Agent Nateur Founder Jena Covello on Clean Deodorant and New Launches

For Jena Covello, Agent Nateur started with an Ayahuasca ceremony and a need for clean deodorant.

In 2015, Covello launched Agent Nateur with its hero stock-keeping unit Holi (Stick), $28, a deodorant formulated with plant oils, butters and beeswax and without aluminum, as she struggled to find a truly clean option on the market. Now, 10 years later, to celebrate the brand’s anniversary, Covello is launching a reformulated version of the deodorant in a variety of synthetic-free scents, updating Agent Nateur’s branding and launching a variety of new products, including Holi (Mag) Advanced Daily Magnesium Complex, $94, and Holi (Water) Crème, $165. According to industry sources, Agent Nateur, which is available at retailers like Erewhon, Revolve, The Detox Market and more, is expected to reach $25 million in sales in 2025, up 62 percent year-over-year.

In 2014, Covello was dealing with a variety of health concerns which ultimately led to the idea for Agent Nateur.

“I have stage four endometriosis and adenomyosis… I had enough estrogen for an entire block of women. My naturopaths were telling me that I needed to avoid aluminum antiperspirant, because it’s an endocrine disruptor and it can mimic estrogen,” Covello said. “My father had been telling me since the ’90s to not use aluminum antiperspirant. I thought he was crazy.”

While Covello was originally hesitant about clean deodorant, a certain experience got her on board.

“I had done an Ayahuasca ceremony. I know that has something to do with it because two weeks later, I was cooking deodorant out of thin air,” she said. “I formulated it for eight months. It must have been 100 times or something before I got the consistency right in a stick.”

Now Covello has reintroduced the deodorants in five synthetic-fragrance-free scents derived from natural sources, including Tarte Tropézienne, 8233 Blackburn, Saint Honoré Roses, Ambroxan Cloud and Cap D’antibes. According to Covello, the new scents have been a hit and could inform a future expansion into clean, synthetic-free fragrances.

While clean deodorant has become one of the most popular products in body care with a slew of heritage brands tapping in, Covello said the brand received a lot of pushback in the early days. However, she was committed to the category and attended school in France to study natural cosmetics and fragrance to expand Agent Nateur into a variety of categories including body care, makeup, skin care, oral care, hair care and supplements, some of which are developed in partnership with functional medicine expert Dr. Will Cole. Per Covello, Agent Nateur’s number-one bestseller Holi (Mane), $99, has been a core driver for the business, particularly after influencer and comedian Esther Povitsky posted a viral TikTok about it in 2021.

Covello continues to double down across categories on a mission to create a fully clean routine. The latest launches include Holi (Water) Crème, $165, a lightweight and fast absorbing moisturizer, and Holi (Mag) Advanced Daily Magnesium Complex, $94, a key lime pie-flavored liposomal blend of magnesiums to support a variety of functions. Agent Nateur recently celebrated this launch with a soft-serve truck at Melrose Place in Los Angeles.

While Agent Nateur fans are asking for clean alternatives across categories, Covello predicts that toothpaste will be the next product to undergo a makeover like deodorant did.

In addition to new launches, Covello has refreshed the brand’s packaging, which has all been rolling out this summer after two years in development.

“We wanted to elevate the packaging to feel luxurious and special. I wanted it to have an old-world feel to it,” she said, adding that everything will feature an embossed Agent Nateur logo. “I wanted something that reminded me of my time in France and Italy… I’m hoping that people are going to photograph it on their shelves, like, ‘Wow, this looks so beautiful on my shelf.’”

In terms of what’s next, Covello has a slew of products lined up, including clean lip liner and lipstick, as well as ideas for a variety of new supplements. This approach for an entirely clean routine spanning beauty and wellness categories from toothpaste to sunscreen has worked well for the brand.

“I’m a Gemini, and I like to formulate and release things that I’m passionate about. That’s why my brain wants to do everything,” Covello said. “We have a bestseller in each category, but we’re trying to figure out what to focus on moving forward.”