Consumer Critique: Funkless Deodorant

As a middle school teacher, I have the fortune of being quite familiar with the hallway smell after PE or sports practice.  As a mom, I have the responsibility of making sure my own daughter gets in the habit of using hers. Since we prefer natural hygiene products, I'm always eager to see what's out there that works.

One thing I've noticed is that the same deodorant doesn't always work well for everyone. For example, my husband and daughter are both using the same unisex deodorant, and his is working just fine, but hers tends to wear out by the end of the day. She also likes a little bit of scent in her products, so I've been trying to find that - as well as one that doesn't leave residue on shirts. It's been something of a challenge, and I was happy for the opportunity to try out Funkless.

The product has a neat, DIY backstory. When Jen Hill got pregnant, she and Kevin Steinmuller were on a quest to get rid of things in their apartment they didn't feel would be healthy for their coming child. Kevin experimented with different recipes until they found one they liked, which they started by distributing to co-workers and friends. Now it is sold through several NYC-area shops (The Modern Chemist, Pure Essentials, and CityWell) as well as nationwide on Amazon.

Like any natural deodorant, it is a little more expensive. But honestly, if it works better, I'm ok with that. However, it really doesn't end up costing that much more.

The deodorant comes in a glass jar (not plastic, so that's a plus) and requires a very small amount to work. I was skeptical that it would work with such a tiny amount, but most days it was just fine - every bit as effective as what we had been using for both my daughter and me. The scents are designed to be gender neutral, and I think they do a pretty good job of that, although three of them are slightly more floral. There are five scents (jasmine bergamot, tangerine lime, honeysuckle orange, lavender vanilla, tea tree eucalyptus) plus an unscented version. The scents are present but not strong, authentic and pleasant.  They also contain no aluminum, corn, soy, gluten, wax, clay, or preservatives.

Learn more on their website or @funklessnyc.