TL;DR: In June 2026 we have brought back zinc oxide into our deodorant stick formulas! Our deodorant pastes will be getting a makeover in July 2026 to include zinc oxide in their formulas too. 💪

When we reformulated our natural deodorants last year (in June 2025), we expected people to notice the creamier texture, smoother glide and swanky new scents.

Even though lots of folks were loving 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 feedback, the more we realised something important:

We had to bring zinc oxide back into the mix.

A quick trip down memory lane

If you’ve been part of the Woohoo family for a while, you might remember the great deodorant reformulation of 2025.

A global ingredient shortage meant we were forced to reformulate our deodorants much faster than we’d planned. One of our hero ingredients, candelilla wax, suddenly became incredibly difficult to source and we had to make some big decisions to keep deodorant on shelves.

While we were making those changes, we decided to revisit a few other ingredients too.

For years we’d used zinc oxide in our deodorants. But during the reformulation, we replaced it with zinc ricinoleate – another well-researched deodorising ingredient that works by trapping and neutralising odour molecules.

Why the change?

At the time, we were paying attention to ingredient-rating apps like Yuka (an independent app that is meant to help you understand the impact your product ingredients have on your health), which was giving zinc oxide a less favourable rating despite its long history of safe use in products like mineral sunscreens. Zinc ricinoleate scored better, so it seemed like a sensible switch.

But over the following year, the feedback kept rolling in.

Some customers felt 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 realised we’d moved away from an ingredient that had served us really well for years.

So our co-founder and cosmetic chemist, Aaron, did what he does best: he headed back to the lab.

After extensive testing, we made the decision to bring zinc oxide back.

Zinc oxide is an incredibly versatile ingredient. Alongside helping absorb moisture, it supports long-lasting odour control and helps boost 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 our Extra Strength formulas now contain both zinc oxide and zinc ricinoleate for even greater BO-fighting power.

Sometimes innovation means trying something new.

And sometimes it means recognising when the original was pretty hard to beat 🙂

As a side note, Yuka seems to have lightened up on the doom-and-gloom ratings it used to give zinc oxide, so even our new formulas will rate well once we’ve updated them in the app! We’ll be spending less time chasing favourable ratings and more time chasing amazing 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 lunchtime, the answer often comes down to how they deal with odour.

Because here’s a fun fact: sweat doesn’t actually smell.

It’s essentially odourless.

That distinctive underarm aroma develops when naturally occurring bacteria on the skin start breaking down sweat and producing the compounds responsible for BO.

In other words, your sweat isn’t the villain. The cheeky bacteria raising a stink under your arms are.

This is where zinc oxide comes in.

Research suggests this naturally-derived mineral can help create an environment that’s less favourable for some of the bacteria associated with underarm odour, such as Corynebacterium species.

So, rather than simply covering up BO, zinc oxide helps address one of the reasons that smelliness occurs in the first place.

Which means more freshness and less stink for longer.

It helps keep pits feeling comfortable too

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 delicate skin.

It’s widely recognised as a gentle ingredient and has been used in everything from nappy creams to mineral sunscreens.

So we love that zinc oxide doesn’t just bust BO, it also fits beautifully into our philosophy of creating products that are effective while still being kind to sensitive skin.

It helps keep your pits dry and fresh

Zinc oxide won’t stop you sweating. And honestly, we wouldn’t want it to, as sweating is one of the ways your body regulates temperature.

What it can do is help absorb a little surface moisture, contributing to that comfortable, fresh feeling under your arms throughout the day while caring for your skin 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 quite right.

Sometimes that means creating an entirely new product.

Sometimes it means improving an existing one.

And sometimes it means admitting that an ingredient doesn’t always need to be upgraded if it’s already doing a stellar job.

Zinc oxide is sooooo good at:

• Helping tackle odour-causing bacteria without blocking sweat
• Supporting skin comfort while keeping pits fresh and dry
• Protecting your skin barrier
• Helping your deodorant last longer

So zinc oxide is back and it’s here to stay!

And if the feedback from our testers is anything to go by, it’s keeping sweaty armpits VERY happy indeed.

So with all that said…

Welcome back to the Woohoo natural deodorant family, zinc oxide. We missed you.

SHOP DEODORANTS