I Tried Deodorant Layering to Smell Really Good

A few years ago, I started caring a lot about my scent. Growing up, my mom’s nose was extra sensitive, so I was never allowed to wear anything too heavily fragranced. That included hair products, lip products, and most definitely perfumes. I lived most of my life without really giving a sh*t about scents until suddenly, that changed.

These days, I layer perfumes like I’m paid to do it, and my favorite compliment to receive is someone asking me what fragrance I’m wearing. I use regular perfume, hair perfume, scented body oils, and body lotions. TBH, anything that will make me smell good gets an immediate “add to cart.”

To that end, I recently started doing something that has only added to my bomb-ass smell: deodorant layering.

A few years ago, I switched over to natural deodorants, and for the most part, things were great. I found a brand I really liked, and the products carried me through quite a few wild nights, including some late-night music festivals. However, I found that even though I smelled good, I never truly stopped sweating.

At the time, I was totally clueless when it came to armpit products, but after doing a little research, I learned deodorants get rid of underarm odor, while antiperspirants stop your pits from sweating. Most natural deodorants don’t include aluminum-based compounds, which is what makes many antiperspirants work, keeping sweat at bay. (For the record, I’m not here to argue the health benefits of one or the other; I’m just here to talk about my secret to smelling really, really good.)

I decided to switch back to antiperspirants, but I couldn’t find a product that had a scent I liked. Sure, baby powder and melon smell good in theory, but in general, nothing stood out. I wanted something juicy and delicious, and the only way I was going to get it was with one of my old tried and true natural deodorants. (Let’s face it: natural deodorants just smell better — there’s a reason why so many have gone viral.) Enter: deodorant layers.

How to Deodorant Layer

So, how do you deodorant layer, you ask? Well, the entire concept is pretty simple. I start out with an antiperspirant, like the Dove Dry Spray Invisible ($7). After the formula dries, I go in with a deodorant, like the Nez Workout Sesh ($20 for 3). (I always keep an extra travel-sized Nez on me for easy re-application on the go, too.) The first layer keeps me from sweating, and the second layer makes me smell delicious.

On the occasions when I don’t foresee myself sweating a lot, or if I’m planning on wearing a tank top, I’m fine sticking with a natural deodorant like Nez. The brand’s formula includes zinc and bamboo, which helps absorb sweat, so it’s perfect for those lighter-lift moments. However, if I’m going out on a date or planning on hitting the bars with my girlfriends, I deodorant layer, just to be safe — and to ensure I’m the best-smelling person in the room.

Yes, this does add a few extra minutes to my getting-ready routine and it does include purchasing multiple products, but if I can purchase a sh*t load of products for my face, body, and hair, I can do the same thing for my armpits.