Small batch label Fat and the Moon gained a cult followed after the release of its namesake Deodorant Cream and Sensitive Pit Cream. Devotees swear by the coconut oil and aluminum-free baking soda-base deodorant and say it works as well as commercial brands without the questionable ingredients. Mixed with the moisture-absorbing properties of arrowroot and the antimicrobial properties of the essential oils, the scent is a subtle blend of black pepper, bergamot and a hint of citrus with a base of clary sage.

Continuing a family legacy of herbalists and natural healers, Fat and the Moon founder Rachel Budde has built her company around providing handcrafted, herbal personal care, fragrance and cosmetics to those seeking natural and effective alternatives to chemical-filled products. Budde experiments with age-old ingredients and recipes passed down from various healing traditions to craft innovatively simple products that are good for the body and the earth and packages them in glass jars with hand-crafted letter work that is simple yet mysterious.

“We work with plants that are abundant, ethically harvested and organically cultivated and combine them in formulations that are radically nontoxic. Our priority is to use reusable, recyclable containers and to minimize superfluous packaging,” explains Budde.

Lisa Gainsley, a certified lymphedema therapist, recommends Fat and the Moon to her clients. “The beauty industry is finally coming around to understand that 60 percent of what we put on our skin (our largest lymphatic organ) gets absorbed into our lymph system. We have a large cluster of lymph nodes, the axillary nodes, under our armpit right where we apply deodorant so why shove chemicals on that vulnerable spot?