“I receive far more compliments from wearing just deodorant than I ever did wearing Santal 33 from Le Labo, Byredo, or Aesop,” Ed Currie, co-founder of AKT London, a fine fragrance-forward deodorant brand, tells me. This time last year, I wouldn’t have believed you.
The deo aisle—positioned next to foot care, Bandaids, and hemorrhoid cream in the supermarket—was the definition of unsexy. It’s no surprise: “The big conglomerates have dictated to us it's soft linens and florals for women and spice, sport and war for men,” he says. Consumers have possessed a long-standing choice between inoffensive notes like lavender or smelling like the spirit incarnate of a pubescent teenage boy.
But over the past few months—even weeks—forward-thinking brands are making a point to transform the deodorant space. They’re merging effective, odor-reducing actives with the world of fine fragrance. “There’s a growing trend for more sophisticated, cool, and unique body and personal care, driven by young independent brands looking to shake up the fairly practical and clinical categories,” Lisa Payne, Head of Beauty at trend forecasting company Stylus, says.
The business rationale is there. According to Global Intelligence Agency Mintel, 71 percent of consumers are unsatisfied with their current deodorant. It’s why on-the-pulse beauty companies like AKT, Salt & Stone, evolvetogether, and Nécessaire have made it possible for your pits to smell like patchouli. Or santal and vetiver. Maybe cardamom and wood if that’s more your speed.
But body care companies are not the only innovative ones involved with this luxury deo wave. Frangrance-first brands like Phlur, Givenchy, and Dior have expanded their offerings to include fine fragrance deos, while even traditional personal care brands, like Dove and Axe, have fully embraced the emerging trend. It’s essentially an all-hands-on-board evolution to elevate our underarms.
Deodorant has become the unsuspecting first layer for a larger fragrance wardrobe. It’s no longer an I-don’t-want-to-smell-like-BO need and more of a scent statement. Fine fragrance deodorants, which at the most luxurious end of the spectrum cost roughly $40, are an easy entry point to creating a fragrance wardrobe. “All consumers are different—some are curious and creative scent seekers. They often layer and combine their favorite products to create a bespoke scent for themselves,” explains Brian Wilchek, a nose at dsm-firmenech.
Unsurprisingly, Gen Z, a cohort with proven influence in the beauty space, is partially responsible for the spike. In the past year, the generation has increased their fragrance usage from five to 83 percent, according to Circana’s 2023 Consumer Report. “Younger generations have been wearing fine fragrances, so they have developed a more premium nose. They are looking for that same type of luxury scent in their deos,” says Ann Gottlieb, a development consultant who helped create the Axe Fine Fragrance Deodorants, a line leveraging scent profiles that you’ll find in perfumes for ten times the price.
While the teens and tweens may have catalyzed the trend, they’re not the sole consumers. It’s why you can partake in just about every fragrance trend with your deodorant alone. The ever-growing gourmand category is supported by Axe’s Black Vanilla and Phlur’s Vanilla Skin, a counterpart to the brand’s matching body mist and eau de parfum. You can get in on the booze-inspired fall fragrance trend with Native’s Honeycrisp Cider, or the citrus perfume trend with Corpus’ just-launched N Green, featuring notes of bergamot, pink lemon, orange blossom, and cardamom.
With more discerning consumers, today's deodorants must not only excel at their primary function (minimizing that B.O. smell) while simultaneously offering an intriguing scent profile that fits into a customer's well-rounded fragrance wardrobe. “I can see deodorants functioning in the same way as a body mist," adds Payne. A swipe on your pits and other parts lays the groundwork while traditional eau de parfums still seal the deal.
“People aren’t only getting scent experience through body care, deodorant, body wash, or hair care—they're also buying fine fragrance at record numbers,” says Corpus founder and serial entrepreneur JP Mastey. “This isn’t a deodorant trend; it’s a movement telling us to raise the bar and re-evaluate what we’re competing against.”
Deodorants—synthetic, aluminum-free, or natural—no longer play exclusively in the personal care space. Thoughtfully perfumed deodorants now stand just behind the fine fragrance category, which gives the phrase “can you smell me?” a whole new meaning.
