Looking for a New Deodorant? Here Are 18 of the Best Deodorants for Women We Tested

Primally Pure Lavender Deodorant comes in an attractive, minimalistic tube that looks great on your bathroom counter. It goes on smoothly and feels relatively dry upon application. I found that it kept me dry on some of the hottest days of the summer, and I rarely needed to reapply. I loved the Lavender scent, and it’s available in nine other scents, including Tea Tree, Lemongrass, Bergamot + Eucalyptus, and unscented. “Since the primary goal of deodorant is to reduce body odor, look for ingredients that combat odor, such as magnesium hydroxide and baking soda,” says Dr. Moghaddam. “Some natural fragrances like tea tree oil or lavender can also be effective.”

I did notice a bit of white residue on my skin while wearing this product, and it did start to pill under my arms after a few hours of use. But I didn’t notice any transfer onto my clothing. Note: The brand recommends that this deodorant should be used within six months of purchase, since the ingredients are all-natural and may break down since the company doesn’t use synthetic preservatives, such as parabens.

If you’re looking for simple ingredients, Vanicream Aluminum-Free Gel Deodorant has just five. The water-based gel formula glides on smoothly and is designed especially for sensitive skin. You won’t find any baking soda, dyes, alcohol, parabens, fragrances, or other ingredients that can easily irritate the skin in this deodorant.

Because it’s a gel, it goes on wet at first and takes some time to dry, but it feels cool on the skin, which could be a plus. “I like the simple ingredient list and that it’s non-irritating,” says Jessica Migala, a writer in Chicago, Illinois, who tested Vanicream Aluminum-Free Deodorant for Everyday Health. “Once dry, I liked how it felt good on my skin.” Though this product is free of the typical sweat absorbers like plant-based starches and mineral clays, she says it kept her dry for about 16 hours, which is great for an aluminum-free deodorant.

This roll-on goes on wet and takes some time to dry. “This deodorant goes on clear,” says Katie Tuttle, an editor and writer in Des Moines, Iowa, who tested Vichy 24-Hour Dry-Touch Roll-On Deodorant for Everyday Health. “Once dry, I didn’t see any residue on my skin or clothes.”

While every body is different, this roll-on may need to be reapplied frequently to keep you smelling fresh, since it’s not an antiperspirant. “It has a pleasant, powdery scent,” Tuttle says. “However, it only masks odors, and you need to reapply frequently in order to prevent odor.”

Looking for an aluminum-free deodorant spray? Native Deodorant & Body Spray touts 72 hours of protection and doubles as an all-over body spray. This deodorant is available in 10 scents, such as Coconut & Vanilla, and Cucumber & Mint. It’s also environmentally friendly: It’s free from hydrocarbons, using ozone-safe nitrogen as the propellant instead.

It’s also free of baking soda, parabens, silicones, and dyes, and is cruelty-free and vegan. In fact, it’s made with only six ingredients. However, in our research, we found that some users still found the product irritating to their skin, while others found that they needed to reapply before 72 hours were up. Some also had issues with the spray mechanism, which may break or leak.

With ingredients like arrowroot powder, baking soda, silica, shea butter, and more, our research found this deodorant holds up where many others don’t. With 7 gorgeous and uniquely named scents, including Halcyon Summers (mint, pomelo, tomato vine), The Onsen (vetiver, lavandin, citrus), and Orange Grove (petitgrain, mandarin, neroli), this is a luxurious product you get to wear every day. And while it works to keep you dry and odor-free, it can help moisturize your skin as well. It’s not just for the underarms, either. You can apply it anywhere on your body.

Some users found the packaging to be fragile, eventually leading to tearing and leaking. And since it uses baking soda for its antimicrobial properties, the texture can feel gritty and abrasive. But if texture isn’t a big deal to you, this product won’t leave residue on your skin or clothing, and won’t clump, even if you’ve got hair under the arms.

For a budget-friendly antiperspirant, look no further than Arm & Hammer ULTRAMAX Solid Antiperspirant Deodorant. “It goes on smoothly and dry,” says Lili Ladaga, an editor in Los Angeles, California, who tested the product for Everyday Health. “I appreciate the wide, thin, oval shape, which makes for a speedy, one-swipe application. It goes on clear and doesn’t leave a white residue that transfers onto clothing.”

Users should know that this product includes aluminum chlorohydrate and talc to prevent sweat and wetness, in case they are trying to avoid these ingredients. “The key active ingredients in antiperspirants are aluminum salts, which work by forming temporary plugs in the sweat ducts to block sweat,” Moghaddam says. That said, Ladaga says that this deodorant kept her dry throughout several hot days, though she found the “Fresh” scent a bit overpowering.

The deodorant goes on easily and is available in Original, Driftwood, and Beach scents. It’s worth noting that the container is smaller than other deodorants, only about 2 ounces compared to the average 2.6 ounces. For a deodorant that may need to be reapplied throughout the day to keep you stink-free, it’s important to keep the size in mind.

If solid deodorant or roll-ons aren’t your style, you might want to give Carpe Antiperspirant Underarm Lotion a whirl. “It comes in a normal type container for most deodorants and has a wheel on the bottom that you turn that pushes the lotion up through the holes,” says Raki Swanson, a Minnesota-based writer who tested Carpe for Everyday Health.

The brand recommends applying it both in the morning and at night before bed. “Carpe is a good over-the-counter option for someone who sweats a lot,” says Sandra Marchese Johnson, MD, FAAD, at Johnson Dermatology in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. “I advise people to use their antiperspirants at night when not sweating so the sweat duct gets a better plug and works better.”

As it’s a lotion, the product does take a few moments to absorb. Swanson said that if she didn’t let it dry properly, she noticed some transfer onto her clothing. “It’s white when applied, but once absorbed, it doesn’t leave any indication that it’s on,” says Swanson. However, she notes that it took some time for her to get used to using a lotion under her arms.

“This is an amazing product, utterly amazing,” adds Swanson. “I did not have a lot of sweat; I was bone dry the entire time I used it. I didn't smell. It was amazing.”

This Dove Aluminum-Free 72-Hour Deodorant is easy to find at your local drugstore, and it’s free from aluminum, parabens, alcohol, and baking soda—ingredients that may irritate the underarms, especially after shaving. “This Dove deodorant is in a stick format, and goes on smoothly,” says Tuttle. “The texture is soft and almost creamy, and it does feel moisturizing.”

Tuttle says that the product left minimal residue and goes on clear. “This deodorant leaves behind a fresh, pleasant scent that holds up reasonably well,” she adds. Since this isn’t an antiperspirant, you may still experience wetness from sweating. During our testing, we also found that it may not last the advertised 72 hours.

If you’re not a fan of typical deodorant scents, this Donna Karan deodorant smells much more like a perfume than a deodorant. The Cashmere Mist scent contains notes of lily of the valley, Moroccan jasmine, and sandalwood, which does well to mask any odors. “This deodorant goes on clear and the scent has excellent staying power,” Tuttle says. “It’s intended to mask odors, which it did do. I found I had to reapply this less often than the other aluminum-free deodorants I tested.” That could be due to the magnesium hydroxide, which Moghaddam says helps to reduce odor.

That said, the fragrance might not be for everyone. Deodorant scents, as well as perfumes, are very personal and smell different on everyone. And since it’s an expensive deodorant, you may want to make sure you like the scent before you purchase it.

“Lavilin Roll-On, like all roll-ons, goes on wet and it took a few minutes to dry down completely,” Ladaga says. “It goes on like a white liquid, but becomes clear as it dries and doesn't leave a white residue.” The instructions advise that the deodorant works best after 5-7 applications, and while it’s aluminum-free, rice starch helps to absorb wetness. “It's lightly scented, but it did keep odors away, even after running around town in 85-degree weather and a Pilates workout,” Ladaga adds.

While the packaging says that the deodorant is waterproof and will last 72 hours, Ladaga says that it didn’t last quite as long for her, but it lasted longer than other deodorants she’s tried. “That will most likely depend on what you’re doing at that time—exercising versus sitting in an office,” notes Ladaga.

The brand claims it offers 24 hours of protection, and I found that to be mostly true, but I did need to reapply. This deodorant doesn’t go on completely clear, however, and I did notice a bit of transfer onto my clothing. I enjoyed the Neroli & Basil scent, which has notes of Italian Bergamot, basil, French lavender, and cypress. There are four other complex scents to choose from: Santal & Vetiver (Australian Sandalwood, amber, cedar, violet leaves), Black Rose & Oud (Black rose, lily of the valley, mahogany, santal), Saffron & Cedar (saffron, jasmine, cedarwood), and Bergamot & Hinoki (Italian Bergamot, grapefruit, vetiver, orange blossom).

The deodorant goes on clear and won’t leave residue on the skin or clothing. “The deodorant goes on smoothly and feels a little wet at first, but it dries very quickly,” Ladaga says. “I tested the Santal version and I loved it. It has notes of sandalwood, black pepper, iris, and jasmine, and it smells sophisticated and elegant, and not at all like traditional women’s deodorants, which are usually flowery or powdery smelling. Santal smells like an expensive perfume.”

It does go on wet, but dries quickly. “The scent I used (Sunny Pits) is really divine — it smells like citrus,” Migala says. “The scent doesn’t last a long time, but as it fades, you just smell like you, minus the BO.” Three other scents are available: Beachy Pits, Soapy Pits, and Rosy Pits. “It's advertised to last 72 hours, but it doesn't last that long. I started feeling damp again (though not smelly) after 20 hours,” Migala adds.

This mineral roll-on goes on smoothly, and it may take a moment or two to dry after application. “After it dries, it’s like wearing nothing,” says Lacey Muinos, a California-based writer who tested it for Everyday Health. She said it didn’t transfer onto her clothes, even when she was wearing black. “It's not an antiperspirant, so it's not designed to reduce sweat,” Muinos explains. “It's designed to reduce odors, which I think it did. But I wouldn't say it kept me dry.”

Crystal Mineral-Enriched Deodorant Roll-On comes in unscented, Vanilla & Jasmine, Chamomile Green Tea, Pomegranate, Lavender & White Tea or Coconut & Vanilla.

“As far as its deodorant performance, it performed well,” she adds. “I would say it did about as well as a traditional deodorant. It goes on clear and I didn't notice it rubbing off on any of my clothing.” She did find the product to be sticky, however, making it difficult to discern whether the product kept her dry or not. If texture is important to you, this is something that you might want to consider. It comes in three scents: Tidal Rose, Botanic Air, and Lavender Milk.