Sweating is an essential process that helps you regulate your body temperature, but it can also leave your underarms wet and odor-filled. Thankfully, deodorant and antiperspirant can help.

“The odor [from sweating] results from a breakdown of sweat with normal skin bacteria,” says Yolanda C. Holmes, MD, FAAD, a Washington D.C.-based dermatologist in private practice. She explains that deodorants can prevent this body odor.

Reviewed & Approved

Formulated with aluminum and essential oils, Secret’s Antiperspirant Deodorant provides coverage for up to 48 hours. Dove Even Tone’s Antiperspirant also provides up to 48-hour coverage and is affordable.

When looking for a deodorant, consider the type of application. Some roll on while others come in a spray form. Additionally, if you have sensitive skin, look for a fragrance-free formula. We researched dozens of inversion tables and evaluated them for ingredients, price, and application type.

Here are the best deodorants for women on the market.

Infused with essential oils and aluminum, this antiperspirant provides coverage for up to 48 hours, which is why we chose it as our top pick. One smooth swipe reveals a refreshing blend of lavender, eucalyptus, and ginger—a combination that masks unpleasant odors. Plus, it’s paraben- and dye-free.

Best Overall

Secret Antiperspirant Deodorant with Pure Essential Oils

  • No parabens or dyes

  • Lasts 48 hours

  • Formulated with aluminum

  • Essential oils may be irritating

Price at time of publication: $10 for 2.6 ounces

Key Specs:Size: 2.6 ounces | Application: Invisible solid | Type: Antiperspirant and deodorant

If you want an antiperspirant and deodorant that goes above and beyond, this option from Dove is crafted to provide you with up to 48 hours of protection. Available in stick form, it leaves behind a light, floral fragrance.

Best Budget

Dove Even Tone Antiperspirant

  • Lasts 48 hours

  • Evens out skin tone

  • Fragrance may be irritating

  • Formulated with aluminum

It’s also infused with vitamin B3 in the form of niacinamide—evening out discolored underarm skin while moisturizing and hydrating.

Price at time of publication: $7 for 2.6 ounces

Key Specs:Size: 2.6 ounces | Application: Solid | Type: Antiperspirant and deodorant

This natural deodorant is free of talc, aluminum, and parabens—instead, using a combination of baking soda and magnesium hydroxide to kick body odor to the curb. It also includes tapioca starch to ensure your underarms stay dry throughout the day.

Best Aluminum-Free

Native Coconut & Vanilla Deodorant

  • No aluminum, parabens, or talc

  • Formulated with shea butter

  • Baking soda may be irritating

  • Coconut oil can be a comedogenic

Jam-packed with antioxidant-rich coconut oil and shea butter, Native Deodorant will moisturize while providing a subtle scent of vanilla and coconut.

Price at time of publication: $13 for 2.65 ounces

Key Specs:Size: 2.6 ounces | Application: Solid | Type: Deodorant

This powerful deodorant stick offers maximum protection against wetness and unpleasant odors for up to 48 hours. Acting as a smart antiperspirant, it senses your sweat levels throughout the day and turns up the level of protection depending on your needs.

Best Extra-Strength

Secret Clinical Strength Antiperspirant and Deodorant

  • 48-hour protection

  • Waterproof

  • Senses amount of sweat

  • Formulated with aluminum

All the while, this waterproof option conditions and moisturizes underarm skin.

Price at time of publication: $13 for 2.6 ounces

Key Specs:Size: 2.6 ounces | Application: Soft solid stick | Type: Antiperspirant and deodorant

Dermatologist-tested, this deodorant antiperspirant is free from common chemical irritants, including dyes, fragrances, parabens, and more. Since it’s considered clinical strength, it promises to keep you feeling dry for 24 hours while leaving your underarms smooth.

Best for Excessive Sweating

Vanicream Antiperspirant Deodorant

  • 24-hour protection
  • Dermatologist-tested

Although it contains potentially drying aluminum, the brand says it’s safe for sensitive skin.

Price at time of publication: $13 for 2.25 ounces

Key Specs:Size: 2.3 ounces | Application: Balm stick | Type: Antiperspirant and deodorant

Mixing together notes of bergamot, pink lemon, orange blossom, and cardamom, this stick doubles as a sweet fragrance in addition to deodorant. It’s formulated with plant-based ingredients like Saccharomyces ferment filtrate (from yeast) and tapioca starch, shielding against sweat while caring for your underarms.

Best Natural

Corpus Naturals Deodorant

  • Vegan

  • Free of aluminum, parabens, and talc

  • Multiple fragrance options

  • Expensive

Packaged in a recyclable tube, this option glides on smoothly and won’t leave your underarms feeling sticky.

Price at time of publication: $26 for 2.6 ounces

Key Specs:Size: 2.6 ounces | Application: Balm stick | Type: Deodorant

This option from Almay is free of harsh fragrances and alcohols (ingredients that those with sensitive skin may have to avoid). It’s also hypoallergenic, so you won’t have to worry about redness or breakouts.

Best Gel

Almay Sensitive skin Clear Gel Deodorant

  • Hypoallergenic

  • Free of fragrances and alcohol

  • Quick-drying

  • Formulated with aluminum

The quick-drying deodorant rolls on clear, and the formula is designed to keep sweat away all day.

Price at time of publication: $7 for 2.5 ounces

Key Specs:Size: 2.3 ounces | Application: Gel | Type: Antiperspirant and deodorant

If you’re a runner, tracking distance, pace, time, and splits is already enough to worry about. With this deodorant-antiperspirant combination, you won’t have to worry about underarm protection as well.

Best for Running

Degree Antiperspirant Deodorant Dry Spray

  • 48-hour protection
  • Alcohol-free
  • Quick-drying spray

Made with the brand’s MOTIONSENSE Technology, the formula releases more sweat-blocking power the more you move. This spray-on pick also goes on clear so it won’t leave behind any residue.

Price at time of publication: $10 for 3.8 ounces

Key Specs:Size: 3.8 ounces | Application: Spray | Type: Antiperspirant and deodorant

Packed with 11 essential oils to nix unpleasant underarm odor—including tea tree oil, which keeps bacteria from sticking around, it leaves behind a light, earthy smell courtesy of vetiver.

Best Spray

Aesop Deodorant Spray

  • Free of aluminum

  • Gender-neutral fragrance

  • Might need to reapply frequently

  • Expensive

Since it’s not an antiperspirant, it won’t stop you from sweating, so you may need to reapply throughout the day.

Price at time of publication: $50 for 1.6 ounces

Key Specs:Size: 1.7 ounces | Application: Spray | Type: Deodorant

Doubling as a moisturizer, this deodorant can be lathered on to condition and smooth your underarms while eliminating odor. It absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave behind residue, and it soaks up moisture thanks to a combination of witch hazel and aluminum salt.

Best Antiperspirant

Kiehl’s Superbly Efficient Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant Cream

  • 24-hour protection

  • Safe for sensitive skin

  • Fragrance-free

  • Expensive

  • Formulated with aluminum

For a full 24 hours, Kiehl’s Efficient Antiperspirant and Deodorant Cream will give you full antibacterial benefits.

Price at time of publication: $22 for 2.5 ounces

Key Specs:Size: 2.5 ounces | Application: Cream | Type: Antiperspirant and deodorant

Formulated with organic shea butter, aloe vera, and vitamin E, this two-pack of natural deodorant nourishes your underarms without leaving behind unwanted white streaks.

Best for Sensitive Skin

Nubian Heritage 24 Hour Natural Deodorant African Black Soap

  • Aluminum- and baking soda- free

  • Certified Organic and Fair Trade ingredients

  • Made with soothing aloe

  • May need to be reapplied

It also fights off odor and sweat with a mixture of cornstarch and Saccharomyces for 24-hour, fresh-scented protection.

Price at time of publication: $7 for 2.25 ounces

Key Specs:Size: 2.25 ounces | Application: Solid | Type: Deodorant

A trio of ingredients makes this all-natural, aluminum-free solid deodorant a decent investment—cornstarch, soothing aloe vera, and antibacterial lemon and tea tree oils.

Best Smelling

LAVANILA The Healthy Deodorant

  • Free of propylene, aluminum, and parabens

  • Baking soda-free

  • Non-staining formula

  • May need to be reapplied frequently

Though natural, it’s crafted to keep your underarms completely dry while providing you with a clean, crisp aroma that lasts for hours.

Price at time of publication: $12 for 2 ounces

Key Specs:Size: 2 ounces | Application: Stick | Type: Deodorant

What to Look for in a Deodorant for Women

 Ingredients

For a true deodorant that blocks odor, look for ingredients such as kaolin, saccharomyces ferment, and baking soda, which can mask smells. An antiperspirant requires aluminum, which prevents your body from releasing sweat in the first place. While there is no known connection between cancer and aluminum-based deodorants or antiperspirants, some people still have concerns. If that’s the case, ones with formulas that include cornstarch powder can be another option.

Final Verdict

Dr. Holmes suggests avoiding triclosan (an endocrine disruptor), parabens (which can mimic estrogen), and propylene glycol (which can cause liver and kidney damage). “All of these ingredients can also cause allergic reactions,” she says. 

Application

The application type is typically a personal preference. There are spray-on options, roll-on formulas, gels, and creams. Find one that’s convenient for you and your lifestyle.

 Type

Heavy sweaters should look to antiperspirants that squelch sweat and subsequently prevent body odor. If you find a deodorant you like instead, make sure that yours has ingredients that help defend against wetness (like baking soda, aluminum, tapioca powder, and cornstarch) and ones that mask the smell of body odor (like essential oil).

Why Trust Verywell Fit?

Rozalynn S. Frazier is an award-winning, multimedia journalist with more than 20 years of experience reporting on health and fitness. She is also a NASM-certified personal trainer and an avid exerciser, who routinely puts wellness tools and fitness gear through its paces to help assess which products are worthy of praise. She has created content for SELF, Men’s Health, Real Simple, Health, Essence, Cosmopolitan, Livestrong.com, among others.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Are deodorants with aluminum bad for you?
  • If a deodorant contains aluminum, it then becomes an antiperspirant. In other words, the goal of aluminum is to block sweat glands, says Dr. Holmes.“There are rumors that aluminum in deodorants and antiperspirants can cause Alzheimer’s disease or breast cancer,” says Dr. Holmes. “Scientific literature states there is no link between aluminum chloride and the development of Alzheimer’s.” And, although some scientists have suggested otherwise, there is currently no scientific evidence that supports a link between aluminum in deodorants and breast cancer.
  • Do deodorants expire?
  • Like any product, deodorants and antiperspirants do have a shelf life—typically lasting between one and three years. Be sure to check your specific product, as the expiration date is usually located on the product label.
  • How do you get deodorant stains out of clothes?
  • There is nothing worse than finding out your chosen deodorant or antiperspirant has left permanent pit stains on your favorite white dress or shirt. “The yellowish discoloration of white clothing can be caused by the aluminum in deodorants of antiperspirants when mixed with body sweat,” says Dr. Holmes.She recommends using an enzyme-based detergent to launder the affected items and remove the discoloration. She also says that opting for a clear gel deodorant or antiperspirant will also help eliminate staining.

If a deodorant contains aluminum, it then becomes an antiperspirant. In other words, the goal of aluminum is to block sweat glands, says Dr. Holmes.

Like any product, deodorants and antiperspirants do have a shelf life—typically lasting between one and three years. Be sure to check your specific product, as the expiration date is usually located on the product label.

There is nothing worse than finding out your chosen deodorant or antiperspirant has left permanent pit stains on your favorite white dress or shirt. “The yellowish discoloration of white clothing can be caused by the aluminum in deodorants of antiperspirants when mixed with body sweat,” says Dr. Holmes.