A cream deodorant belongs on clean, dry, cooled-down skin, which means after the session
Sauna days change the underarm routine. A deodorant applied before a heavy sweat goes to waste, and one applied to warm, freshly rinsed skin can sting. Here is the order that works with a tallow cream, and why.
Start with what the product is. Creatrix Solutions Tallow Deodorants are aluminum-free cream deodorants made to help manage underarm odor without functioning as antiperspirants. They do not block perspiration. That single fact decides the sauna question: a deodorant that lets you sweat has nothing to do during a session whose purpose is sweating. Whatever you apply beforehand is carried off with the perspiration, along with the absorbent powders that were supposed to keep the area feeling dry.
So the cream goes on afterward. The routine the deodorant page sets out for any day, cleanse first and then apply to clean and completely dry underarms, is the same routine on a sauna day; the only difference is that the cleanse is the post-session rinse and the drying step matters more than usual. Skin that is still damp from a shower or still releasing sweat is not dry, and a cream spread over it will not sit evenly.
The sibling article on caring for skin after heavy sweating covers the rest of the body; this one stays with the underarm.
Less than you think. The instruction on the jar and on the Tallow Natural Deodorant page is a pea-sized amount for both underarms. Warm it between clean fingertips, then spread a thin, even layer over clean, completely dry skin. Let the layer absorb before dressing so it does not transfer onto clothing. Any tiny remainder can go on dry cuticles or the backs of the hands, because the base is tallow and it conditions skin wherever it lands.
Applying more does not add odor control. It makes the layer feel greasy, transfers to fabric, and raises the chance of irritation, because you have put more baking soda and more essential oil against the skin than a thin layer would. If you find yourself scooping twice, the jar is being asked to do an antiperspirant's job, which it was never designed for.
| Moment | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Before the session | Nothing on the underarms | A deodorant that lets you sweat is removed by the sweat; the powders leave with it |
| Right after the rinse | Wait; pat dry; let the skin cool | Damp, warm skin will not take an even layer and is more likely to sting |
| Cool and dry | Pea-sized amount, thin layer, absorb, then dress | The routine the deodorant page sets out for any day |
The deodorant page carries a sensitivity note worth taking seriously on sauna days: baking soda and essential oils can irritate some skin types, especially after shaving. The page's own instruction for any day is to wait until the skin is calm and dry, and after a sauna that takes longer than usual: the underarm is still warm and still releasing sweat for a while after the rinse. Give it time to return to normal temperature and dry fully before applying. If the skin was shaved the same day, wait longer, or skip the deodorant until the next morning.
Patch test the first time regardless of the day. Both scents use essential oils: Lemon Lime is built on lemon myrtle, lime, sweet orange and bergamot; Fresh on high-altitude organic lavender and organic tea tree. Citrus oils and tea tree are among the oils the page names as possible irritants on sensitive skin, so if one scent stings and the other does not, that is useful information rather than a defect. Discontinue use if persistent burning, rash or irritation develops.
A tallow cream is firm at room temperature and soft in a warm room, and a bathroom next to a sauna is a warm room. If the jar has gone soft, that is texture, not spoilage; tallow softens with heat, and the page notes that refrigeration may help keep it firmer and extend freshness. The deodorant page's storage advice is to keep the jar tightly sealed in a cool, dry place, and it notes that refrigeration may help maintain a firmer texture and extend freshness. On sauna days the practical version is: keep the jar out of the sauna room, take it to the underarm rather than the other way round, and if it has softened, use a smaller scoop because a softer cream spreads further.
Two more storage habits keep a jar in good shape through a hot season. Seal the lid every time, because the cream base holds absorbent powders that do their job by taking up moisture and will happily take it up from a humid room. And keep fingers clean going in, since a fingertip is the applicator and the jar is opened daily.
Tallow Deodorant is a cosmetic for odor care and underarm comfort. It is not an antiperspirant and does not reduce sweating. Patch test before first use, keep it away from broken skin, and stop using it if irritation persists. If you have a skin condition, ask your own healthcare provider before adding any new product to your routine.
Lemon Lime is the bright citrus blend; Fresh is the clean herbal one. Both come in a 2 oz (60 mL) jar, and both are aluminum-free tallow creams applied with a fingertip in a pea-sized amount, after the session, to cool and completely dry skin. At a pea-sized dose, one jar covers a great many sauna days.
Practitioner Eileen Durfee, NBS (Nutritional Balancing Science), NASM-CPT — wellness educator, inventor, author, and a Nationally Certified Spinal Fitness Specialist.
I formulated these deodorants around grass-fed kidney suet because it is the cleanest, most nutrient-dense fat on the animal, and I wanted the base to condition the underarm rather than just carry powder to it. That choice is also why the routine is what it is. The powders in the base, sodium bicarbonate, arrowroot and zinc oxide, do their job by taking up moisture, and tallow softens with heat, so the cream wants dry, cool skin and a sealed jar, and a session in the heat is the wrong time to ask it to hold.
My own habit is the order in this article: nothing on the underarms before a session, a rinse and a real cool-down after, then a pea-sized amount once the skin is dry. Our Facebook group is free to join if you want to ask about the routine.
No. It is an aluminum-free deodorant, not an antiperspirant. It is intended for odor control and allows normal perspiration, which is why it is applied after a session rather than before.
Wait until the underarms are completely dry and the skin has cooled. A cream spread over damp or warm skin sits unevenly, and heated skin is more likely to sting from the baking soda and essential oils.
Softening is heat, not spoilage; tallow softens in a warm room. Keep the jar tightly sealed in a cool, dry place. Refrigeration may help keep the texture firmer and extend freshness.
Both use essential oils, and skin varies. Lemon Lime carries citrus oils; Fresh carries lavender and tea tree. Patch test each, avoid freshly shaved skin, and discontinue if irritation persists.
Published September 2026 • Updated September 13, 2026
By Eileen Durfee, NBS, NASM-CPT, inventor, author, and formulator of the Creatrix Solutions tallow skincare line.
More from Eileen Durfee
Eileen's free guides, including 12 Ways to Supercharge Your Detoxification, on EileenDurfee.com
This article is for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Nuco Enterprise Solutions LLC.
