Best Whole Body Deodorant for Women: 5 Picks From Pits to Under-Bust

The best whole body deodorant for most women is Lume Whole Body Deodorant Cream: it's aluminum-free and baking soda-free, the brand claims 72-hour odor control, and NBC Select named it best overall after its staff wore it to the office, the gym and on errands. If you want a drugstore stick that also glides over thighs, Dove Whole Body Deo Anti-Chafe Stick was NBC Select's best stick.

A whole body deodorant is a deodorant made for more than your underarms: under the breasts, inner thighs, feet and, for some formulas, the outside of intimate areas. All five picks below are aluminum-free deodorants, which means they work on odor, not wetness. We picked them from dermatologist-reviewed lists and brand ingredient pages, and we say where the evidence is thin.

Quick picks

Lume Whole Body Deodorant Cream Tube

Best for: one deodorant you can use almost anywhere, including skin folds and the outside of intimate areas.

What we love

• NBC Select named it best overall. Reporter Ashley Morris says "it always keeps me odor-free whether I'm in the office, the gym or running errands," and colleague Zoe Malin calls it "gentle and non irritating."
• Lume says mandelic acid, a gentle AHA, "lowers pH to block odor before it starts." The brand claims 72-hour odor control.
• It's free of aluminum, baking soda, parabens and phthalates, and there's an unscented version.
• The brand calls it OB/GYN developed and says it's for "places like the groin folds or inner thighs." It also says to "always avoid internal areas."

Keep in mind

• NBC's one con: a strong smell at first on the scented versions.
• It's a cream, so you rub it in with your fingers. Some people prefer a stick for that reason.
• It's sold on Amazon mostly in bundles (a cream tube with a solid stick, for example).

Key ingredients: mandelic acid. Net weight 3.0 oz.

How to use: a thin layer on clean, dry skin, on external areas only, as Lume's FAQ says.

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Dove Whole Body Deo Anti-Chafe Stick

Best for: a budget-friendly stick for underarms, thighs and under the bust, where you want odor control and a smooth glide.

What we love

• NBC Select named it the best whole body deodorant stick. Dermatologist Dr. Marisa Garshick recommends it for sensitive skin because of its "gentle and nourishing ingredient list."
• Dove says the stick has a "3.6% AHA serum" with lactic acid to target odor, "all while providing a smooth glide to stop chafing."
• Aluminum-free and baking soda-free, with the 72-hour odor claim Dove makes for the whole range.
• Dove calls the range dermatologist- and gynecologist-tested.

Keep in mind

• Don't use this one on private parts. Dove's own FAQ says to use it on thighs, underarms and toes, "avoiding eyes and private parts." Some Amazon listings say otherwise; we'd go with Dove's site.
• It's scented (Coconut Vanilla or Berry).

Key ingredients: lactic acid, glycerin, niacinamide, arrowroot powder. 2.4 oz.

How to use: clean, dry skin, a thin layer, let it dry, reapply as needed.

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Secret Whole Body Deodorant Spray

Best for: quick, hands-free coverage on your back, under the bust and feet, if you like a scent.

What we love

• Dermatologist Dr. Jessie Cheung picked it as the expert-approved spray on TODAY's list, which noted it doesn't need frequent reapplication.
• NBC Select named it the best scented whole body deodorant and says it dries down quickly.
• Secret says it was "created to use on your underarms, underboobs, thighs, privates, feet and more," with 72-hour freshness and "pH balancing minerals."
• Aluminum-free, dye-free and paraben-free.

Keep in mind

• Alcohol is the first ingredient, and it's fragranced. That can sting on just-shaved or irritated skin.
• NBC's cons: a strong smell and no unscented option. TODAY lists "only effective in some areas" as a con.

Key ingredients: denatured alcohol, fragrance, nitrogen propellant. 3.5 oz.

How to use: follow the can's directions; mist dry skin and let it dry before you dress.

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Happy Curves Whole Body Deodorant Stick

Best for: under-breast odor in particular, if you want a stick made with that area in mind.

What we love

• It's one of the few deodorants whose maker builds the whole product around curves: Happy Curves says it's designed for "all body parts, including private areas and under breasts."
• The brand calls it pH-balanced and aluminum-free, and it goes on clear.
• It uses tapioca starch and magnesium hydroxide instead of baking soda (there's none on the ingredient list), with coconut, olive and sunflower oils.
• It's a solid stick, so it's easy to swipe under the bust without getting cream on your fingers.

Keep in mind

• We found no editorial review of it. It hasn't appeared on any dermatologist-reviewed list we read, so this pick rests on the brand's claims and its ingredient list. That's why it isn't our best overall.
• Every stick scent has fragrance (Boho Breeze, Tahitian Vanilla, Tropical Oasis, Herbal Citrus). We didn't find an unscented stick.
• It's a deodorant, not an antiperspirant, so it won't stop sweat.

Key ingredients: tapioca starch, magnesium hydroxide, coconut oil, marshmallow root extract, chamomile. 2.65 oz.

How to use: the brand says to apply a thin, even layer, let it dry before dressing and reapply as needed.

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Hume Supernatural Whole Body Deodorant Balm (Fragrance Free)

Best for: sensitive skin or anyone who wants a deodorant that won't clash with perfume.

What we love

• NBC Select named it the best whole body deodorant balm. Dermatologist Dr. Michele Green points to its zinc ricinoleate, prebiotic extracts and colloidal oatmeal.
• There's a Fragrance Free version. Hume says it's for "pits, feet, down there and everywhere."
• Its Amazon listing says it's aluminum-free and baking soda-free, and describes it as a smooth balm for skin folds and inner thighs.

Keep in mind

• NBC's only con: it comes only as a balm, so you apply it with your fingers.
• It contains beeswax, so it isn't vegan.

Key ingredients: zinc ricinoleate, oat kernel flour, moringa seed oil, kelp extract.

How to use: a pea-sized amount on the area you want to cover.

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How to choose a whole body deodorant

Odor or wetness?

This is the big one. The American Academy of Dermatology puts it plainly: "Antiperspirants help reduce sweating. Deodorants don't." Every pick here is a deodorant. It works on odor, which Cheung explains is "caused by bacteria that feed on sweat." If wetness is your main problem, read our guide to whether aluminum-free deodorant works.

Standard antiperspirants are OTC drugs, and the FDA's monograph requires their label to say "apply to underarms only." So don't move your underarm antiperspirant to the rest of your body.

Whole body deodorant for under the breasts

Dermatologist Dr. Michele Green told NBC Select whole body deodorants are fine on "more sensitive areas like the groin or under the breasts." A stick (Happy Curves, Dove) is the least messy there. For the full routine, with fabrics, powder and drying tips, see how to stop under-boob sweat.

Aluminum-free whole body deodorant

All five are aluminum-free. Lume, Dove, Happy Curves and Hume also leave out baking soda. Lume and Dove use acids (mandelic, lactic) to lower skin pH. Green says AHAs like these "decrease the pH of the underarm."

Fragrance

If scent bothers your skin, start with Hume Fragrance Free or Lume Unscented. Garshick suggests a patch test on a small area first, especially on delicate skin. More gentle options are on our sensitive skin page.

Friction too?

If thighs or the under-bust also rub, Dove's stick and Hume's balm both say they help with glide. For dedicated sticks and gels, see our best anti-chafing products.

Comparison table

FAQs

Does whole body deodorant work?

For odor, yes, according to the dermatologists TODAY and NBC Select spoke to. Dr. Brooke Jeffy told TODAY "the product just needs to be applied where you are bothered by odor or sweat." It won't keep you dry, though, because none of these contain aluminum.

Whole body deodorant vs regular deodorant: what's the difference?

Formulas made for the whole body are designed for thinner, more sensitive skin. Garshick warns that "using regular deodorant all over the body can lead to irritation, especially in sensitive areas," and Green notes regular deodorants may not be tested outside the underarms.

Can you use whole body deodorant on private areas?

Only on the outside, and only if the label says so. Lume, Secret and Hume say external intimate areas are fine. Dove's stick says to avoid them. Cheung told TODAY to avoid the genitals unless the product is designed for them.

Can you use whole body deodorant under your breasts?

Yes, if the brand lists it there. Green named under the breasts as a fine spot. Secret, Hume and Happy Curves name the under-bust, and Lume lists skin folds. Apply to clean, dry skin and let it dry before your bra goes on.

Should I use it on irritated skin?

No. Garshick advises keeping any deodorant away from broken or irritated skin. If a spot stays red or sore, see the note below.

Pick by format and fragrance, put it on clean, dry skin, and keep the antiperspirant for your underarms.