It’s official: The heated-workout propaganda finally worked on me, and I’m now a proud CorePower devotee. It’s great. I sweat a ton and feel so accomplished afterward. I’m improving my flexibility. I’m getting stronger. But I’m also maybe the smelliest I’ve ever been.
Sure, I could coat my underarms in a clinical-strength antiperspirant (and sometimes I do). But the biggest issue isn’t my underarms—it’s everywhere else. And for areas like my groin, behind my knees, and under my boobs, I’ll only use an aluminum-free deodorant to protect my skin (FYI, aluminum-filled deo isn’t actually FDA-approved for use anywhere on your body but your underarms). Lately, my go-to has been Dove’s Whole Body Deodorant. I love it so much, we just gave it a 2026 Cosmo Holy Grail Beauty Award.
Why it won a 2026 Holy Grail Beauty Award:
EfficacyThis keeps my skin smelling fresh for hours, even through lots of sweating.Ease of useI just spray and go—no white streaks on my clothes, no sticky residue, no wet gel.ScentThey are soft and fresh but don’t interfere with everything else I’ve spritzed and slathered on that’s scented either.
Growing up, I wasn’t ever super picky with deodorants. Everything kinda did the trick for me then. Somehow, I missed the whole smelly teenage years thing. But it came back with a vengeance in my 20s, it seems, and now I’m adamant about a formula that’ll keep me smelling good all day without the annoying characteristics of many deos on the market.
The Dove Whole Body Deo spray is truly just so easy. The first few times I tried it, I couldn’t believe it actually worked because it felt so good to apply. I just spritz it on my body: armpits, between my thighs, behind my knees, on my back, and across my chest. I can really go to town with it, and it doesn’t leave a sticky film on my skin or cover my clothes in a white powder that’s impossible to remove. It goes on completely clear. It also doesn’t irritate my skin—an unfortunate issue I have with a lot of natural deodorants.
How does it work if there’s no aluminum, you ask? Well, it doesn’t actually stop you from sweating (only aluminum can do that), but it does neutralize the odor that the bacteria on your skin produce when it mingles with sweat. The formula also has sweat-wicking ingredients that help absorb some moisture to make you feel more comfortable and reduce odor.
The fragrance also helps mask any bad smells. I am normally averse to the scents of all deodorants. They smell like a teenage gym class to me. But these are sophisticated. My pick is Coconut and Vanilla. I have one in my gym bag and one at my desk at the office, and I actually get excited to spray it on. It smells beachy and nostalgic but not like I just doused myself in banana-scented sunscreen. Lavender Bloom is my second pick—it’s a soft, calming floral that doesn’t interfere with my perfume too much.
Last weekend, I took a super-sweaty hot yoga class with a friend and then we went for matcha after (my dream date, cute!). I forgot to pack a change of clothes and was so nervous that I would smell (and look) like a freak doused in sweat leaving the studio. I applied my Dove Whole Body Deo before class and smelled surprisingly fresh when I walked out of the heated room. As we walked to matcha, I turned to my friend and asked if she thought I smelled bad. “No, not at all—and I would tell you,” she exclaimed. The highest praise.
So I stand by it. Dove’s Whole Body Deo spray is easy as heck to apply and seriously works. No, it won’t be my main source of sweat-protection amid 95-degree commutes to the office. But it will certainly help me avoid the dreaded B.O. that comes with it. And on areas of my body that I don’t want my sweat glands plugged up by aluminum, I’ll gladly take this lightweight spritz.
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Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with eight years of experience researching, writing, and editing stories on hair, makeup, and nails.
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Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you “have to try.” Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair ‘do every few months.