16 Best Deodorants and Antiperspirants to Keep You Smelling Fresh as a Daisy
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As sure as the sun rises in the east, our pits can seriously stink. While it's a natural, healthy bodily function, the best deodorants with antiperspirants can make a big difference in your smell and confidence as you move through the steamiest days, sweatiest shifts, and everything in between. Luckily for us, deodorants have significantly improved in recent years, and "natural" no longer means "does not work at all." On the other side of the coin, some antiperspirants are now formulated with nourishing ingredients like vitamin B5 to minimize irritation.
Our Top Picks:
- Best Overall: Native Coconut & Vanilla Deodorant Spray,
$16$14 - Best for Excessive Sweating: Certain Dri Prescription Strength Clinical Antiperspirant,
$6$5 - Best Aluminum-Free Formula: Evolvetogether Monaco Natural Deodorant, $24
- Best Exfoliating: Megababe The Cream Deo, $14
- Best Scent: Salt & Stone Natural Deodorant, $20
- Best Antiperspirant Spray: Degree Unlimited Antiperspirant Deodorant, $10
- Best for Dry Skin: Secret Clinical Strength Completely Clean Invisible Solid, $13
Whether you're on team aluminum or could do without it, you're guaranteed to find a deodorant or antiperspirant that calls to you. Keep reading for the best options, plus accompanying input from dermatologists.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What are antiperspirants?
- What are deodorants?
- Are aluminum deodorants safe?
- Meet the experts
- How we test and review products
- Our staff and testers
Best Overall: Native Coconut & Vanilla Deodorant Spray
Why It's Worth It: Native deodorants are a huge hit with the aluminum-free deodorant crowd. This spray deodorant, which won a 2023 Best of Beauty Award, is infused with a lightly tropical scent of coconut and vanilla and has a quick-drying, long-lasting formula. It also features dipropylene glycol, which helps keep you fresh all day, and capric triglyceride, a skin conditioning agent that keeps your pits from feeling dry or irritated.
Editor Tip: You don't need to limit the spraying to your pits. Mist this stuff over wherever you notice yourself sweating—underboob, lower back, and beyond.
Key Ingredients: Dipropylene glycol, capric triglyceride | Who It's For: All skin types, moderate sweat, moderate body odor
Best for Excessive Sweating: Certain Dri Prescription Strength Clinical Antiperspirant
Why It's Worth It: Jason Miller, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in Freehold, New Jersey, highly recommends Certain Dri's Prescription Strength Clinical Antiperspirant, which happens to cost less than $10 (score). He explains that this affordable option offers highly effective sweat protection due to its aluminum chloride-based formula. This clinical-strength antiperspirant works wonders for minimizing sweat and odor-causing bacteria, but it can be irritating for some sensitive skin types.
Editor Tip: "Ideally, apply this antiperspirant to completely dry armpits at nighttime," Dr. Miller tells Allure. You can apply it again in the morning for added protection.
Key Ingredients: Aluminum chloride | Who It's For: Extra sweaty armpits
Best Aluminum-Free Formula: Evolvetogether Monaco Natural Deodorant
Why It's Worth It: A 2023 Best of Beauty winner, this "cool and unflappable" solid deodorant stick from buzzy brand Evolvetogether is perfect if you want to smell expensive without smelling at all. It's boosted with hydrating panthenol (vitamin B5), tapioca starch to dry up sweat, and fermented sugarcane, which helps mask odor. The fragrance is activated by body heat, so instead of getting a whiff of your stench mid-activity, you'll smell notes of rose, mandarin, and patchouli.
Editor Tip: Okay, hear us out. For best results, exfoliate your pits daily and do a little antiperspirant and deodorant cleanse for one to two weeks before your first use. It may seem like a long time to go without odor protection, but it helps create a nice, clean canvas for this deodorant to do its thing.
Key Ingredients: Panthenol, tapioca starch, glycerin | Who It's For: All skin types
Best Exfoliating: Megababe The Cream Deo
Why It's Worth It: This creamy deodorant from Megababe goes on white but dries clear (just give it a few seconds), and the ingredients list is magical. It's oozing with 5% AHAs (from mandelic and lactic acid, the gentler of the bunch) to fight odor, smoothing and soothing niacinamide, hydrating squalane and vitamin E, tapioca starch, and nourishing sunflower seed oil. It's basically skin care for your armpits.
Editor Tip: This one has a clean scent, which is nice if you have sensitive skin or if you don't want your deodorant to compete with your scented body lotions or perfumes.
Key Ingredients: Mandelic acid, lactic acid, niacinamide, squalane, vitamin E | Who It's For: People with hyperpigmentation, ingrown hairs
Best Scent: Salt & Stone Natural Deodorant
Why It's Worth It: Seaweed extracts and hyaluronic acid power the Salt & Stone Natural Deodorant, which gives your underarms all-natural protection on even the steamiest days. The formula is also packed with probiotics, spirulina, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants to support your skin's microbiome. It comes in several scents, but we vouch for the Santal & Vetiver option, which includes notes of Australian sandalwood, cedar, amber, and violet leaves.
Editor Tip: Grab the brand's Natural Deodorant Gel if you have particularly sensitive pits.
Key Ingredients: Aloe vera, seaweed extract, hyaluronic acid, arrowroot powder | Who It's For: People looking for a sophisticated scent.
Best Antiperspirant Spray: Degree Unlimited Antiperspirant Deodorant
Why It's Worth It: Here's another 2023 Best of Beauty winner beloved by Allure editors and consumers for its silky, dry formulation. Our testers say you only need one spritz of Degree's Unlimited Antiperspirant Deodorant for all-day sweat and odor protection. Don't worry about white residue on your skin or clothes, either. To get the most out of your spray deodorant, James Y, Wang, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based at Metropolis Dermatology in Los Angeles, previously recommended shaking the container before applying and spraying it about two to three inches from the (ideally, recently cleansed) area of skin for approximately three seconds.
Editor Tip: Degree Unlimited relies on its patented SmartAdapt tech, which creates a barrier to keep sweat in and releases fragrance when needed most, like during your sweaty final set of heavy squats.
Key Ingredients: Aluminum sesquichlorohydrate | Who It's For: Heavy sweating
Best for Dry Skin: Secret Clinical Strength Completely Clean Invisible Solid
Why It's Worth It: New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, MD, says Secret's Clinical Strength Completely Clean Invisible Solid antiperspirant formula gets major points for its skin-nourishing additives like castor oil and vitamin B5, which aren't guaranteed in many deodorant formulas. The 20% aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex for sweat and odor protection is also key to stopping sweat at the source.
Editor Tip: This drugstore deodorant comes in several yummy scents, including Clean Lavender, Nurturing Coconut, Waterlily, and Shower Fresh.
Key Ingredients: Aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex, vitamin B5 | Who It's For: Dry armpits, heavy sweating
Best Splurge: Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Deodorant Anti-Perspirant Stick
Why It's Worth It: If you know Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Deodorant Anti-Perspirant Stick, you know. There's a secret society of people madly in love with this antiperspirant. Bolstered by aluminum zirconium, it'll keep sweat at bay without drying out your armpits, thanks to nourishing castor oil and dimethicone. Sometimes selling every two minutes, this deodorant features the same jasmine, lily of the valley, sandalwood, and vanilla notes as its perfume counterpart—which, while undeniably popular since its launch in 1994, doesn't fly off shelves quite as rapidly as this sweat-stopping solid.
Editor Tip: The formula is gentle enough to comfortably apply right after shaving.
Key Ingredients: Aluminum zirconium, castor oil, dimethicone | Who It's For: Moderate sweat
Best Budget: Mitchum Triple Odor Defense Antiperspirant Gel
Why It's Worth It: Sure, the Mitchum Triple Odor Defense Antiperspirant Gel has a pretty awesome price tag (Two for less than $10? Yes, please.), but that's not the only reason why Dr. Miller is a fan of this extra-strength antiperspirant. He says it's one of the few clear gel formulas that won't feel gunky or leave behind white marks on your clothes. Oh, and its 48-hour protection against sweat and body odor is pretty impressive, too.
Editor Tip: We love the two-pack because you can keep one in your room and another in your gym bag for easy access.
Key Ingredients: Aluminum sesquichlorohydrate, glycerin | Who It's For: Avid exercisers, stress sweat-ers
Best Cream Formula: Kiehl's Superbly Efficient Antiperspirant & Deodorant Cream
Why It's Worth It: Don't be fooled; although Kiehl's Superbly Efficient Antiperspirant & Deodorant Cream is marketed as men's deodorant, it's an all-gender antiperspirant (they all are, let's be clear). It relies on aluminum chlorohydrate for hours of sweat-free wear and is formulated with witch hazel, a natural astringent that helps soothe and purify the skin—and a bonus shout out to citrus extracts that brighten underarms and deliver a refreshing scent.
Editor Tip: Although you may be tempted to use it elsewhere, Kiehl's recommends only applying it to your underarms.
Key Ingredients: Aluminum chlorohydrate, witch hazel | Who It's For: People with hyperpigmentation
Best Liquid Antiperspirant: Clinique Antiperspirant-Deodorant Roll-On
Why It's Worth It: Clinique Antiperspirant-Deodorant Roll-On's claim to fame is how easy it is to forget you're even wearing it—not because you smell bad, but because the lightweight liquid never feels sticky, even when the weather puts your pits to the test. The best part? Thanks to a clear formula that outright refuses to leave a stain, you'll never find evidence of it on your clothing.
Editor Tip: Customers who have previously struggled with deodorants causing armpit rashes have found major, non-irritating success with this product.
Key Ingredients: Aluminum chlorohydrate | Who It's For: People with sensitive skin
Best for Bumpy Skin: Nécessaire The Deodorant Gel
Why It's Worth It: We'll confidently call the Nécessaire The Deodorant Gel a necessary part of your pit routine. It's clear, fast-drying, packed with 5% AHA, and leaves all aluminum out of the equation. In addition to curbing B.O., this deodorant works to treat hyperpigmentation and even out bumpy skin.
Editor Tip: The opaque bottle helps protect the deodorant formula from light, making sure its potency and efficacy are consistent.
Key Ingredients: Alpha hydroxy acid, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, chamomile flower extract | Who It's For: People with bumpy armpits
Best for Workouts: Kosas Chemistry AHA Serum Deodorant
Why It's Worth It: The Kosas Chemistry AHA Serum Deodorant is aluminum-free and spiked with mandelic and lactic acid to kill bacteria-causing odor. This one goes on clear, leaving no white cast on your skin or clothes, and the cooling roll-on deodorant feels excellent on sensitive armpits. If you like your pits to smell especially pretty, you can grab it in Serene Clean (citrus and ylang ylang), or Beachy Clean (jasmine, sandalwood, and vanilla). There's an unscented option, too.
Editor Tip: This deodorant is formulated to help curb the growth of ingrown hairs.
Key Ingredients: Mandelic acid, alpha hydroxy acid, lactic acid, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, aloe | Who It's For: All skin types
Best Refillable: Glossier Deodorant
Why It's Worth It: We're blessed to be alive at the same time as Glossier's makeup products, but we mustn't forget about their just-as-good-if-not-better deodorant. The Glossier Deodorant is aluminum and baking soda-free and conditions skin while keeping your stink at bay. Once you finish the first tube, you can keep the packaging and buy a refill, trying a new scent each time.
Editor Tip: You can get this deodorant in the iconic Glossier You scent, which you may already have as a perfume. What better way to round out your signature fragrance?
Key Ingredients: Coconut oil base, elderberry extract, magnesium hydroxide, potato starch | Who It's For: People who want soft armpits
Best Long-Lasting: Malin + Goetz Deodorant
Why It's Worth It: It doesn't Goetz better than the Malin + Goetz Deodorant. It's been the brand's best seller for over 13 years, and that doesn't seem to be changing soon. Odor-neutralizing citronellyl steps up to the plate to keep you smelling good, and naturally refreshing eucalyptus is the cherry on top. Users love how long the deodorant lasts—in more ways than one. It neutralizes odor all day, but the stick itself has a long lifespan, making the price tag especially worth it.
Editor Tip: If you want to take this deodorant for a test drive before buying a full-size, start with the smaller one-ounce stick.
Key Ingredients: Sodium stearate, eucalyptus leaf oil, citronellyl | Who It's For: Everyone
Best for Sensitive Skin: Kopari Deodorant
Why It's Worth It: Coconut is the star of the show in the Kopari Deodorant, whose antibacterial and antimicrobial formula moisturizes as it fends off your mustiness. It goes on smoothly, stays clear, and a little goes a long way—which is always a win in our books. The formula also includes sage oil, which soothes sensitive skin.
Editor Tip: If you feel like you're a little smellier than usual at the beginning of your natural deodorant adventure, remember that it's normal for your body to produce extra sweat when detoxing from aluminum.
Key Ingredients: Sodium stearate, coconut oil, sage oil, fermented yeast | Who It's For: Coconut lovers
Frequently Asked Questions
What are antiperspirants?
"Traditional antiperspirants do not decrease sweating, but rather block sweat from reaching the skin's surface," says Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. The various versions of aluminum compounds you may find as the active ingredient in antiperspirants are what do the sweat-blocking.
These include aluminum chlorohydrate, aluminium zirconium, aluminum chloride, and aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly, which serve a unified purpose. "All aluminum ingredients in antiperspirant products work to control wetness by forming a temporary plug within the sweat gland," cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson tells Allure.
What are deodorants?
Not all deodorants are antiperspirants, but most antiperspirants are deodorants. Deodorant is considered a cosmetic because, as Shereene Idriss, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, previously explained, it's formulated with antimicrobial agents to inhibit the growth of microorganisms in the armpits.
But sweat itself isn't what makes you stink. "Odor is released when bacteria come into contact with the thicker, milkier substance produced by apocrine glands in our armpits and groin," she added—feet and butts included. While dermatologists say daily bathing is critical to combatting body odor, deodorant can still be very useful. "It is helpful to use deodorant in the areas of skin-on-skin contact, like under heavier breasts or stomach, to prevent skin maceration during high humid seasons or to prevent skin irritation from friction," Julie E. Russak, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC, told Allure.
Are aluminum deodorants safe?
The safety of aluminum as an antiperspirant ingredient has been called into question by clean beauty advocates and natural ingredient enthusiasts. Some believe aluminum can contribute to the development of diseases like breast cancer and Alzheimer's, but there isn't enough scientific evidence to support those claims.
"We rely on studies done on thousands of women to see if there are links to breast cancer and the suspected culprit," Sarah Cate, MD, a board-certified surgeon and an assistant professor of surgery and breast cancer specialist at Mount Sinai in New York City, told Allure. Ultimately, no one has developed breast cancer as a result of using antiperspirants.
Moreover, the Alzheimer's Association says the link between aluminum and the neurodegenerative disease is a myth and that "studies have failed to confirm any role for aluminum in causing Alzheimer's." So, while opting for aluminum-free or natural deodorant has its benefits (especially for people with easily irritated skin), aluminum-based antiperspirants are your best bet for true odor-blocking, wetness-quashing effects.
Meet the experts
- Jason Miller, MD, board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in Freehold, New Jersey
- Hadley King, MD, New York City-based board-certified dermatologist
- James Y, Wang, MD, Los Angeles-based board-certified dermatologist based at Metropolis Dermatology
- Joshua Zeichner, MD, New York City-based board-certified dermatologist
- Sarah Cate, MD, New York City-based board-certified surgeon and an assistant professor of surgery and breast cancer specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital
- Julie E. Russak, MD, New York City-based board-certified dermatologist at Mount Sinai Hospital
- Shereene Idriss, MD, New York City-based board-certified dermatologist and founder of Dr. Idriss Skincare
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of the best deodorants with antiperspirants, we considered each product’s performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors — along with special consideration from dermatologists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors — in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon — is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the “best” for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
More on smelling good:
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- 21 Best Body Washes for Head-to-Toe Moisture
- 14 Best Hair Perfumes That Smell Subtle and Luxurious at the Same Time
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