type of smelly armpits.

I’ve been using it for a few a weeks now, one of which I was away on holiday being active outdoors, walking around alot, going out to dinner and this was a very hot week, we had a heat wave.   I also wore it out to a food and wine festival, an all day experience in the hot and humid weather and No Pong stayed working the entire day.   The next week I wore No Pong when I went back to work, this is the big test for me because when being under stress, I naturally sweat and when I'm at work I want to smell nice at all times!   

If you're heading for an extra charged up gym workout at the end of the day you could probably re-apply beforehand, but for my day to day racing around  and for yoga class I didn't need to.    

No Pong is a safe, effective natural deodorant.   It does not contain parabens, aluminium or any nasties at all.
​We all know what aluminium and parabens do right? Studies have shown a connection between these chemicals and cancer and dementia.  There is absolutely no need to use products which contain damaging chemicals when you can use a fantastic natural product such as No Pong.

Here is a complete list of ingredients - Cocos Nucifera (Coconut Oil), Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda), Corn Starch, Beeswax, and a proprietary blend of 100% pure, certified organic essential oils consisting of Orange Sweet, Vanilla, Lemongrass, Cedarwood Atlas, Bergamot, Lime, Frankincense, Ylang Ylang, and Geranium.

No Pong is Australian made, very affordable (only $5.95!) with cheap shipping ($3.00).   I love how they have kept the price so low, it's something I really appreciate in a natural company.  

I also like the trendy little tin it comes in.   No Pong can be purchased online.

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