All Day Deodorant Interview with Dr Elsabe Cloete, Cosmetic Formulator and Safety Assessor
We are incredibly excited about our latest product, the All Day Deodorant We sat down with our formulator to find out how she cracked the code for an effective, clean, natural deodorant.
To kick things off, could you share a bit about your professional background?
I made a mid-life escape from academia into the cosmetics industry back in 2003. In South Africa’s small-business landscape, being a chemist quickly strips away any grand titles – one day you’re handling high-level product safety assessments for international markets, and the next you’re elbow-deep in the sink washing test tubes or troubleshooting on the factory floor.
It turns out becoming an industry 'jack-of-all-trades' is the best preparation for understanding how cosmetic products actually behave, from the design, through the lab bench, to the real world.
How would you describe your natural formulation philosophy?
My philosophy is mostly to listen to what the client wants, whether that's strict green chemistry or minimalism, and within this desire, ensure product performance.
Rather than chasing absolute 'plant purity' for the sake of a label, I lean strongly towards biocompatibility, safety, and ingredient sustainability. If a nature-identical ingredient has a better performance, safety, and environmental profile, I’ll take that over a raw leaf if possible.
Formulating an effective natural deodorant is notoriously difficult. What were your main goals for the All Day Deodorant?
First and foremost, it actually had to work. I personally dread that late-afternoon off-odour when throwing my arms up in joy after solving a problem, only to drop them straight back down. So keeping a person genuinely fresh was the primary goal. Beyond that, I listened to what Down to Earth wanted – which is where the right botanicals come into play.
Marlize asked for something natural, gentle, unisex, and sting-free, with a nod to South African botanicals. So the formulation journey became an exercise in combining those plant benefits and local ingredients into a design that prioritised performance.
The formula proudly features Green Tea, Aloe Ferox, and Honeybush. Why did you select this specific trio?
All three are not only botanicals, but also familiar food ingredients - which gives them an inherently safe, approachable profile. Beyond that, each carries strong intuitive associations: green tea with freshness and energy, indigenous Aloe ferox with soothing skin care, and honeybush with quiet gentleness. While the product isn't formulated to actively boost energy or treat the skin, together this trio paints a clear picture of vibrant yet gentle natural goodness.
This roll-on is made with naturally derived & nature-identical ingredients. How does it provide 'targeted odour protection' without relying on traditional sweat-blocking ingredients?
For targeted odour protection, we rely on a dual mechanism rather than blocking sweat. We use ingredients that selectively inhibit the specific enzymes bacteria use to generate smell, combined with mild antimicrobial components that keep the odour-causing flora under control. You still sweat naturally, but the mechanism that causes the smell is effectively neutralised.
The formula is pH-balanced specifically for the underarm area. Why is maintaining the right pH so crucial for an effective deodorant?
The underarm environment naturally has a higher pH than the rest of the body, which happens to be the exact environment odour-causing bacteria love most. When we talk about pH balancing in a deodorant, it is about creating an optimal, slightly lower pH environment that discourages those specific bacteria from thriving, while keeping the formulation gentle enough not to cause skin sensitivity.
Many natural deodorants on the market rely on baking soda or essential oils, which often cause rashes on the sensitive underarms. Why was it important to ensure this formula is free of added fragrance?
Underarm skin is thin, frequently shaved, and trapped in a warm, moist fold, which makes it exceptionally prone to contact dermatitis. Baking soda is too alkaline and abrasive for that delicate barrier, while essential oils tend to create a stuffy build-up in the presence of sweat. The formula was designed to do its job cleanly, without adding unnecessary skin aggressors or creating extra scent challenges as the day goes on.
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