How To Smell Good Without Deodorants or Antiperspirants

So, you want to smell good without deodorants and antiperspirants? I understand that not everyone enjoys putting chemicals under their armpits in the name of smelling good.

Some of us like to go the deodorant-free way, and that’s fine, but one of the potential drawbacks of not using regular deodorant is that you may require more frequent hygiene routines.

Additionally, I want to clarify that although the methods shared below are effective, they may not work for everyone because of differences in individual body chemistry.

But before we get into why you’re here and how to smell good without deodorant, let’s do a quick recap of what causes odors.

Body odor is caused by the secretions of the bacteria in your armpits. These bacteria in themselves do not have any odor but feast on the oils and sweat your body secretes, and then they excrete waste, causing you to stink.

To get rid of body odor, you need to eliminate or reduce bacteria in your armpits (or other areas of your body) that feed on your sweat. The primary function of deodorants and antiperspirants is that they help eliminate foul-odor-causing bacteria.

But are there alternatives to these chemically loaded deodorants and antiperspirants? Yes, there are.

In this article, I have put together the most effective ways to smell good without deodorants.

1. Bathe Regularly With Antibacterial Soap

The first step to living an odor-free life without deodorants is to take baths regularly with antibacterial soap. Using an antibacterial soap alone is not enough; use it with a fishnet sponge to scrub out all the dead skin and kill the odor-causing bacteria at the same time. Do this two times a day.

2. Shave Your Underarms

You will not have an odor-and deodorant-free experience if you keep your underarm hair. Underarm hair traps moisture and oil, which breeds bacteria. None of the steps below will be effective if you don’t always have shaved underarms.

3. Witch Hazel

Witch Hazel is one of the few effective plants approved by the Food and Drug Administration as an over-the-counter ingredient for medicament. Witch Hazel is an astringent that causes the skin to contract, thus drawing water out and making your pores smaller to reduce the sweat produced. It is also popular for fighting bacteria by reducing your skin’s pH, making it difficult for bacteria to thrive.

How To Use Witch Hazel To Fight Body Odor

You can buy Witch Hazel fluids from Amazon. Use cotton to apply the Witch Hazel fluid to your clean, shaven underarms before going out. Because the effects of Witch Hazel are temporary, buy a box of Witch Hazel cleansing pads and take them along with you to clean out your underarms throughout the day and keep you smelling fresh.

4. Baking Soda and Cornstarch

Baking soda has been a staple for many years for getting rid of odors on surfaces like your carpets. Even putting a box of baking soda in your fridge will absorb foul food odors.

Cornstarch is a better absorbent ingredient than baking soda, which means it is useful if you sweat excessively. Using these two ingredients together is a double combo bacteria buster that will keep you smelling fresh and your underarms dry for hours.

How To Use Baking Soda and Cornstarch

Make a paste by mixing equal parts baking soda and cornstarch with water and applying it to a clean, dry underarm.

5. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar or ACV is used to eliminate bacteria and balance the pH level of your body. ACV can also reduce excessive sweating when you drink it.

How To Use Apple Cider Vinegar

For this to work effectively, you need undiluted apple cider vinegar. Pour some of the undiluted ACV onto a cotton ball and rub it on your underarms. Wait for 4 minutes before stepping into the shower to take a bath.

If you have a tub, add a cup of apple cider vinegar to it and soak it in for 8 minutes. This will help in controlling excessive sweating.

6. Tea Tree Oil

Tea Tree Oil is a potent natural antiseptic that kills bacteria and fungi on your skin. It has another advantage: it has a sweet smell. Note: If you don’t dilute tea tree oil, it can cause irritation because of its potency. If you have very sensitive skin, try the other recommendations in this article instead.

How To Use Tea Tree Oil

Add two drops (or two tablespoons) of tea tree essential oil to 1 ounce or 2 tablespoons of water and apply it to your dry underarms. Or, you make a tea tree oil spray in a bottle by mixing two drops of tea tree oil with two tablespoons of water. You can now spray it on your sweaty underarms, and everywhere you sweat a lot—your face, neck, chest, anywhere that needs sweat relief.

7. Lemon

Lemon is another natural odor neutralizer. Its natural acidic properties—citric acid—make it a popular ingredient in making natural deodorant recipes.

How To Use Lemon

Just slice a lemon in half and simply rub one half onto your underarms. Allow it to dry properly before putting on clothes. Note that lemon juice might sting when applied immediately after shaving. I recommend shaving for a day or two before applying the juice to your underarms.

8. Lemon + Baking Soda Paste

The acidity of lemon reduces your skin PH, and the odor-eliminating properties of baking soda make the combo a must-try deodorant alternative.

How To Use Lemon and Baking Soda

Squeeze out as much lemon juice as you can get, then mix it with two tablespoons of baking soda, and stir until it is a paste. Then apply it to your underarms 30 minutes before you take a shower.

Tip: You can also rub some lemon juice on your underarms after you’ve taken a shower, as suggested in No. 7 above.

9. Fitkari or Alum

Alum, known as Fitkari in Hindi, is a clear, odorless mineral salt with astringent and antibacterial properties. People also know it as a crystal deodorant.

How To Use Fitkari or Alum

Apply a little water to a part of the stone, rub the wet part on your clean underarms, and keep applying water as needed till you have completely covered your entire underarms. Alum can be effective for up to 24 hours.

Bonus Deodorant Alternative

10. Glycolic Acid

This is a bonus point because glycolic acid is not a natural alternative to deodorant, it is an acid derived from sugar cane. I watched a couple of Tik Tok of people swearing about how effective glycolic acid is at fighting body odor.

Glycolic Acid is an ingredient used in products for facial treatments, like cleansers and facial peels, and for treating hyperpigmentation. In one of TikTok’s most recent trends, beauty content creators are talking about how good acidic is at stopping sweating, reducing odor, and treating armpit discoloration.

According to Today.com, Glycolic acid is not effective at stopping sweat on very hot days, but it is effective at reducing body odor by exfoliating away dead skin cells and lowering the skin’s pH, making it harder for bacteria buildup that leads to foul-smelling odors.

When using higher concentrations of glycolic acid, it can lead to skin irritation because it is an exfoliating acid.

How To Use Glycolic Acid

You can apply a pea-sized amount of glycolic acid to your underarms before and after a shower. Apply everywhere in your underarms 10 minutes before you get into the shower, and apply again after you get out of the shy on clean, dry skin.

Note: Glycolic Acid is not as effective because sweat from your underarms will reduce the effectiveness of glycolic acid on a sunny day. For best results use during the cold months or evenings. I recommend testing it out for yourself.

Before You Go…

There is another article on how to smell good naturally. The pointers I shared in that article are also useful if you want to smell good without using deodorants.