The Very Best Deodorants for Your Sweatiest, Stinkiest Days

Brendan Camp, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in New York, tells SELF that this drugstore pick is great for people with sensitive skin, since it doesn’t contain common irritants like baking soda and alcohol. He also likes that it still contains a subtle amount of fragrance (in case your skin can tolerate added scents and fragrance-free products aren’t your jam). It also contains glycerin, one of the most common moisturizing ingredients out there, to help your pits feel softer and smoother.

• Active ingredients: Added fragrance

“I am very sweaty and smelly, and truly haven't found anything better than Dove's Advanced Care deodorant,” one SELF staffer says. This longer-lasting formula is made with aluminum, botanical scents like cucumber and pear, and ceramides—you can think of that combo as the trifecta for hardworking armpits. The aluminum and fragrance work to combat stinky sweat, while the ceramides help keep your delicate underarm skin healthy. If you’re concerned that a deodorant made for serious odor might have a nuclear-strength scent, fear not—Target reviewers report that this stuff smells refreshing and subtle.

• Active ingredients: Aluminum

According to our 2023 Healthy Beauty Award testers, just a thin layer of this creamy-dreamy deodorant will last you the whole day. It’s aluminum- and baking-soda-free—instead, it uses a combination of mandelic and lactic acids (which have antibacterial properties) to address odor. Both of these acids also exfoliate the skin to help prevent pesky ingrown hairs from cropping up and reduce hyperpigmentation.

Not only does Megababe’s award–winner perform extremely well—it’s a pleasure to use too. Our testers appreciated that the tube’s opening was rounded, so they could apply and rub in the cream without getting their hands messy.

• Active ingredients: Mandelic acid, lactic acid, essential oils for fragrance

Fast-drying spray deodorants can’t be beat for their convenience, and this one from Secret won a Healthy Beauty Award back in 2022. “It smells amazing and really keeps you feeling good all day,” one tester wrote. “The rose scent is subtle, but combats sweat expertly.” (It also comes in several other scents if you prefer something fresh or fruity.) Unlike a lot of other deodorant sprays, Secret’s Weightless Dry Spray doesn’t contain alcohol, so it’s less likely to cause dryness and irritation.

• Active ingredients: Aluminum

Here’s another natural deo that uses mandelic and lactic acids—this time in a cooling roll-on formula. It goes on clear and moisturizes the skin with hyaluronic acid and aloe vera. One SELF staffer noted that, while it feels pretty wet at first, it dries quickly and works great on chiller days. “For high-sweat days, I need a few applications throughout the day to keep BO at bay, but for normal days, a few swipes in the morning is just fine,” she wrote.

• Active ingredients: Mandelic acid, lactic acid

Because it’s made with soothing ingredients like chamomile and oat extract (and without potential irritants like baking soda), Attitude’s deodorant is especially helpful for people with sensitive skin, Gabriella Vasile, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist and owner of Réforme Dermatology and Aesthetics in Charleston, South Carolina, tells SELF. Instead of aluminum, it uses white clay to absorb sweat and BO, and it’s available in three scents, plus an unscented formulation. Plus, Attitude’s plastic-free packaging is biodegradable.

• Active ingredients: White clay (a.k.a. kaolin) for sweat and odor

Dr. Camp recommends this splurge-worthy natural deodorant from Corpus, specifically shouting out its light scent and water-based, long-lasting formula. It comes in the form of a stick, but upon application, it has a gel-like consistency that absorbs and dries quickly. Amazon reviewers love the texture of this deodorant—many people described it as “gliding” across their skin and noted how easily it blended, with no lingering cast or white marks. Others mentioned that they needed to reapply throughout the day, though, so consider keeping your stick handy if you’re out and about.

• Active ingredients: Silica for odor and sweat, essential oils and extracts for fragrance

Donna Karan’s best-selling Cashmere Mist stick has a luxe floral scent (featuring hints of jasmine, lily of the valley, and sandalwood) that one SELF staffer loves, saying it’s made her a believer in fancy deodorants. According to Sephora reviewers, the fragrance lasts an impressively long time—and our staffer says she can pick it up even when she wears perfume in addition to deo. It’s also no slouch when it comes to sweat control. The classic version, featured here, uses aluminum to block moisture (it’s available in an aluminum-free formulation too).

• Active ingredients: Aluminum

If basically all deodorants have delivered lackluster results (or you just want to try something different), this tried-and-true acne cleanser might be your holy grail. As SELF has previously reported, benzoyl peroxide (the main ingredient in PanOxyl’s face wash) can help reduce odor-causing bacteria in your pits, thus preventing your BO from getting out of control. Dr. Vasile says to let it sit on your skin for a few minutes, then rinse. Repeat up to four or five times a week (any more and you could risk drying out or irritating your skin).

• Active ingredients: Benzoyl peroxide

Mina Amin, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Los Angeles, California, likes Drunk Elephant’s fragrance-free Sweet Pitti deodorant cream, noting that it’s especially well-suited to people with sensitive skin. It uses mandelic acid to curb body odor and arrowroot powder to absorb sweat—plus, it contains nourishing shea butter to keep your underarms well-moisturized.

• Active ingredients: Mandelic acid, arrowroot

A favorite of both Dr. Vasile and Dr. Amin, Dove’s VitaminCare+ deodorant contains niacinamide, or vitamin B3, to help keep your skin hydrated and calm. It’s made without aluminum, and, according to Dr. Vasile, it leaves no trace of a white cast.

• Active ingredients: Added fragrance

This super-smooth deodorant from Malin+Goetz may help neutralize your BO, Dr. Camp says. Its key ingredients, eucalyptus oil and citronellyl (which comes from compounds in various flower and plant oils), are thought to have some antibacterial properties. Those star components also give the deodorant a refreshingly light, springy scent.

• Active ingredients: Eucalyptus oil, citronellyl

SELF’s editor in chief swears by L’Occitane’s stick deodorant, specifically the lively “energizing cedrat” scent (if you want something with woodsier notes, go with the “eau des baux” scent, she says).

• Active ingredients: Essential oils for fragrance

This is another Healthy Beauty Award–winner that wowed our testers with its formula and fragrance in equal measure. It’s made with colloidal oatmeal, which can help keep sensitive skin calm, and its scents are surprisingly luxurious.

• Active ingredients: Added fragrance