I’ve Tried Every Natural Deodorant, and I Swear By These 15

It’s been five years since I switched from antiperspirant and went au naturel, and let me tell ya, the journey stinks. No, really—it has been a smelly, sweaty, sticky five years bouncing from deodorant to deodorant in my arduous armpit adventure. I used to be embarrassed by my five-o’clock stench (it’s like five-o’clock shadow, but the smelly-armpit version), and now I’m just determined to defy it. And for the record, my pits are part of the problem, but they’re not entirely the reason why I struggled so much finding a reliable product—the truth is antiperspirants are just more effective than natural deodorants.

“Antiperspirants use aluminum chloride salts to block sweat from leaving pores,” says board-certified dermatologist Becca Marcus, MD. With natural deodorants, on the other hand, “sweat is still produced, providing fertile ground for bacteria, and therefore odor, so deodorants without antiperspirants tend to be less effective.” See? It’s not just me. That said, over the last few years, I’ve found some hidden gems—it’s rare, but it happens—and I’ve come to tell you about them. It is possible to find natural skincare products that work well, but you have to know what to look for, so let’s get into it.

Meet the experts

• Anar Mikailov, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of KP Away.
• Becca Marcus, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at North Dallas Dermatology Associates who specializes in medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology.
• Ranella Hirsch, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and cofounder of Atolla custom skincare.
• Joshua Zeichner, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and an associate professor of dermatology and the director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Zeichner has previously spoken to Cosmo about the topic of fragrance-free deodorant and deodorants for sensitive skin.
• Rachel Nazarian, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group and faculty member at Mount Sinai Medical Center’s department of dermatology. Dr. Nazarian has previously spoken to Cosmo about switching to natural deodorant.

See? We really did get ~all~ the experts to weigh in on this. But if you’re just here for the goods, check out this brief list of the best natural deodorants, then keep reading to find out more about what to look for in a natural deodorant, plus our full list of the top formulas.

Our top natural deodorant picks of 2022

• Best overall: Native Deodorant Sensitive Deodorant
• Best exfoliating: Kosas Chemistry AHA Serum Deodorant
• Best moisturizing: Drunk Elephant Sweet Pitti Deodorant Cream
• Best-selling: Megababe Rosy Pits Daily Deodorant
• Best unscented: Alaffia EveryDay Shea Dry Finish Deodorant Unscented
• Best affordable: Hey Humans Natural Deodorant Rosewater Ginger

How to choose the best natural deodorant

Prioritize your needs

“Deodorants either mask the odor with a fragrance, prevent odor by minimizing the contact of sweat with odor-causing bacteria or lowering the level of the odor-causing bacteria on the skin,” board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, previously told Cosmo. So your first step is to decide whether you want a formula that covers your natural scent, one that soaks up sweat, or one that eliminates the bacteria that causes smelly pits. Once you decide what your biggest needs are, you'll be able to choose the right formula and ingredients.

Find the right ingredients

To cover up the smell of B.O. or even prevent it, look for ingredients such as AHAs (like glycolic acid), magnesium hydroxide, and essential oils (like sage, eucalyptus, and tea tree oil), probiotic enzymes from yeast, or coconut oil. To decrease moisture from sweat, seek out absorbent ingredients, like arrowroot powder, corn starch, clay, or rice powder. It’s not a bad idea to look for ingredients that soothe and nourish skin, too, like aloe, glycerin, and shea butter.

As far as what to avoid, some people just can’t tolerate certain essential oils, fragrance, or baking soda, so avoid those ingredients if you know you’ve had problems with them in the past. “The skin under the arms is extremely delicate and easily irritated, so it’s important to avoid potential irritants and stick to soothing, nourishing ingredients,” says Dr. Marcus.

Choose your application type

Next, decide on a formula type you like best, like a solid stick, liquid, gel, cream, or serum. And then you choose the packaging, like a twist-up or push-up tube, a jar, a rollerball, or a spray. The best way to transition to natural deodorant is to find a consistency and applicator that’s similar to that of the antiperspirant you were previously using. For instance, if you had a dry, powdery antiperspirant stick, don't get a liquidy rollerball deodorant, at least not at first. You’re going through enough adjustments already by switching to natural, so try to stick with what you know and like for the rest.

Temper your expectations

You name it, I’ve tried it and retried it after someone convinced me I should give it another shot, and I can definitively say that the best natural deodorant really depends on the person. “Oftentimes, it takes trial and error to figure out what deodorant is right for you,” Dr. Zeichner previously told Cosmo.

But even the very best natural deodorants don’t compare to antiperspirants when it comes to stopping sweat, so don’t expect it to be as effective at keeping your pits dry. On the contrary, you might actually get sweatier at first. “Many people who switch to natural formulations report an increase in sweating, then a normalizing of sweat levels after a few days or weeks,” board-certified dermatologist Rachel Nazarian, MD, previously told Cosmo. “This isn’t a purge or detox period. It’s your body’s way of regaining the ability to perspire normally.”

I know, it’s a lot to take it for something as simple as deodorant, but that’s why we’re here to help! If you need a few suggestions to get you started down your own path of trial and error, here are the best natural deodorants I’ve tried plus dermatologist-recommended formulas too.