Deodorant Market Trends

Growth Drivers

• Rising personal care expenditure: Nowadays, consumers are spending more on personal care products, strengthening the deodorant demand across various regions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released in September 2025 depicts that the personal care expenditure increased by 9.7% in 2023. This data reflects the sustained purchasing power that benefits the deodorant consumption directly. Moreover, companies are actively expanding their footprint in the emerging economies, which further supports the category expansion. The trend is further reinforced in emerging deodorant markets, where rising middle-class income increases affordability. The spending patterns data, which is reported by the government, indicates a stable demand even during inflation cycles. This further highlights the evolution from a discretionary item to a daily-use which is essential in modern grooming routines.
• Growth of health and personal care retail: The demand for deodorant is shaped by the expanded availability across the retail formats. The U.S. Census data in September 2025 depicts that the total retail sales, which include personal care products, increased by 4.8% indicating a strong consumer purchasing behavior that supports the higher sales via supermarkets, convenience stores, and online retail channels. Growth in organized retail in India and Southeast Asia is driven by national infrastructure programs and has increased shelf space for personal care products. These expansions in retail support manufacturers with huge sales pipelines in the metropolitan and rural markets. This expanded distribution network is crucial for driving impulse purchases and ensuring brand visibility in a highly competitive deodorant market.
• Climate conditions and heat exposure trends: Rising temperature and heatwave occurrences influence deodorant usage frequency. The U.S. NOAA reported that 2023 was the warmest year, with the temperature affecting the regions across Asia, North America, and Europe. Mostly, warmer climates increase the perspiration levels, driving the consumption of deodorants and antiperspirants. Further, the government climate trend data helps manufacturers forecast on-demand spikes in heat-exposed regions such as Australia, India, Brazil, and Southeast Asia. The urban heat island effects documented by national meteorological departments correlate with higher deodorant usage, creating seasonal sales opportunities.

Challenges

• Consumer shift toward natural or organic formulations: The rising demand for natural deodorants has been redefined by the deodorant market, but sourcing of certified organic ingredients is costly, and audits are robust. The Organic Trade Association data in May 2024 reported that the organic products grew to USD 70 billion, which includes the organic ingredients in deodorants. Brands such as Schmidt’s had to reformulate after consumer complaints about irritation from baking soda-based products. The new entrants also face skepticism based on the efficacy of natural deodorants versus aluminum-based antiperspirants. Meeting the stability, safety, and long-lasting performance expectations while staying natural remains a difficult challenge.
• Marketing, branding and customer acquisition costs: The deodorant category requires heavy advertising to build trust and brand recall. The expenditure on advertising a new deodorant brand under the personal care brands has increased the digital ad spending. New brands such as Hume Supernatural and Corpus invest hugely in influencer and social media marketing, with costs rising across platforms. Consumers are loyal to long-standing brands, increasing the difficulty of convincing them to switch. For new entrants, balancing customer acquisition costs with profitability is a major barrier.