Q. Do you have suggestions for natural deodorants? I don't perspire profusely but need something to prevent pong and preferably perspiration too. A. We haven’t carried out formal Beauty Bible product testing on natural deodorants for some years but Sarah and a colleague have been trialling a range over the past few weeks, during normal day/evening situations including crowded public transport on hot days, stuffy offices, parties etc.

Firstly, though, we should point out that the clue is in the name – deodorant, not deodorant/ antiperspirant. However, we found that the most successful ones (see below) did seem to minimise perspiration as well as successfully banishing any whiffy odour.

We tried several formats and concluded that roll-ons were the most efficient, although our colleague Catherine Turner, who has written an editorial explaining the topic at victoriahealth.com, favours a spray (by Weleda).

Our top three are:

Weleda Citrus 24h Roll-On Deodorant/£9.50 at victoriahealth.com: We loved the zesty lemon freshness, and found this natural product very effective. However, the second ingredient is alcohol (first is water) so might not be great on just-shaved armpits (best to shave at night if this is your chosen method of hair removal).

Jason Soothing Aloe Vera Pure Natural Deodorant Roll-on/£3.99 at victoriahealth.com – we liked this a lot but eco-warriors may worry about the palm oil derivative, which is the second ingredient (ethylhexyl palmitate).

Dr Organic Manuka Honey Deodorant/£5.99 at hollandandbarrett.com – based on aloe, this is mainly natural. Our tester, who found it worked brilliantly on a hot stuffy day on the Tube, loved the honey smell.

Finally, if for some reason you find yourself without a deo, take this tip from our friend Kathy Phillips, globetrotting beauty editor and founder of This Works: simply stroke a cut lemon over your armpits. And, yes indeed, we’ve found it does work to keep pits pretty pong-free in normal conditions, (though you might have to wash and repeat during the day).