The 15 Best Women’s Deodorants (original) (raw)
The 15 Very Best Women’s Deodorants and Anti-perspirants
Including a lemony natural deodorant that contains live bacteria.
By ,a senior writer at the Strategist covering beauty, sex toys, and more. She joined the Strategist as an intern in 2018. She covers office goods, sex toys, and beauty and is also a writer for “The Approval Matrix.”
Photo: Marcus McDonald
- Best anti-perspirant–deodorant stick
- Best anti-perspirant for sensitive skin
- Best clinical anti-perspirant
- Best anti-perspirant wipes
- Best long-lasting deodorant
- Best deodorant without baking soda
- Best AHA deodorant
- Best-smelling
Finding a good deodorant is much like finding a good pen: Sometimes you just happen upon it, and other times it requires an extensive hunt and many, many attempts, which is to say that deodorant is subjective and highly personal to your taste. For example, I like anti-perspirants with aluminum that can hold up to my heavy sweating. You may be different, but generally, a good deodorant — anti-perspirant or not — will stop you from smelling and offending your fellow man and, if it’s meant to reduce sweat, will make your armpits less sweaty. Deodorant falls into two categories: with aluminum and deodorants without. Aluminum-free deodorants are often referred to as “natural” and use ingredients like arrowroot powder, magnesium, and baking soda to absorb additional moisture and keep you smelling fresh. Aluminum will help to stop you from sweating; natural deodorants will not.
To track down the best women’s deodorants and anti-perspirants, I talked to dermatologists, athletes, trainers, and sweaty Strategist staffers about the deodorants and anti-perspirants they’re using to stay fresh, and I tested a few of them to make sure they belong on this list. Our picks, below.
Updated on June 5, 2026
I checked that all of our picks are still in stock and that all prices are up to date. Also named Chemist at Play’s deodorant our top pick for AHA deodorants, added AKT Deodorant Balm as our top pick for a deodorant balm, and added a new top-picks section.
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Deodorants are broken down into two categories: anti-perspirants and deodorants. Anti-perspirants contain aluminum, which blocks the sweat glands to minimize sweat and cut down on the smell. Deodorants use a range of ingredients to absorb sweat and minimize odor. A popular ingredient in non-aluminum deodorants (often referred to as natural deodorants) is baking soda, which does a good job of absorbing sweat and smell. Baking soda can be sensitizing, however, and has been known to cause irritation and sensitivity for some people. With that in mind, we’ve included lots of baking-soda-alternative formulas, too.
Deodorants come in a wide variety of scents, from floral to earthy to citrus, to scent your pits and mask the funk. Fragrance can also be an irritant, however, so that’s something to keep in mind if you have sensitive skin.
Deodorants tend to be on the more affordable side, but if you want to get the biggest bang for your buck, we’ve noted how much you get in a tube as well as the cost per ounce.
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Anti-perspirant or deodorant: Anti-perspirant | Scent: Cucumber melon | Price: 2.6 ounces (Approx. $2/ounce)
If you don’t need a superstrong anti-perspirant like Dove’s Clinical Protection, the standard Dove is a solid option. The classic offers 48 hours of anti-perspirant protection and has moisturizing ingredients for the skin. This was the deodorant I used throughout high school, and it was a solid performer: It kept me dry and was super-affordable. The main drawback is I’m not the biggest fan of the brand’s scents. Cucumber melon now feels a bit juvenile to me, but the line features some other options, like coconut and lavender. Tamara Pridgett, founder of fitness creative agency Extended Day Studios and host of The First podcast, has been wearing it since middle school and counts it among the products she can’t live without. “It’s my go-to, and I need to have it at all times,” she says. “I like it because it doesn’t get clumpy underneath my armpits, and it lasts an eternity.” Strategist writer Emma Wartzman is also a fan: “I have tried a lot and nothing works better for me than this one.”
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Anti-perspirant or deodorant: Anti-perspirant | Scent: Unscented | Price: 2.6 ounces (Approx. $1/ounce)
If your skin is on the sensitive side, Dove makes an unscented anti-perspirant deodorant that’s designed to be nonirritating. Fitness coach Avamaria Rivas is both a heavy sweater and someone with sensitive skin. To avoid irritation, she wears deodorant only when she leaves the house or teaches fitness classes. Her product of choice is Dove Sensitive, which she found after trying both natural and traditional options. “It’s the only deodorant that doesn’t break me out,” she says. “I also like that I don’t smell and that I stay fairly dry after my intense workouts.”
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Anti-perspirant or deodorant: Anti-perspirant | Scent: Cucumber | Price: 1.7 ounces (Approx. $5/ounce)
If you’re a heavy sweater, Dove’s Clinical Protection is a better bet than the options above. It features green tea, which has anti-inflammatory properties that help safeguard against irritation. “This is my longtime favorite anti-perspirant. I’ve used it for many years,” says Dr. Jessica Krant of Art of Dermatology. “It does the trick for wetness and odor and never irritates my skin.”
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Anti-perspirant or deodorant: Anti-perspirant | Scent: Lavender | Price: 2.6 ounces (Approx. $2/ounce)
For a gel-textured deodorant, Secret’s Fresh Clear Gel is a great option. In my experience, it dries down clear, doesn’t transfer to clothing, and is very long-lasting. Strategist writer Ambar Pardilla is also a fan: “It survived eight-hour shifts when I worked in retail and got me through hourlong job interviews when I was ridiculously nervous,” she says. Then there’s the scent, which Pardilla describes as heavenly. She opts for the lavender fragrance (though the deodorant also comes in scents like rose, coconut, and water lily), which she describes as “subtle but sweet.”
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Anti-perspirant or deodorant: Anti-perspirant | Scent: Unscented | Price: 2.25 ounces (Approx. $4/ounce)
If you’re supersensitive, you may want to try Vanicream. Despite having a fairly high concentration of aluminum (20 percent), it’s unscented and free of practically any other irritant you can think of. It’s also long-lasting, offering clinical-strength protection for up to 24 hours.
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Anti-perspirant or deodorant: Anti-perspirant | Scent: Everest | Price: 2.7 ounces (Approx. $5.5/ounce)
Generally, I prefer deodorant that’s traditionally marketed to men since the scents are more up my alley. (Even though the names are admittedly a little silly, I would still rather smell like “Everest” than “cucumber melon” any day of the week.) I stole a stick of this from a Costco-size stash meant for my dad and never looked back. Since I’m a heavy sweater, I need the big guns. Sometimes I find this deodorant does transfer to my shirts, but that’s the price I’ll gladly pay to stay dry and sweat-stain free.
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Antiperspirant or deodorant: Antiperspirant | Scent: Unscented | Price: Approx. $2/wipe
If you’re a heavy sweater, then SweatBlock’s antiperspirant wipes need no introduction (they’ve even been endorsed by the International Hyperhidrosis Society). But for the uninitiated: SweatBlock contains a high concentration of aluminum chloride and needs to be applied at night. I use one wipe under my arms before I go to bed once a week and it keeps me dry for up to seven days. They’re also great as a full-body deodorant if you want to treat other areas of your body that are prone to heavy perspiration, like your lower back or under your boobs. I’ve used these consistently for the past six years whenever I need to bring out the big guns — summer weddings, birthday parties in overcrowded bars, a subway platform in July — and they’ve never let me down. I still use regular deodorant in the mornings for odor protection, but when it comes to reducing moisture, nothing compares to these.
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Protection type: Anti-perspirant | Scent: Unscented | Price: Approx. $1.46/wipe
Face sweat is particularly hard to conceal, which is why I highly recommend using SweatBlock’s face wipes to prevent the sweat before it starts. They’re formulated with a gentler aluminum chlorohydrate that is less irritating for the more sensitive skin on your face than aluminum chloride, along with soothing witch hazel and vitamin E. Like the SweatBlock wipes above, you can use them at night or 30 minutes before applying morning skin care, though I personally prefer to do this at night so I wake up nice and dry and eliminate an extra step in the morning. I apply once a week for most of the year and up to twice weekly during the summer. And if you’re worried about a breakout, I’m pleased to report that after months of weekly application, my skin is clearer than it has ever been.
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Anti-perspirant or deodorant: Deodorant | Scent: Mint | Price: 2.60 ounces (Approx. $7.60/ounce)
Ursa Major is our top pick for natural deodorant because it has a gel-like consistency that feels more like a conventional deodorant. Its easy-to-use stick, sweat-absorbing ingredients, and clean scent also make it the best pick for most people. But if you’re particularly sensitive to baking soda, you may want to skip it because Ursa Major uses it to absorb moisture.
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Anti-perspirant or deodorant: Deodorant | Scent: Cotton and lily | Price: 2.65 ounces (Approx. $5.28/ounce)
Lots of natural-deodorant formulas (like Ursa Major’s above), contain baking soda, and while it’s effective in absorbing odors (similar to the way it eliminates smells in your fridge), it’s more alkaline than your skin, which can throw off your pH balance and cause irritation. If that sounds like you, I recommend Native’s Sensitive line, which is baking-soda free and uses tapioca starch to absorb sweat. It contains oils and moisturizers like shea butter and coconut oil to help it go on smoothly, and it comes in a bevy of scents.
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Anti-perspirant or deodorant: Deodorant | Scent: Aquatic | Price: 1.35 ounces (Approx. $7.40/ounce)
AHAs have become the popular new ingredient in deodorants, supposedly making armpits inhospitable to bacteria and thus eliminating the funk. The formula contains an assortment of other acids, such as lactic and mandelic, which help with brightening and exfoliating. AHA deodorants can be particularly useful for people who struggle with ingrown hairs, as the acids help to keep pores unclogged. It also comes recommended by our senior editor Crystal Martin, who has been testing it over the past few months.
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Antiperspirant or deodorant: Deodorant | Scent: Unscented, eucalyptus, olibanum, and santal | Price: 2.5 ounces (Approx. $9/ounce)
While the Kosas deodorant above is great, if you’re looking for an AHA deodorant that comes in an easier-to-apply stick, I recommend Nécessaire’s newest launch, The Deodorant. Like Kosas, it utilizes mandelic acid as its active ingredient and comes in an unscented version. Of course, if you’re not sensitive to fragrance, Nécessaire is known for its scents and its deodorant also comes in eucalyptus, olibanum, and santal.
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Anti-perspirant or deodorant: Deodorant | Scent: Lemon, patchouli, sage, and cedarwood | Price: 1.7 ounces (Approx. $12/ounce)
For a natural deodorant with a serious scent profile, try Evolvetogether’s line. “It goes on more like a body balm than a deodorant and makes my armpits feel really soft,” says Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo. “It keeps me dry, knocks out any body odor even on the hottest days, and it’s clear, so it doesn’t leave any white marks.” And while the formula’s great, Corsillo says the best part is the scent. She likes the Tulum fragrance, which has notes of lemon, patchouli, sage, and cedarwood: “It’s a bit Topanga Canyon and a bit fresh lemon water at the spa.”
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Anti-perspirant or deodorant: Deodorant | Scent: Neroli and basil | Price: 2.6 ounces (Approx. $7.60/ounce)
Salt & Stone is my second-favorite choice for best-smelling deodorant, right after Evolvetogether. The formula contains probiotics, baking soda, and hyaluronic acid to neutralize odor and is a little cheaper than the Evolvetogether deodorant above.
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Anti-perspirant or deodorant: Deodorant | Scent: Also available in various scents | Price: 1.76 ounces (Approx. $16.40/ounce)
AKT deodorant was developed and tested by London’s West End performers. While some deodorant balms can be a bit gritty, this one actually dries down to an invisible powder. It even helps with chafing, since the sunflower oil in the formula gives it a tiny bit of glide. I was able to get my hands on a few samples and was extremely impressed by the scent profiles. Orange Grove, with notes of neroil, petitgrain, and mandarin, is perfect for summer.But AKT does offer a starter set if you’d like to sample each of the five scents yourself. And while I do think the scents are the strength of this brand, the balm is also offered in an unscented version for those who prefer it.
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• Hannah Baxter, deputy beauty editor at the Zoe Report
• Susan Binder, dermatologist and founder of Binder Dermatology
• Liza Corsillo, Strategist senior writer
• Dr. Michelle Henry, dermatologist
• Dr. Jessica Krant, dermatologist at Art of Dermatology
• Ambar Pardilla, Strategist writer
• Tamara Pridgett, founder of fitness creative agency Extended Day Studios and host of The First podcast
• Avamaria Rivas, Fitness coach
• Emma Wartzman, Strategist writer
Additional reporting by Tembe Denton-Hurst
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