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Aluminum-free deodorants are great if you experience underarm irritation and want to find an alternative that doesn’t leave you stinky. If you have sensitive skin, most antiperspirants probably leave you with itchy, red armpits. You’ve probably tried countless options, only to end up smelling like horse poop with a hint of Febreeze. And all that testing has made you feel like a soggy science experiment. “Should I just embrace the stink and my damp pits?” you ask yourself after yet another disappointing deodorant trial. The answer is no; do not be the person who doesn’t wear deodorant to a concert. Thankfully, you can smell and feel good with aluminum-free deodorant and can mosh relatively worry-free. And if you’re skipping aluminum because you’re worried about getting cancer, good news: There’s very little science, if any at all, to back that fear up. As we say, you do you, but we want to make sure you’re not falling for health misinformation. With that said, the best aluminum-free deodorants manage body odor with gentle ingredients.
- Best overall: Humble All-Natural Deodorant
- Best for men: Native Deodorant
- Best for women: Toms’ of Maine Aluminum-Free Natural Deodorant
- Best for sensitive skin: Each & Every Natural Aluminum-Free Deodorant for Sensitive Skin
- Best all-natural: Schmidt’s Aluminum-Free Natural Deodorant
- Best for body: Lume Whole Body Deodorant-Invisible Cream Tube and Solid Stick
- Best budget: ARM & HAMMER Essentials Deodorant
How we chose the best aluminum-free deodorants
To narrow down our choices, we looked at reviews, recommendations, and conducted heavy research. There’s lots of misinformation regarding aluminum deodorant, armpits, and making the switch to aluminum-free deodorant. Also, it’s a bad look for a place with “science” in its name to peddle myths proliferated by a granola mom/lifestyle influencer/man offering expensive personal coaching.
The best aluminum-free deodorants: Reviews & Recommendations
You don’t need to live that aluminum deodorant lifestyle to be hygienic. One of our choices should leave you smelling fresh as a daisy … or at least not like a piece of garlic wrapped in Limburger cheese.
Best overall: Humble All-Natural Deodorant
Simple Odor Protection
Specs
- Form: Stick
- Net weight: 2.5 ounces
- Ingredients: MCT oil, cornstarch, baking soda, beeswax
Pros
- Simple ingredients
- Cruelty-free
- Truly unscented
Cons
- Baking soda could irritate underarms
Humble All-Natural Deodorant features four fairly common ingredients: fractionated coconut oil, corn starch, baking soda, and beeswax. That’s it. It’s not fancy. However, for many people, it’s effective. Humble comes in a few different scents, with the scented varieties having essential oils for added fragrance. They also make a baking soda-free version if baking soda makes your underarms itch.
Best for men: Native Deodorant
Effective and Chemical-Free
Specs
- Form: Stick
- Net weight: 2.65 ounces
- Ingredients: Coconut oil, shea butter, probiotics, tapioca starch
Pros
- Paraben-free
- Not tested on animals
- Great performance
Cons
- Contains baking soda
Native Deodorant leaves out aluminum and a lot more, like parabens and animal testing. The list of ingredients also includes nourishment for the skin in the form of coconut oil and shea butter. This formula comes in several scents, including lavender rose, coconut vanilla, cucumber mint, and unscented.
Best for women: Toms’ of Maine Aluminum-Free Natural Deodorant
Naturally Calming
Specs
- Form:
- Net weight:
- Ingredients: Propylene glycol, water, sodium stearate, Aloe barbadensis (Aloe Vera) leaf juice, glyceryl laurate, fragrance, Humulus lupulus (Hops) extract, Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) seed oil, ascorbic acid, Cymbopogon flexuosus oil
Pros
- Not tested on animals
- No baking soda
- Paraben-free
Cons
- No 24-hour effectiveness
Toms’ of Maine Aluminum-Free Natural Deodorant has a fairly short ingredient list. However, the list of ingredients it doesn’t have includes aluminum, silicone, microbeads, mineral oil, parabens, and many other things you may be trying to eliminate from your life. It also skips artificial colors, fragrances, and preservatives but still stops odor.
Best for sensitive skin: Each & Every Natural Aluminum-Free Deodorant for Sensitive Skin
Planted-Based Packaging
Specs
- Form: Stick
- Net weight: 2.5 ounces
- Ingredients: Coconut oil, tapioca starch, earth wax, dead sea salt, castor oil, antioxidant salt, lime essential oil, bergamot essential oil, vanilla extract
Pros
- Baking soda-free
- Natural ingredients
- Great for sensitive skin
Cons
- Expensive
Each & Every Natural Aluminum-Free Deodorant for Sensitive Skin Is formulated with natural ingredients that are gentle on skin. They list the scientific name for their ingredients next to the common name, so you know what you’re using. The list includes everything from common favorites like coconut oil and dead sea salt to earth wax and fermented castor oil. This particular company is also gentle on the planet with plant-based packaging and recyclable materials. We particularly love that it’s baking soda-free and uses tapioca starch to keep wetness at bay. It’s so fancy that you could probably get away with gifting it to someone else, no shade attached.
Best all-natural: Schmidt’s Aluminum-Free Natural Deodorant
Natural, Organic Protection
Specs
- Form: Stick
- Net weight: 3.25 ounces
- Ingredients: Maranta Arundinacea (arrowroot) Powder, Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda), Cocos Nucifera (coconut) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (shea butter), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (fractionated coconut oil), Euphorbia Cerifera (candelilla) Wax, Natural Fragrance, Simmondsia Chinensis (jojoba) Seed Oil, Magnesium Hydroxide, Carbo Activatus (activated charcoal), Tocopherol (vitamin E; sunflower-derived)
Pros
- No artificial fragrance
- Need only 1-2 swipes
- Non-greasy and non-sticky
Cons
- Contains baking soda
Schmidt’s Aluminum-Free Natural Deodorant is formulated with an ingredient that’s showing up in many cosmetic and personal hygiene products: charcoal. Scientific evidence lags behind many of the claims around activated charcoal, but charcoal can neutralize odors. This formula contains a blend of charcoal and magnesium to keep odor under control. It’s natural enough that it’s received the EcoCert Certification, a European organization that certifies organic products.
Best for body: Lume Whole Body Deodorant-Invisible Cream Tube and Solid Stick
Specs
- Form: Stick and topical
- Net weight: 3 ounces for bottle; 2.6 ounces for stick
- Ingredients: Water, Mandelic Acid, arrowroot powder, Tapioca Starch, Isoamyl Laurate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caffeine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Behenyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Fragrance, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Floral Pyranol, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Panthenol, Sandalrome, Stearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Glucoside, Pentylene Glycol, Phenylpropanol, Potassium Hydroxide, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Pros
- Bundle deal
- Works everywhere
- Vegan and cruelty-free
Cons
- Expensive
Like the packaging says, this deodorant covers all areas of your body—even those that remain unseen (wink). We also love that it’s also baking soda-free for those with sensitive skin. It also has mandelic acid, an exfoliant that scrubs away dead skin cells and lowers the pH of your armpit, which prevents bacteria from forming in the first place. We also love that it has not one but two sweat-wicking ingredients (arrowroot powder and tapioca starch). It also contains panthenol, which moisturizes skin and prevents water loss, and allantoin, which helps heal the skin, prevent itchiness, and improve overall skin texture.
Best budget: ARM & HAMMER Essentials Deodorant
Simple Odor Protection
Specs
- Form: Stick
- Net weight: 2.5 ounces
- Ingredients: Propylene glycol, Purified water, Sodium stearate, Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), Coriandrum sativum (coriander) fruit oil, Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil, Lavandula hybrida (lavandin) oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Octenidine HCl, Tetrasodium EDTA, Allantoin
Pros
- Cheap
- Wide stick for large areas of coverage
- Contains skin-friendly allantoin
Cons
- Contains baking soda
This cheap deodorant contains no parabens or phthalates and comes in five herbaceous scents like Juniper Berry and Orange Citrus. Its wide stick also provides extra coverage. We’re also impressed that allantoin is an ingredient, considering the price. I only see this ingredient in higher-end products, like the Sofie Pavitt Clean Clean cleanser, so it’s refreshing to see it in a product that lines grocery store shelves.
What to consider when buying the best aluminum-free deodorants
The best aluminum-free deodorants effectively control odors. However, it’s important to remember that there’s a difference between antiperspirants and deodorants, though people often use the terms interchangeably. Antiperspirants are made with aluminum because it blocks sweat glands from producing sweat. Deodorants, meanwhile, reduce odor and don’t generally contain aluminum unless they’re antiperspirant-deodorants.
The second thing to consider is how aluminum works when it is present in an antiperspirant. The aluminum salt in antiperspirants melts into the pores, clogging them to reduce overall perspiration. Scientists know that substances can enter the body through the skin, a process called transdermal absorption. And high aluminum levels have been linked to memory issues, cancer, dementia, and renal failure.
However, the aluminum in cosmetic products and antiperspirant deodorants has not been linked to high aluminum levels. As recently as 2021, a study found that breastfeeding mothers did not have higher aluminum levels in their breast milk, for example. Scientists haven’t conclusively determined that aluminum in antiperspirants contributes to aluminum buildup in the human body, nor have they definitely found that it does not. We just don’t know. We will say this: the rumor that aluminum in antiperspirants can cause breast cancer originated from an email chain in the ’90s. Here’s the real information you need to know when buying:
Gendered deodorants
Aluminum-free deodorants don’t typically have different formulas for men and women, though some are marketed to a specific gender. Instead, it’s about finding a formula that works for you and has a smell that you like. Thankfully, these products come in a wide array of scents, such as tea tree, lavender, rose, mint, and sage.
Many aluminum-free deodorants are free of other potentially questionable substances, such as paraben and phthalates. Like aluminum, there’s no conclusive evidence that parabens and phthalates are harmful in the doses used in cosmetics. The FDA has determined that both types of chemicals are safe for regular use. However, cosmetic doses are closely monitored and regularly tested to ensure growing levels in our daily products don’t pose a problem.
Clothing stains and aluminum-free deodorants
Deodorants are notorious for leaving white marks on the inside, and sometimes the outside, of your clothes. Then there are the lovely yellow stains we all love. The good news if you’re jumping on the aluminum-free train is that aluminum reacts with perspiration and is the source of many of the yellow stains. That means aluminum-free products are less likely to stain your clothes.
Staining on white clothing is another matter and usually stems from odor-reducing ingredients. An aluminum-free deodorant might prove helpful here because it’s more likely to have natural ingredients, which are typically easier to wash out of your clothes.
Sensitive skin
Sensitive skin easily reacts to chemicals, fragrances, and dyes. A reaction may cause itching, redness, or an unsightly rash. For example, a rash down the back of your arm or in the armpit is a pretty good indication that your skin is reacting to your deodorant. And perspiration can further irritate the skin.
Aluminum-free deodorants come in formulas made especially for the most sensitive skin. They are already free of aluminum, but these formulas are often free of other common irritants, such as dyes and artificial fragrances. Instead, they feature natural options or a reduced number of ingredients to keep things simple.
Ingredients
The lists on the back of some antiperspirant deodorants can sound like a foreign language. A formula composed of natural ingredients skips chemicals and uses familiar ingredients. Keep in mind that natural ingredients may include naturally derived ingredients, too. That doesn’t mean these ingredients are harmful. It means they’ve gone through some processing before getting added to the deodorant. In many cases, they’re easier on your body (and clothes) than the synthetic substitute used in regular deodorants.
Budget
Many of the ingredients we use in everyday products are there because they’re effective and inexpensive to produce. Aluminum substitutes cost more. These deodorants can run up to $3 or more per ounce. However, less expensive options are out there. They typically have common, easily accessible ingredients, though the list of ingredients may be small. Some may have a few essential oils to add fragrance.
FAQs
Yes and no. Natural deodorants contain ingredients that only absorb sweat. Aluminum prevents sweating. Bacteria feed on our sweat and their excretions create body odor. This is all to say: You will sweat more with an aluminum-free deodorant, but the ingredients in aluminum-free deodorants prevent that sweat from getting stinky.
This is another misconception when it comes to transitioning to aluminum-free deodorant. The malodor and sweat that happens when you stop using aluminum deodorant … happens because you stopped using aluminum deodorant. The aluminum salts that prevent sweating only temporarily block the sweat glands, meaning you’re going to notice a stinkier, damper self. You’ll get used to your new body smell around 2-4 weeks after making the switch.
We don’t believe in the detoxing hype, but there are tangible steps you can take to reduce body odor when you first use aluminum-free deodorant. Remember that what you smell is the bacteria on your skin, not the sweat itself. Take showers frequently, and dry off thoroughly. Choose loose-fitting clothing made of breathable fabrics like cotton and bamboo. You can also use an acid-based deodorant that makes it harder for bacteria to survive, thus lowering the chances of getting stinky.
Final thoughts on the best aluminum-free deodorants
- Best overall: Humble All-Natural Deodorant
- Best for men: Native Deodorant
- Best for women: Toms’ of Maine Aluminum-Free Natural Deodorant
- Best for sensitive skin: Each & Every Natural Aluminum-Free Deodorant for Sensitive Skin
- Best all-natural: Schmidt’s Aluminum-Free Natural Deodorant
- Best for body: Lume Whole Body Deodorant-Invisible Cream Tube and Solid Stick
- Best budget: ARM & HAMMER Essentials Deodorant
Applying antiperspirant or deodorant is likely a daily practice. Plus, throwing on some deodorant can save you when you need to smell fresher fast. The best aluminum-free deodorant manages odors and keeps you comfortable all day. After all, you deserve a deodorant that leaves you smelling fresh and clean.
