True confession: I sweat profusely. This was my greatest shame as a teen, which was before the age where you just confessed everything on social media for attention, so I was obsessed with hiding it. (Except in dance class, when all the sweat just made me look like I was trying harder than everyone else.) I basted dress shields onto silk blouses, I tried a prescription anti-perspirant that probably sealed my pores with Super Glue, but nothing was easy or effective. Fast forward to today when sweating is understood as a way the body keeps cool and is less stigmatized—except for the stinky smell that results from bacteria mixing with sweat. When I saw whole body deodorant in my FYP, I wondered if this was the solution I’d needed forever…except, usually I could just take a shower and smell better. So why did I need a product?
Is Whole Body Deodorant Worth It? A Dermatologist Tells All
Plus, I Try Them Out
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Meet the Expert
Dr. Asmi Berry is a board-certified dermatologist in Los Angeles. A self-described “skin biohacker,” she aims to elevate clients’ skin and thereby self-confidence through holistic practices, including clinical and diet interventions.
“Underarm deodorants have been around since the early 1900s. Whole body deodorants are a much more recent trend, taking off in the last five to ten years as wellness and body care has expanded into more 'all-over' routines,” Dr. Berry said. “The shift toward microbiome-friendly, aluminum-free and skin barrier-supporting products opened the door for brands to market freshness 'anywhere.' It's also been amplified by TikTok and influencer culture, where hyper-customized hygiene routines are trending.” After asking Dr. Berry about the science of it all, I tried a selection of whole body deodorants—all of them free of silicones, aluminum, parabens and dyes. Here are my selects from the current selection of sprays, creams and roll-ons that are sold in fragrant and unscented formulations.
Do Whole Body Deodorants Really Work?
First off, I wondered is this a scam product, since suddenly this category is everywhere. “It's not a total scam, but it is a bit of a marketing stretch for most people,” Dr. Berry said. “Sweat glands exist all over the body. Apocrine glands (the ones more linked to odor) are concentrated in areas, like the underarms, groin, and feet. Some people experience stronger or more widespread body odor due to genetics, diet, hormonal shifts or skin microbiome imbalances. But for the average person, a full-body deodorant isn't essential, it’s more of a convenience or a product that brings them personal comfort.”
Is There a Groin Deodorant?
Some of these say you can spray or rub these onto your privates, but I wondered, wouldn't that maybe bother sensitive skin? “It can irritate sensitive skin down there. The genital area is more sensitive and more prone to irritation, especially if the product contains alcohol, essential oils or synthetic fragrance,” Dr. Berry says. “Cream formulas are generally better tolerated than sprays. Look for fragrance-free, alcohol-free options and patch test first.”
Best Whole Body Deodorants
I used this spray before workouts and liked the way it dried quickly thanks to the fine mist, and the scent was never overpowering. It smelled a little tropical at first. Once I started sweating a lot, I didn’t radiate B.O. during the workout and afterward, when my sweat dried, I still smelled fresh. The formulation’s 2 percent glycerin and Vitamin E made my skin feel silky, as though I’d rubbed a light oil on it. "Niacinamide and glycerin are skin-soothing," Dr. Berry said, "and zinc neodecanoate is used for odor control." There’s a 72-hour odor control promise with this product and, honestly, I was pretty fresh after three days of not showering when I wore this…but after a super-soaked hot yoga class, there was no way I was going to not shower.
Fast Facts
- Size: 4 oz
- Ingredients: Alcohol Denat., Hydrofluorocarbon 152a, Glycerin, Fragrance (Parfum), Zinc Neodecanoate, Niacinamide
- Formulation: pump spray
- Scent Options? Coconut & Vanilla, Raspberry & Rose Cooling, Sage & Lavender, Peach & White Tea
Olivia Ponton likes this layered scent for a sweaty trip to an airport in the tropics, and I confess to spritzing on the vanilla & coconut scent just as a mood elevator when I want a mid-afternoon burst of energy. The couple of fragrances I used got high marks for their sheer layerable fragrances that kept me smelling clean but didn’t announce I had been in a room after I left. The 24-hour B.O. eliminating promise is shorter than comparable brands, so I don’t recommend this for a full day at the beach or working in the garden, but I think it’s a genius add-on to the deodorant you’re already using. Additionally the poppy packaging and low price point makes this a bullseye gift for a teen who is just figuring out how all the self-care works.
Fast Facts
- Size: 3.5 oz.
- Ingredients: alcohol, hydrofluorocarbon 152a, parfum. benzyl salicylate, coumarin, hexyl cinnamal
- Formulation: aerosol spray
- Scent Options: vanilla & coconut, grape & amber, rose & sandalwood, raspberry & mint, berry & mandarin, pear & patchouli
Company president Sarah Motet wowed Shark Tank judges with her ability to make a deal after hiking in Los Angeles and being called to the studio to tape her episode without showering and just using her own body spray to freshen up (Barbara Corcoran sniffed her armpits approvingly even). I wore the Peach Soleil scent in and out of San Fernando Valley errands in a hot car and similarly kept my cool, thanks to probiotics that keep bacteria from turning perspiration sour. This is the brand you see in fancy gyms like SoulCycle and Equinox—and my own gym bag, where it mercifully has not leaked like some other spray deodorants I’ve used.
Fast Facts
- Size: 3 oz.
- Ingredients: witch hazel, propanediol (plant-derived), saccharomyces ferment, sorbitan oleate decylglucoside crosspolymer, lactobacillus ferment, triethyl citrate, fragrance
- Formulation: pump spray
- Scent Options: Peach Soleil, Coconut Nectar, Warm Vanilla, White Tea, Juniper Eucalyptus, Orange Neroli, Grapefruit Cassis
I love how this brand really meets users where they are at in terms of need. Want the ease of a spray for your whole body? It’s here, in eight scent options. How about a stick to use on your underarms, and maybe a little bit under your sweaty boobs, too? That’s another option with Native. And finally, what if you would like a little cream to rub on areas that chafe and sweat, like thighs and your panty line? There’s a long-lasting cream that is made to work everywhere from your pits to your privates, and it comes in all the scents and unscented, too (because really sensitive areas came sometimes be irritated by perfumed elements). "It contains niacinamide (vitamin B3), which is great for calming inflammation and supporting the skin barrier," said Dr. Berry.
Fast Facts
- Size: 3.5 oz. spray, 2.4 oz. stick, 3 oz. cream
- Ingredients: alcohol denatured, dipropylene glycol, caprylic/capric triglyceride, water, fragrance, nitrogen; Stick—caprylic/capric triglyceride, tapioca starch, ozokerite, magnesium hydroxide, fragrance; Cream—water, corn starch, glycerin, isohexadecane, lactic acid, sodium lactate, isopropyl isostearate, sodium polyacryloyldimethyl taurate, stearyl alcohol, niacinamide, cetyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, pathenol, fragrance
- Formulations: spray, stick, cream
- Scent Options: Unscented, Aloe & Green Tea, Citrus & Herbal Musk, Cotton & Lily, Cucumber & Mint, Eucalyptus & Mint, Lavender & Rose, Lilac & White Tea
Lume is the OG of the over-the-counter whole body deodorant product categoy, and its inspiration was what she calls in her origin story "below the belt odor" that she suspected was being overdiagnosed as vaginal infections. (She was in her OB-GYN residency when she determined this.) By creating a pH-optimized odor control product, she was able to stop objectionable feminine odor without requiring a trip to the doctor. The latest formulation is marketed as "for the pits, privates and beyond," and my experience of using the clean tangerine invisible cream was that it initially has a sour smell upon application, once it mingles with your sweat and skim chemistry, the result is a light citrus scent only.
Fast Facts
- Size: 2.2 oz.
- Ingredients: neopentyl glycol diheptanoate, PPG-15 stearyl ether, corn starch, ozokerite, stearyl alcohol, isododecane, isopentyldiol, maranta arundinacea root powder, lauryl laurate, mandelic acid
- Formulations: solid, spray, cream
- Scent Options: Clean Tangerine, Vanilla Bliss, Lavender Sage, Unscented, Toasted Coconut, Soft Powder, Peony Rose, Minted Cucumber
