This Natural Deodorant Had My Pits Smelling Great After 14 Hours

Switching to natural deodorant might sound like a scary feat, but I’m here to tell you that it’s well worth the swap. Natural deodorants (or aluminum-free deodorants) work by neutralizing body odor. Sweat itself doesn’t actually smell—it’s the bacteria in the area that causes odor—so ingredients like baking soda, alpha-hydroxy-acids (AHAs), beta-hydroxy-acids (BHAs) in natural deos can help nip unpleasant scents in the bud.

My journey to swapping to them started when I was looking to detox my pits a bit, and although it took some trial and error, I’ve finally landed on the best natural deodorants that won’t melt away halfway through the day. My top pick is Native because it absorbs moisture, has a long-lasting scent keeps the underarm area chafe-free, but I also called on Glamour staffers, dermatologists and editors to see which deodorants they can trust.

The best natural deodorants, at a glance

How we picked the best natural deodorants

Best Overall: Native Coconut & Vanilla Deodorant

This natural deodorant comes highly recommended by Glamour’s commerce writer, Alanna Martine Kilkeary, who’s been wearing it every single day for the past three years. “I officially made the switch over and haven’t looked back since thanks to this deodorant. Not only does it come in tons of scents (some limited edition scents have included Sugar Cookie and Dunkin’ Donuts Strawberry Donut), it’s one of the most long-lasting natural deodorants I’ve ever tried. It took around a month for my body to fully adjust. I like that it has baking soda to absorb excess sweat. It lasts all day, too—I’ll put it on around 8 a.m. before I leave for work and can still smell the scent by 8 p.m.. I also deal with dryness and sometimes eczema patches in my armpits (TMI)—this deo has never exacerbated or irritated my hot spots. The only knock I have is that it does in fact stain clothing, unfortunately, but everything else is a total 10/10, and I’d recommend it for anyone who’s looking for a new natural deodorant to try!”

Best for Sensitive Skin: Nécessaire Eucalyptus Deodorant

Nécessaire Eucalyptus Deodorant

Tested and reviewed by Glamour commerce writer Alanna Martine Kilkeary

This aluminum-free formula contains mandelic acid to gently exfoliate and prevent odor, and works to help with ingrown hairs and texture. It’s a favorite of Dr. Lolis: “It has niacinamide, which is a powerful antioxidant that strengthens the skin barrier by boosting hydration and has anti-inflammatory properties,” she says.

Glamour’s Kilkeary is also a massive fan of this deodorant because it’s super gentle. “I reach for this one when my skin is feeling particularly moody and dry. It has a warm and spicy scent that smells just as good as perfumes in my collection, and I like that it isn’t too sticky. Instead, it glides right on with little finesse and absorbs super quickly. I do wish this one controlled sweat a bit more (it doesn’t have baking soda to absorb extra moisture), but I really love that it’s totally non-comedogenic and doesn’t irritate or break me out,” she says.

Best for Odor: Kosas Chemistry AHA Serum Deodorant

Kosas Chemistry AHA Serum Deodorant

Tested and reviewed by Glamour commerce writer Alanna Martine Kilkeary

“I love this deodorant because it has AHAs including mandelic and lactic acid to help prevent overgrowth of odor causing bacteria. It will also simultaneously brighten the skin thanks to the exfoliating acids, which is a bonus for those with dark underarms. It’s formulated in a serum, so it’s extremely lightweight, dries fast, and hydrates thanks to hyaluronic acid,” says Dr. Lolis.

“If I’m ever going to a fancy event where I really need sweat protection, this is what I reach for,” says Glamour’s Kilkeary. “It truly does wonders to zap scent and keep me feeling fresh and clean throughout the day. Even though it doesn’t block sweat glands, the texture is quite refreshing upon application, and it also helps address discoloration, which is perfect if you’re worried about dark undertones in your underarm area when you’re wearing a tank top or headed to the beach. This one is my favorite for hot, sweaty days.”

Best Stain-Free: Salt & Stone Deodorant

Tested and reviewed by Glamour commerce editor Jenifer Calle

If you’re on the hunt for an extra strength natural deodorant that won’t stain your clothes, go with this aluminum-free pick. It has moisturizing seaweed extracts, shea butter, and probiotics that naturally neutralize odor. It also has hyaluronic acid, to keep your skin hydrated and soft, plus luxurious fragrance notes of bergamot, saffron, cedar and oud.

In our Salt & Stone review, Glamour senior beauty editor Ariana Yaptangco was impressed with it’s long-lasting power. “This natural deodorant does not budge throughout the day. There is some fading that occurs, especially when you sweat, but the scent is still solid by end of day and effectively masks odors. I used this deodorant the whole week of my vacation—through beach days, Pilates workouts, and bike rides—and was shocked at how well it held up.”

“I’ve been using this deodorant on and off for years now, and I always come back to it because it actually works. I even keep a spare in my work bag,” says Glamour senior commerce editor Jenifer Calle. “The moment I really knew it worked, though, was when I was out all day in humid 85 degree NYC summer weather and sweating everywhere, yet my pits stayed fresh.”

Best Long-Lasting: AKT Deodorant

Tested and reviewed by Glamour commerce writer Alanna Martine Kilkeary

Cream deodorant might not be your first choice, but hear us out. This long-lasting cream deodorant is aluminum-free, and contains a blend of shea butter, calendula oil, apricot kernel oil and vitamin E to help soothe the underarms and has a proprietary complex that works to absorb moisture and neutralize smells.

“I’ve never actually tried a deodorant cream before testing this one,” says Glamour’s Kilkeary, “and boy, was I surprised at how much I liked it. I always found this format to be a bit weird, like how much do you use, where do you rub off any excess, how’s the best way to apply them? But incorporating this one into my routine was actually so much easier than I anticipated. Simply take a dime size amount and apply it to your underarms, it absorbs in a snap, and it’ll do the rest of the work for you. I wore this during a 14-hour day gallivanting through Magic Kingdom in Disney World, and by the end of the day, I was still able to subtly smell the cedar and eucalyptus fragrance. It did a great job at keeping me sweat-free in this area (even when the day reached 85 degrees), and I didn’t even need to reapply before I headed out to dinner that night. I was thoroughly impressed.

Best for Sweat: Dove 0% Aluminum Deodorant

Dove 0% Aluminum Deodorant

Tested and reviewed by Glamour commerce editor Malia Griggs

This creamy formula is a favorite amongst Glamour editors because it doesn’t irritate the skin or burn if you have any nicks or abrasions from shaving. It slides right on and stays put throughout the day, and keeps sweat at a minimum.

“I mistakenly bought this Dove 0% deodorant thinking it had aluminum (I know, I know), but wound up pleased to have a back-up. I usually wear this product around the house or doing not-too-sweaty activities. It has a slick, slippery feel (almost wet) and a strong fragrance—like whatever the artificial scent for “fresh laundry” is. It doesn’t stop me sweating, but it does effectively mask my natural B.O. with the strength of its smell for hours. That scent has lasted through medium-intensity yoga (though not a long run) and most of a workday. Sometimes that’s all you need, especially at a drugstore price,” says Glamour commerce editor Malia Griggs.

Best for Working Out: Megababe Daily Deodorant

Tested and reviewed by Glamour commerce editor Jenifer Calle

Sometimes natural deodorants are uncomfortable and sticky to wear, but this deo does a great job at absorbing into the skin without discomfort.

“I wore this to the gym and didn’t get a single bad whiff. This natural deodorant is a great option for sweaty workouts, Pilates, and yoga. I tried it on for all three and smelled great.” says Glamour’s Calle. “But if you’re wearing it for all day, you might need something a bit stronger. It genuinely smells great and the texture feels soft on my skin.”

Best Scent: Malin + Goetz Eucalyptus Deodorant

Malin + Goetz Eucalyptus Deodorant

Tested and reviewed by Glamour contributor Brittany Loggins

If you already stan natural deodorants, it might just be time to step up your routine with this luxurious pick. It has eucalyptus extract and citronellyl to help neutralize odor and can be used on all skin types, including sensitive.

“In addition to smelling like a spa thanks to the subtle eucalyptus scent, this deodorant was a winner for me in terms of performance. It has a consistency that could almost be described as waxy, but it feels very cooling on the skin and immediately sinks in. I loved that it’s a completely clear formula that didn’t show up at all on any clothing. I wore it for an entire day and did my two and half mile walk and didn’t detect any unwanted odors afterward,” says Loggins.

Best Stick: Curie Natural Deodorant

Tested and reviewed by Glamour contributor Emily Tannenbaum

This deodorant earns best stick on our list because it’s compact, easy to travel with, and includes lush ingredients like coconut oil, aloe and prickly pear extract to soothe and moisturize the skin.

“I’m always wary of natural deodorants, but I have no complaints about the Curie’s clean deodorant for day to day wear. It has a soft, almost powdery finish that pilled a little bit one of the days I tried it, but didn’t give me any trouble from that day on. I would not wear this for a workout, but recommend Coconut Nectar for someone looking for a gentle deodorant with a light, soothing scent,” says Glamour contributor Emily Tannenbaum.

Best Drugstore: Tom’s of Maine Natural Deodorant

Tom’s of Maine Natural Deodorant

Tested and reviewed by Glamour contributor Emily Tannenbaum

“I highly recommend this deodorant, which is aluminum-, paraben-, and artificial fragrance-free,” says Dr. Engelman. The formula itself also contains aloe vera for extra smoothing application, and no baking soda which might be irritating to some.

“If you’re going to use one of Tom’s of Maine’s natural deodorants, I recommend choosing the Rose & Vanilla over Mountain Spring or Unscented. As someone who assumed the more powerful scent would require less reapplications, the Mountain Spring deodorant didn’t really hold up after a few hours, but the Rose & Vanilla lasted me all day with no smelly odors breaking through. That might come down to it’s formula, which is more gel-like and wet than the other two I tested. I’d trust R&V to get me through a yoga or strength training regiment if not a full spin class. Plus, the scent is pretty delicious,” says Tannenbaum.

Best Baking Soda-Free: Hello Naturally Friendly Deodorant

Hello Naturally Friendly Deodorant

Tested and reviewed by Glamour contributor Brittany Loggins

Dr. Engelman also loves this aluminum-free deodorant because it smells great and is made of skin-friendly ingredients like “shea butter to moisturize and soften the skin” while “arrowroot and tea-tree oil help fight odor.”

“I tend to only wear natural deodorants at home when there’s less risk when it comes to odors. That said, they’ve really come a long way in the past few years because this natural deodorant was truly great. While I didn’t test it after the full 24-hours that the packaging touts, I did test it after about 12 hours and a long walk and it really held up. It feels super creamy, which I was initially worried about becuase hte consistency is almost soft, however it didn’t wear off on my clothes at all. I also think the version with charcoal is a little dryer, which I tend to like and I think it might be a little more long-lasting during the hotter months. I tried a couple different scents and the Clean + Fresh and Sunny Daze were my favorites, however I thought they both held up the same. I would definitely wear these again, especially considering the prices” says Loggins.