TL;DR: In June 2026, we’re bringing zinc oxide back into deodorant stick formulas! Our deodorant pastes will be renewed in July 2026 to include zinc oxide in their formulations. 💪
When we reformulated our natural deodorants last year (in June 2025), we expected people to notice the creamier texture, smoother glide and great new scents.
Although many people loved the new formulas, what we didn’t expect was the number of messages saying they missed the old formulas.
The more we dug into the comments, the more we realized something important:
We had to put the zinc oxide back into the mix.
A quick trip down memory lane
If you’ve been a part of the Woohoo family for a while, you might remember the lovely 2025 deodorant makeover.
A global shortage of ingredients meant we were forced to reformulate our deodorants much faster than we had planned. One of our hero ingredients, candelilla wax, suddenly became incredibly difficult to source and we had to make some big decisions to keep the deodorant on the shelves.
While making these changes, we decided to revisit a few other ingredients as well.
For years we used zinc oxide in our deodorants. But during the reformulation, we replaced it with zinc castor oil—another well-researched deodorant ingredient that works by trapping and neutralizing odor molecules.
Why the change?
At that time, we paid attention to component evaluation applications such as Yucca (an independent app meant to help you understand the impact your product ingredients have on your health), which gave zinc oxide a less favorable rating despite its long history of safe use in products like mineral sunscreens. Zinc castor oil scored better, so it seemed like a logical change.
But over the next year, the comments continued to circulate.
Some customers felt that the original formulas lasted longer.
Others told us they preferred how the old formulas felt on their skin.
And the more we reviewed the science, the more we realized that we had moved away from an ingredient that had served us very well for years.
So our co-founder and cosmetic chemist, Aaron, did what he does best: he went back to the lab.
After extensive testing, we made the decision to bring back zinc oxide.
Zinc oxide is an incredibly versatile ingredient. Along with moisture absorption, it supports long-term odor control and helps enhance the overall performance of a deodorant formula. It’s been used safely in personal care products for decades, and we’re very comfortable standing behind it.
Today, zinc oxide is back in all Woohoo deodorants, and Extra Strength formulas now contain both zinc oxide and zinc castor oil for even more BO-fighting power.
Sometimes innovation means trying something new.
And sometimes it means recognizing when the original was too hard to beat 🙂
As a side note, Yuka seems to have lightened the damage and grief ratings she used to give zinc oxide, so even our new formulas will be rated well once we update them in the app! We’ll spend less time chasing favorable reviews and more time chasing great formulas in the future.
Zinc oxide: the unsung hero of Woohoo natural deodorant
If you’ve ever wondered why some natural deodorants seem to keep working all day while others throw in the towel by noon, the answer often lies in how they treat odors.
Because here’s a fun fact: sweat doesn’t actually smell.
It is virtually odorless.
This characteristic underarm odor develops when natural bacteria on the skin begin to break down sweat and produce the compounds responsible for BO.
In other words, your sweat isn’t the bad guy. The cheeky bacteria that create a stink under your hands are.
This is where zinc oxide comes in.
Research suggests that this natural mineral may help create an environment that is less favorable for some of the bacteria associated with underarm odor, such as Corynebacterium kind.
So, rather than just covering up BO, zinc oxide helps address one of the reasons why bad breath occurs in the first place.
Which means more freshness and less stink for longer.
It also helps the pits feel comfortable
The other reason we love zinc oxide so much is its long history of use in personal care.
There’s a reason you’ll find it in products designed for sensitive skin.
It is widely recognized as a gentle ingredient and has been used in everything from diaper creams to mineral sunscreens.
So we love that zinc oxide not only destroys BO, but also fits nicely with our philosophy of creating products that are effective while still being kind to sensitive skin.
Helps keep your pits dry and fresh
Zinc oxide will not stop you from sweating. And frankly, we wouldn’t want to, as sweating is one of the ways your body regulates temperature.
What it can do is help absorb some surface moisture, contributing to that comfortable, underarm freshness throughout the day, while taking care of your skin’s microbiome.
So why bring it back?
One of the things we’ve always tried to do at Woohoo is listen when our customers tell us something isn’t right.
Sometimes this means creating an entirely new product.
Sometimes it means improving an existing one.
And sometimes it means admitting that a component doesn’t always need to be upgraded if it’s already doing an amazing job.
Zinc oxide is very good at:
- Helps fight odor-causing bacteria without blocking sweat
- Supports skin comfort by keeping skin fresh and dry
- Protecting your skin barrier
- Help your deodorant last longer
So zinc oxide is back and here to stay!
And if feedback from our testers is anything to go by, sweaty armpits are very happy indeed.
So with all this…
Welcome back to the Woohoo Zinc Oxide family of natural deodorants. We missed you.
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