Review: Dr. Mist Deodorant Spray

Dr. Mist Deodorant Spray

I know, I know, I said I would review hair products. But I just had to review this product first. You'll see why.

Natural deodorants...they suck, right? Most of the ones I've tried do. I've tried several brands (which I won't name here, because that's not nice and I'm not reviewing them), and all of them left me stinky, wet, and sometimes worse off than wearing nothing.

I got a little bit of a scare at work the other day when my boss showed me an expensive silk blouse that had had anti-perspirant stains in the underarms. After washing the blouse, the anti-perspirant had actually eaten away at the fabric! The ingredients that help you stay dry are natural fabric-eating monsters. I wondered what it was doing to my skin. I also found my underarms to be itchy when I sweat and sometimes have red bumps. Not razor burn bumps, but ones that looked like pimples. I asked my doctor about it and she suggested I switch to a deodorant rather than an anti-perspirant. Preferably one without alcohol, which can be drying to skin.

After work, I hopped the bus to the health food store. On this particular street, there are two side by side. I visited each one and stared at the selection. Priced anywhere from $3.99-$7.99, I was terrified of spending my precious cash on something that didn't work (yet again). I asked the cashier if he had any recommendations, and he polled 3 of the staff. They all mentioned the crystal rock. It's basically a mineral salt rock that is supposed to neutralize odours. I tried it many years ago in my natural deodorant forays, but it gave me a red rash. I used my phone to frantically Google each brand to see reviews and they were all disappointing.

Until I noticed Dr. Mist on the shelf above...

Dr. Mist had been on Dragons Den (click the link to watch the video), and was a Canadian company. The mother-daughter duo from Quebec were one of the only contestants I've seen accept a deal on the show: $100,000 for 20% of the business, plus 5% royalties from every sale to the investor.

The bottle claimed it won the Geneva International Award for Invention. I Googled the award and apparently it's pretty significant: one can only submit their invention once in a lifetime. The reviews of this product were astounding: 4 or 5 out of 5 stars and many commenters saying they purchase by the case. Read reviews here and here.

There were lavender and fragrance-free versions. I chose lavender, just in case it didn't work and I needed something to cover up the smell. It was $8 CAD, a little more pricey than the other deodorants, but I thought it must be worth it.

I took a shower that night (3 days ago), and applied it. I read it could be drippy, since it is a spray-on, but didn't find that. I used 3 sprays to cover the whole armpit area and rubbed it in like the bottle instructed. It took a few minutes to dry and felt like I had sprayed water on my pits. However, it dried to a powder-y like finish, which is apparently the secret of the deodorant spray: the water evaporates, leaving the mineral salts on your skin which neutralize the bacteria. And voila! No smell!

Usually in the morning I smell funky. Not so after using Dr. Mist! I even went out for the morning without showering and smelled just fine until I took a shower at 1 pm. I used Dr. Mist again and did several covert sniff checks throughout the day. Nothing noticeable. Not even the lavender scent. And I was pretty dry to boot. Even with my regular anti-perspirant, I get wet under my arms. The other bad thing about anti-perspirant is that it makes your clothes yellow in the underarms and it's hard to get out. (Bleach makes it worse; the only thing that's worked for me is OxiClean).

It lasted all day and into the morning. I took a shower this morning and applied again. And whaddayaknow? No smell, no funk, no wetness. Even after a typical weekend of running errands, walking for exercise, and even sitting in the 12 degree (C) sun wearing a hoodie and jacket and scarf for a couple of hours. 

I have to say, Dr. Mist rocks so far. Tomorrow I'll test it in my hot, humid work environment and let you know how it goes via an update to this post. I have my fingers crossed.

Edit: You can purchase Dr. Mist at many health food stores, London Drugs, and Superstore.

Edit 2: The day has come! I have applied Dr. Mist and I'm good to go. Oh yeah, the bottle and website also say you can use it to treat a number of other ailments like cuts and athlete's foot. It also states it works as a fabric refresher. One reviewer on Amazon said he used it on his bruises and it helped them fade. I squirted it between two of my toes where there is a cut. It's drying up already! I'm going to try a spray in each of my boots next. Yeah, Dr. Mist!

Important Update

So, I tested Dr. Mist with just one application in the morning in a hot, humid environment. I'm talking steam fogging up the windows and condensation running down. We keep the door open in the winter. I'm surrounded by gigantic irons, pressing machines, a steam tunnel...so yes, it gets hot where I work. Not only that, but I'm running around serving customers. I sweated. A lot!

I forgot to spray my boots since I got home late last night, but I will spray them this morning and see how they fare at the end of another work day. 

The results: some wetness (normal with my anti-perspirant), clear (not yellow), and no smell. The sweat smelled like nothing - like water. And I wasn't itchy at all! And no bumps when I checked at home.

I declare you, Dr. Mist, a win in my books. Yay!