Options to Live a More Natural and Sustainable Life
- Georgia Strack
- Oct 2
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 21
In today's post we will be exploring alternatives for consumers to look into in order to live a more sustainable life. Read on for some ideas on reducing your plastic waste when considering every day products such as deodorants.
Wild deodorant's mission was "to remove as much single-use plastic from personal routines as possible." Natural and sustainable deodorants and personal care began to enter the industry and seemed to take it by storm, offering an alternative to single-use plastic products that were full of harmful ingredients.
Wild offered an alternative that looked chic in a bathroom cabinet, with a biodegradable deodorant stick and packaging aimed to be re-used time and time again. Their values and ethics were strictly aligned and became a key selling point of the brand.
In the first quarter of 2025, they announced their partnership with consumer goods company, Unilever. Wild stated that by partnering with Unilever, they will be able to market their products to a wider range of customers and help make sustainable choices an option for more people.
This acquisition was received with a lot of raised eyebrows and questions over whether Wild will be able to maintain the levels of sustainability they have previously had. Will their environmental and ethical positions in regards to packaging remain the same? Will the ingredients they use stay non-toxic? Are they going to succumb to the pressure to prioritise profit?
For many customers it is not just about whether the products remain sustainable and true to the core values. It also comes down to consumers not wanting their money to line the pockets of companies like Unilever who have been seen to act against many of Wild's core values.
Unilever are a company who have been accused of greenwashing - a form of marketing that persuades the public that a company is environmentally friendly. Unilever has also been suggested to be continuing to sell harmful plastic and contributing to pollution. They have made widespread misleading claims on their sustainability. Acquiring Wild could be seen as them taking a step in the right direction to support companies that are already sustainable, but could they have focused inwards on the companies they already own who could be doing more to become sustainable?
In September 2025, Jerry Greenfield, co-owner of ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's, resigned after claiming that their parent company, Unilever, silenced their political activism. While this may not outwardly be an environmental issue, this highlights the values and policies that Unilever stands behind.
Wild deodorant flourished through the influencer marketing space, gaining a lot of traction from brand deals and recommendations. But some influencers have not taken to their platforms in opposition of the acquisition, stating they will no longer be endorsing or using the product.
This highlights the value of sustainable and ethic products in the market place. Consumers are looking to make more informed and sustainable choices in the products they purchase. having access to a product such as Wild was a great step in the right directions for these decisions. It is understandable then why consumers find these acquisitions so frustrating, they do not want to see a company they have chosen to support leave their ethics behind.
While Wild continue to remain cruelty free, Unilever are not. Hopefully this is not something that changes, but only time will tell.
As the desire for natural and sustainable products has increased, there are luckily now a variety of options available, not only natural deodorants but many other natural personal or skincare products on the market. Not only are there specific companies such as Fussy, which is the UK's highest rated refillable natural deodorant, but many already established brands are dipping their toes into the natural deodorant and personal care pool.
See the below article with a list of natural deodorants that are kind to your skin.
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