Goodbye, Armpit Rashes! Hello, Aluminum-Free Deodorants

As concerns arise around aluminum salts and parabens, you may find yourself looking into the best natural deodorants as an alternative to antiperspirant deodorants. As a refresher, natural deodorants are formulated without these potentially harmful ingredients—in lieu, baking soda, coconut oil, and the like keep you and your pits smelling fresh.

While everyone emits body odor—a normal and necessary bodily function—the best natural deodorant can help curb stench for those who want gentler formulas. We’ve tested and reviewed dozens of deodorant products to find the best natural deodorants—sticks, sprays, and roll-ons—that actually work. Happy swiping!

Our Top Natural Deodorants

• Best Overall: Megababe Rosy Pits Daily Deodorant, $14
• Best for Sensitive Skin: Native Unscented Sensitive Deodorant Stick, $13
• Best for Working Out: Kosas Chemistry AHA Serum Deodorant, $18
• Best Scented: Glossier Deodorant, $23
• Best Stain-Free: Saltair 5% AHA Serum Deodorant in Golden Hour, $24 (2-Pack)
• Best for Post-Shave Irritation: Lume Whole Body Deodorant, $27 (2-Pack)
• Best for Travel: Evolvetogether Deodorant Discovery Set, $48
• Best Fast-Drying: Nécessaire The Deodorant Gel, $20
• Best Drugstore Classic: Secret Aluminum-Free Deodorant, $7
• Best Spray: Ursa Major Sublime Sage Spray Deodorant, $20

Best Overall: Megababe Rosy Pits Daily Deodorant

Why it’s worth it: Megababe’s Rosy Pits Daily Deodorant is beloved by many Allure editors because it’s as effective as it is adorably packaged. Infused with powerhouse ingredients like saccharomyces ferment filtrate, aloe vera, sage, and green tea, the rose-scented deo prevents odor-inducing bacteria from forming on the skin, thanks to antimicrobial coconut oil. Another highlight? It has soothing colloidal oatmeal and vitamin E, in case your pits are feeling sensitive from shaving. And you can thank cornstarch for absorbing underarm wetness.

Best for Sensitive Skin: Native Unscented Sensitive Deodorant Stick

Why it’s worth it: Native Deodorant has won an impressive four Allure Readers’ Choice Awards—the latest in 2023—because it’s packed with coconut oil and shea butter, antioxidants that keep the underarms moisturized, and tapioca starch to keep them dry all day long. The brand has core scents and releases seasonal ones every year, but we recommend picking up the unscented one in the “sensitive” (versus “classic”) version if your skin gets aggravated easily. The difference? The one formulated for sensitive skin leaves out baking soda, which can be irritating.

Best for Working Out: Kosas Chemistry AHA Serum Deodorant

Why it’s worth it: Kosas’s Chemistry AHA Serum Deodorant goes the extra mile and does more than simply mask odors. A blend of alpha hydroxy acids (shikimic, mandelic, and lactic) gently exfoliates your underarms, both brightening those regions and preventing ingrown hairs from sprouting. They also lower the pH in those regions so fewer odor-causing bacteria can take up residence in the first place. The cooling rollerball applicator is especially soothing for hot summer days and workouts.

Best Scented: Glossier Deodorant

Why it’s worth it: If you’re a die-hard fan of the Glossier You fragrance, you need to get your hands on Glossier’s Best of Beauty-winning Deodorant, which comes in that same amber-infused, clean-smelling scent you know and love. (It’s also available in Sandstone, Orange Blossom, and Unscented, in case you want to mix things up.) Behind each scent is a blend of superfruit elderberry extract and coconut oil to keep skin conditioned and odor at bay. Potato starch does some heavy lifting, absorbing moisture, so your pits feel drier as the day goes by. When you run out, you can buy refill sticks for $18 a pop, saving you a cool $5.

Best Stain-Free: Saltair 5% AHA Serum Deodorant in Golden Hour

Why it’s worth it: Kick chalky white deodorants that always manage to get on your shirt to the curb. Saltair’s Golden Hour 5% AHA Serum Deodorant rolls on clear so you can avoid that pesky issue, especially if you wait the 30 to 60 seconds the brand says it takes to dry. As its name suggests, it contains exfoliating AHAs like mandelic and lactic acids to combat odor, prevent ingrown hairs, and reduce discoloration. You have your pick of several scents, but you can also go the fragrance-free route if you have sensitive skin.

Best for Post-Shave Irritation: Lume Whole Body Deodorant

Why it’s worth it: Lume’s Whole Body Deodorant is meant to be applied anywhere you want it to go—including, but not limited to, armpits, private areas, underboobs, belly buttons, butt cracks, tummy folds, feet, and the list goes on. It’s packed with soothing aloe and allantoin to help your skin chill out if it’s inflamed from shaving. Plus, it has moisturizing panthenol, cocoa seed butter, and castor oil to keep your skin feeling soft and smooth.

Best for Travel: Evolvetogether Deodorant Discovery Set

Why it’s worth it: Need an emotional support deodorant in every bag? Evolvetogether’s Deodorant Discovery Set is your answer. You get four travel-size deos, each in a fresh scent that’ll stand up to B.O. The 2023 Best of Beauty winner uses tapioca starch as its main sweat- and moisture-absorbing agent while hydrating glycerin and vitamin B5 smooth pits and minimize irritation. As far as odor is concerned, DeoPlex, which is made up of sugarcane-derived fermented enzymes, won’t let that ruin your day.

Best Fast-Drying: Nécessaire The Deodorant Gel

Why it’s worth it: Nécessaire’s The Deodorant Gel goes on clear and won’t stain your clothes, plus, the eucalyptus scent smells exactly like a five-star spa. The quick-drying formula goes on smoothly and doesn’t feel wet or slimy, as you might imagine. The star ingredient in this roll-on deodorant is 5% alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), which gently exfoliates the skin, minimizes odor, and smooths out bumps. Additionally, niacinamide strengthens the skin barrier, and chamomile extract soothes sensitive areas.

Best Drugstore Classic: Secret Aluminum-Free Deodorant

Why it’s worth it: Consider dropping the 2022 Best of Beauty-winning Secret Aluminum Free Deodorant into your basket during your next drugstore run (online or IRL). This paraben- and talc-free formula comes in eight vibrant scents (like Real Coconut and Cherry Blossom) that mask odor, even during the sweatiest workouts, for up to 48 hours. Thanks to coconut oil and castor oil, your pits stay soft and moisturized.

Best Spray: Ursa Major Sublime Sage Spray Deodorant

Why we love it: Thanks to sage, sandalwood, lemon myrtle, and geranium, Ursa Major’s Sublime Sage Spray Deodorant makes your pits smell instantly refreshed. While it delivers an herbaceous scent, it neutralizes any odor using a blend of plants and enzymes. The clear spray won’t leave stains behind on your shirt and dries down quickly, so you can spritz it on before running out the door.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is natural deodorant, and does it work?

In short, there is no official definition. Much like “clean beauty” and “sustainable beauty,” natural deodorant isn’t a term regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so take any brand marketing lingo with a grain of salt. For what it’s worth, aluminum salts are currently banned in Allure‘s (continuously evolving and updated) clean beauty standards.

That being said, the consensus is that natural deodorant is formulated without aluminum, which can cause skin sensitivity for some and leave annoying yellow stains on clothing. In its place, you’ll find ingredients such as baking soda, cornstarch, tapioca starch, coconut oil, arrowroot powder, and clay, to name a few. “These ingredients are effective at absorbing moisture, including sweat,” David Kim, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, confirms. “This reduction in sweat can disrupt the environment for bacteria to thrive, and this, by extension, can reduce odor.”

Some natural deodorants also opt out of including baking soda (usually listed as sodium bicarbonate) because it’s been commonly associated with skin sensitivity. However, NYC-based board-certified dermatologist Shari Marchbein, MD, has previously told Allure that baking soda is not typically the deodorant ingredient that will cause redness or irritation. “Although there are various causes of rashes in the armpits, allergic contact dermatitis to a fragrance contained in the deodorant is one of the more common rashes dermatologists see in this location,” she explained. But, because there are so many natural deodorants on the market, you’re able to choose an aluminum-free and baking soda-free formula to test out what works best for your skin.

How does natural deodorant differ from antiperspirant?

As a refresher, antiperspirants are classified as over-the-counter drugs and inhibit the formation of sweat using their active ingredient, aluminum salts, says David Bank, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Westchester County, NY. In layman’s terms, aluminum physically plugs/blocks the ducts that cause sweat. Natural deodorants, by comparison, do not block those ducts.

Now, we have to remind everyone that sweating is normal and necessary for your body! It’s benign on its own and essential for temperature regulation, for one. The more common eccrine sweat glands are found across most of your body’s surface, while your armpits (and any hair-bearing regions) are home to apocrine sweat glands—either kind, the sweat they produce does not smell. Sweat becomes, well, smelly when normal bacteria and fungi on the skin’s surface feed on said sweat—and that interaction creates an odor, Hilary Reich, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, previously explained.

What are some concerns associated with natural deodorants?

Aluminum salts (including aluminum sulfate, aluminum chloride, and aluminum chlorohydrate) have been associated with breast cancer, but research (although limited) hasn’t revealed any direct association between aluminum and breast cancer, Dr. Kim says. (It’s more likely that cancer develops in this area because there’s just more tissue there.)

As for those who should avoid aluminum, Dr. Kim recommends those who are in any family planning stage, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), egg retrieval, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. “For now, I’d consider not using aluminum as there is insufficient data on the impact of aluminum on pregnancy and fetal development,” he says.

Things to consider while using natural deodorant

We won’t sugarcoat it: You may notice some unpleasant odor as your body adjusts to a natural deodorant, but it’s totally normal and will fade over time. Whereas aluminum works immediately by “physically obstructing sweat gland ducts,” Dr. Kim explains, ingredients such as baking soda and arrowroot absorb moisture without blocking said glands—and therefore take longer to do their thing. People who switch to natural deodorant often think they’re producing more sweat, but Alyx Cali Rosen, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Miami, previously denied this and said that our bodies are simply producing an amount of sweat on par with not using an antiperspirant.

What does EWG-verified mean?

According to the Environmental Working Group’s website, to earn an EWG Verified mark, any given product can’t contain any ingredients on EWG’s “unacceptable list” and the brand must be fully transparent about disclosing ingredients (especially fragrance ingredients) on consumer labels. From there, products receive a rating between 1 and 10: 1-2 (low hazard, green), 3-6 (moderate hazard, orange), or 7-10 (high hazard, red).

Meet the experts

• David Kim, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City
• David Bank, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Westchester County, NY
• Shari Marchbein, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City
• Hilary Reich, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City
• Alyx Cali Rosen, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Miami

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.