What every best Deodorant has:
- Lasts all day.
- Works well at fighting odor and sweat.
- Comes with packaging that is easy to use.
For people who sweat profusely, Certain Dri Clinical Strength Roll-On can't be beat among over-the-counter options. Users say it's a lifesaver, eliminating embarrassing underarm wetness and body odor. Certain Dri contains 12 percent aluminum chloride as its active ingredient, which experts say reduces sweating by up to 45 percent. Applied at night, Certain Dri is so effective that some users say they only need to use it a few times per week.
Buy for $14.81For women who require robust sweat and odor protection, Secret Clinical Strength Smooth Solid contains 20 percent Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex GLY for protection that lasts up to 48 hours in a choice of unscented or several feminine scents. A gel formula, Secret Clinical Strength Smooth Solid also contains moisturizers to smooth delicate underarm skin, reducing irritation. It's also waterproof, meaning it won't wash off during a day at the beach or pool.
Buy for $11.97Men can have sensitive skin too, and Dove Men+ Care Cool Silver Antiperspirant Stick combines powerful sweat- and bacteria-fighting ingredients with moisturizers designed to minimize irritation. In tests, it kept users dry during rigorous physical activity. Dove Men+ Care comes in four other scents, but only the Cool Silver formulation contains silver chloride. While it's listed as an inactive ingredient, some users say it makes a difference in performance.
Although it's more expensive than most traditional deodorants, Soapwalla Deodorant Cream offers good odor protection without harmful ingredients. A combination of vegetable powders and clays, as well as essential oils, work to keep body odor at bay throughout the day. Made with organic and food-grade ingredients, Soapwalla contains no aluminum or other additives. It's not an antiperspirant, so it won't prevent sweating, but it does contain moisture-absorbing ingredients to leave you feeling drier.
Buy for $19.00Available in both stick applicator and cream formulations, Schmidt's Natural Deodorant comes in a choice of seven scents (including unscented) plus three additional options for people with sensitive skin. Reviewers say it leaves them odor-free at the end of a full day, and some even say they feel drier using this product, although it's not an antiperspirant. All formulations are certified vegan-, cruelty- and gluten-free, and none contain aluminum.
Buy for $6.84Despite popular belief, sweat doesn't actually cause body odor; the odor is produced when bacteria breaks down sweat. That's where deodorant comes in. Applied to the skin (typically the underarms), deodorant contains antibacterial and other ingredients that hinder the bacteria that break down sweat and cause the odor, effectively stopping body odor before it starts. Some deodorants also contain scents to help mask body odor. Deodorant does not, however, prevent you from sweating.
AntiperspirantsAntiperspirants use aluminum-based ingredients to create temporary plugs in the sweat ducts, reducing underarm sweating. They don't mask or reduce odor directly. However, because body odor is caused by the bacterial breakdown of sweat, you may experience less body odor as a result of not sweating as much. Antiperspirants are often used by people who sweat profusely and want to avoid the embarrassment of sweat-soaked armpits. Most, but not all, mass-produced products include both antiperspirant and deodorant ingredients for maximum odor- and sweat-fighting protection.
Natural DeodorantsThese products don't contain aluminum or other chemical ingredients found in traditional deodorants and antiperspirants. Some people opt for natural deodorants because they want to avoid aluminum and other chemicals, while others find that they're sensitive to certain ingredients commonly used in traditional deodorants/antiperspirants and turn to natural deodorants as a result. Natural deodorants won't stop you from sweating, but they can help to reduce odor.
Using deodorant to mask odors isn't a new concept for most, but hundreds of years ago, before regular bathing became commonplace, people used heavy colognes to mask B.O. It wasn't until the early 1800s that chemists began making products that could prevent body odor and sweating. The earliest manufacturers of antiperspirants made extremely messy pastes and creams that were difficult to apply. Mass-produced aluminum-based products came about more than 100 years ago. They came in the form of creams, solids, pads, dabbers, roll-ons and powders. Over time, the popularity of some of the application types waned. Today deodorants come in a variety of forms and formulas:
Sweaty -- and stinky -- pits at the gym are commonplace, but sweaty situations can occur anytime and anyplace, whether you like it or not. Believe it or not, perspiration is actually good for you; it's a natural function that cools the body down. Although it is blamed for foul body odor, normal perspiration itself doesn't have much scent at all. Bad odors are usually produced by bacteria living on the surface of the skin, which thrives on sweat.
However, sweat from stress is a different matter. It comes on fast, can be hard to control and does give off a foul odor. That's because, when you're nervous or excited, you sweat from apocrine glands located in your underarms and pubic region. Secretions from normal sweat glands (eccrine glands) are watery and mostly odorless, but apocrine secretions contain 20 percent fat and protein; bacteria thrive on the stuff, and you're left dealing with the pungent odor.
There are two key factors that affect people's favorability when it comes to deodorant: One is performance, and the other is feel and smell. Most over-the-counter antiperspirants/deodorants contain an aluminum-based active ingredient that blocks the pores to stop sweat. Some of the most common active ingredients you'll find when browsing for antiperspirants in the supermarket include:
Most over-the-counter antiperspirants contain between 10 and 20 percent of their active ingredient; FDA restrictions cap that level to between 15 and 25 percent, depending on the specific type of active ingredient. Clinical strength formulas stay within over-the-counter guidelines but aim to provide comparable wetness protection to prescription products. Certain Dri Clinical Strength Roll-on, for example, contains 12 percent aluminum chloride.
Most of the deodorant/antiperspirant lines we reviewed come in a wide range of scents; there is usually more variety among women's deodorants than men's. It's important to note the distinction between "unscented" and "fragrance-free": unscented products do contain fragrance additives (to mask the chemical smell of other ingredients), while fragrance-free products do not.
Deodorant is a widely-used product available in multiple forms and myriad scents (including none at all) with varying ingredients. We found ample expert reviews comparing the performance of traditional deodorants, antiperspirants, and natural deodorants at WellandGood.com, TheActiveTimes.com, InStyle.com, RealSimple.com and TotalBeauty.com, among others. We also consulted thousands of user reviews at sites like Amazon.com and Walgreens.com, where users offer feedback on performance in real-world scenarios as well as insights such as whether they experienced reactions to certain ingredients or whether a deodorant brand is likely to stain clothing. We combine expert and user feedback to come up with our recommendations for the best deodorant and antiperspirant for men and women and the best natural deodorant.
Updated April 13, 2018
Updated April 12, 2018
Updated April 11, 2018
Updated April 10, 2018
Updated April 05, 2018
Updated April 04, 2018
Updated April 04, 2018