What It Is: Natural skincare and body-care products—including cleansers, moisturizers, deodorant and more—made from 100% pure essential oils. Made in Canada and cruelty free.
What You Might Not Know: Athleisure beauty is a current trend among wellness-focused folks who want their beauty and natural skincare routines to complement their active lifestyles. That’s what Way of Will is all about. Their natural body-care products are specifically created to enhance the exercise experience by blending essential oils that energize, refresh, relax, soothe and more.
Feelin’ the Love: For this collaboration, Way of Will gifted me two items that I could use before a workout and two additional items that would be good for after a workout. Here’s what I test-drove.
Natural Skincare Before Exercise
Natural Deodorant Spray (01 in pic): Even if this deodorant didn’t work, I’d still use it as a body spray because the lavender + peppermint blend smells and feels really refreshing. Happily, it actually does work—to some extent.
I get it if you’re skeptical; I was too. We all know that not all natural deodorants have your back (or pits). Keep reading.
I’ve gotten into a routine of spraying a few pumps on before I get into workout clothes. It’s wet of course so I give it a hot second to dry (note that Way of Will also makes solid deodorant). Next, I go work up a sweat in something like an Orangetheory Fitness class.
After dozens of workouts, I’ve confirmed that this natural deodorant spray staves off stink, thanks to the peppermint and bergamot essential oils. However, if you’re not going to jump in the shower right away, I recommend reapplying it post-workout to double down on B.O. and chill out on the spray’s soothing and cooling effect.
Now … would I wear this natural deodorant for a high-pressure situation like presenting a lecture at a fitness conference? Er, nope. But I love that this Way of Will natural deodorant spray is a sublime-smelling everyday alternative to chemical-based antiperspirant, which I’m trying to get away from as much as possible. The fewer days I have to wear anything with aluminum in it, the better. (Way of Will is free of all that.)
Olfactic Inhaler (34 in pic): The objective here is to stick this pine + lime scented stick up your nostril and inhale. When you do it before exercise, it’s supposed to get your mind focused for the workout ahead. There’s eucalyptus in there, too, to help clear the airway.
Sooooo, the citrusy, woodsy scent is stimulating and does make me feel momentarily more alert. But I didn’t notice it made any difference to my training. I’m more likely to use this inhaler at my desk when writing, but even then, it didn’t particularly wow me.
Natural Skincare After Exercise
Mandarin + Mint Natural Body Wash (45 in pic): I’m obsessed with the uplifting smell and mint-tingle on my skin, so no surprise this formula has become my go-to body-wash for freshening up after a workout. Apparently, mandarin has bactericidal and fungicidal properties, so it’s perfect for after the gym, where bacteria tends to lurk.
With that in mind, I also use this cleanser to wash my hands post-workout. PSA, if you aren’t washing your hands after touching gym equipment, then ew! I like to give my hands a good scrub at the gym and again at home just to be thorough.
Soothe and Cool Post-Training Massage Oil (03 in pic): I’ve gotten in the habit of mixing a couple of drops of this lemongrass-scented oil with an unscented body lotion then massaging that mixture into my calves after a run. The massage loosens up tight muscles and moisturizes my lower legs, which tend to get dry and itchy. So far, regular doses of the massage oil have eliminated the itch.
If I Could Change One Thing: I’d be all over a natural hand sanitizer or biodegradable hand wipes from Way of Will that I could stash in my gym bag.
Should You Try It? Way of Will is made for people who enjoy an active lifestyle—that was the initial draw for me and now I’m hooked on the energizing scents and quality essential-oil blends. I particularly recommend the 01 deodorant and 45 body wash, but there are dozens more natural skincare products to check out at wayofwill.com. Their “Be Active” bundle includes natural deodorant spray, body wash, muscle soak bath salts and other fitness-minded goodies.
