I tested and compared Pretty Frank with Native Sensitive (Baking Soda-Free) Deodorant Stick and Native original formula, (with baking soda and probiotics).
I will compare them on effectiveness, smell, safety of ingredients, and cost.
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Summary:
Comparison: Both are around the same cost, though with different active ingredients – baking soda & charcoal for Pretty Frank and cyclodextrin & magnesium in Native (whole body and sensitive formulas) and baking soda in Native Original Formula. If you have sensitive skin you will want to test them to see which one is non-irritating (since baking soda is irritating for many people but works better than other natural ingredients). Pretty Frank is a more natural simple formula, but both have the same rating on EWG (rating of 1 which is great) for the unscented versions. Pretty Frank has truly natural scents, Native’s scents are not all natural. Native has a plastic-free option.
Effectiveness: Pretty Frank and Native with baking soda both worked well for me, easily getting me through 12 hours and almost to 24 hours. The only drawback is that when my house is at a cooler temperature I could not twist up the Pretty Frank deodorant stick until I warmed up my house! Pretty Frank was slightly more effective for me, but the texture bothered me so much that I would not repurchase.
Table of contents
Effectiveness
Pretty Frank
Claims: “Baking Soda Delivers Powerful All-day Odor Protection.”
My Test: This easily made it through 12 hours, and almost to 24 hours for me. So it performed better than Native (without baking soda) only ever so slightly better than Native with baking soda. It also performed better for me than Hello and Lume.
Native
Claims: “A couple of swipes of our deodorant go a long way—odor protection for up to 72 hours to be exact”.
My Test:
Using the baking soda free formula after I showered in the day, by evening I had an odd sour smell in my armpits on one day. This was a reaction between my sweat and the deodorant, which I have not smelled before.
But most days if I wash my armpits in the morning it does not quite last 12 hours (similar to Lume for me).
The formula with baking soda certainly makes it through 12 hours and much more.
Smell
Pretty Frank – I did not test the unscented version, but I tested the charcoal seaside, which smells of citrus and juniper. I would say the scent is fairly light and certainly does seem natural.
Native – sweet smell in the unscented which seems to be partly the natural ingredients (like coconut) but may also be fragrance cross-contamination (in very slight amounts).
The formula with baking soda has a very slight smell, very natural, like food.
Ingredients
Pretty Frank, Charcoal Seaside
- Organic Shea Butter
- Non-Aluminum Baking Soda
- Organic Coconut Oil
- Organic Beeswax
- Organic Arrowroot Powder
- Activated Charcoal (Coconut)
- Organic Lavender Essential Oil
- Organic Palmarosa Essential Oil
- Organic Lemon Essential Oil
- Organic Juniper Berry Essential Oil
- Vitamin E
EWG & Clean Ratings
Pretty Frank has an EWG rating of 1.
They use no Aluminum, no Parabens, no synthetic Fragrance, all Natural and Organic Ingredients.
It was not tested by Mamavation like Native was.
Native Sensitive Whole Body Deodorant Stick:
Native has a baking soda option and a baking soda-free option.
Sensitive formula (baking-soda-free, unscented):
- Coconut Oil
- Shea Butter
- Tapioca Starch
- Ozokerite – Natural mineral wax
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride – Made by combining glycerin with fatty acids from natural oils, like coconut oil
- Cyclodextrin – Semi-natural odor control agent
- Magnesium Oxide – Natural antiperspirant
The original formula (unscented) contains:
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride – Made by combining glycerin with fatty acids from natural oils, like coconut oil
- Tapioca Starch
- Ozokerite – Natural mineral wax
- Sodium Bicarbonate – Baking soda, changes the pH of skin
- Magnesium Hydroxide – Natural antiperspirant
- Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
- Cyclodextrin – Odor control agent
- Butyrospermum Parkii – Shea butter
- Glucose
- Lactobacillus Acidophilus – Probiotic
EWG & Clean Ratings
Both formulas of unscented Native deodorant have an EWG rating of 1. Most of the scented options are rated 2, and a couple of options are rated a 3.
Native is Talc Free, Dye Free, Baking Soda Free in the sensitive option, Aluminum Free, Paraben Free, and Phthalate-free.
Native tested free of PFAS by Mamavation. (However, see lawsuits against them here.)
It’s mostly natural with the major exception being the synthetic fragrances in the scented options.
Active ingredients comparison
Pretty Frank – the main active ingredient in Pretty Frank is baking soda, which changes the pH of the skin so that bacteria does not grow. Though the charcoal could also help absorb odor.
Native – The Whole Body option has only magnesium and cyclodextrin as the active ingredients (the sensitive or full-body formulas). According to the Doctorly dermatologists, magnesium acts as a natural antiperspirant. Cyclodextrin is a semi-natural compound that traps odor molecules (it’s the ingredient in Febreeze).
Their Original formula has magnesium, cyclodextrin, baking soda, and probiotics. Baking soda changes the pH of the skin to stop bacteria (works really well, but can be irritating for some people) and probiotics help to provide a healthy bacteria balance.
Scent Options:
Pretty Frank – Unscented, charcoal seaside, lavender, eucalyptus lemon, woodlands, jasmine, coconut lime.
Their scents are all natural (and they are clearly natural to me since they don’t last that long).
Native – Baking soda free: unscented, coconut & vanilla, lilac & white tea, cucumber & mint.
With baking soda: Unscented, coconut & vanilla, cucumber & mint, lavender & rose, honey & white oak.
Native scents are a mix of synthetic and natural scents.
Texture
Pretty Frank – Pretty Frank was solid and would not twist up at 20 degrees Celcius. I had to warm up my house to get the twist-action to work. The instructions say “soften by warming against your skin for 5-10 seconds” which I did, and that worked (once my house was warmer).
Native – Native is more oily (less solid) and easy to apply at 20 C compared to Pretty Frank, also clear on the skin, and after two minutes you cannot feel it on the skin (assuming you did not over-apply).
Cost Comparison
Pretty Frank – A single stick is around $14 on their website, or you can subscribe for 10% off. It’s very close to the same price on Amazon (which also offer 10% and 15% discounts for subscriptions).
Native – Around $13 both on their website and on Amazon. A subscription can bring it down to $11. It’s the same price for the original formula, baking soda-free formula and plastic-free formula.
Summary: Pretty Frank is a more natural formula with natural scents in the scented version. It worked better for me than the Native without baking soda, easily getting me through 12 hours and almost to 24 hours, but only slightly better than Native with baking soda. The only drawback is that when my house is at a cooler temperature I could not twist up the deodorant stick until I warmed up my house! I also don’t like the waxy texture on my skin, so for a repurchase, I’m going with Native with baking soda. If you are sensitive to baking soda I would try Native (sensitive) as well as Hello or Lume to see what works best for you.
Corinne Segurais an InterNACHI-certified Healthy Homes Inspector with certifications in Building Biology, Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, and more. She has 10 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.
