Why Your Deodorant Is About To Get Way More Expensive

What stinks? Finding out that you didn't stock up on your favorite imported deodorants before the Trump administration expanded its 50% tariff increases to encompass goods that contain "derivative" steel or aluminum (via the Federal Register), including deodorant and antiperspirants. (For the record, the United States imports a lot of deodorant and antiperspirant products: $334 million worth in 2023, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity.) The tariff expansion went into effect on August 18, 2025.

This is the second issue with deodorants during the summer of 2025 that could hurt your wallet. The first occurred in July, when the FDA issued the largest recall of deodorant in recent US history. Only Power Stick brand varieties were involved, but the recall included more than 67,000 products (Newsweek). Ironically, Power Stick was sold at Dollar Tree and on Amazon, two retailers known for lower prices. Therefore, if you were a Power Stick fan because it saved you money, you might have had to increase your spending to get a comparable replacement after the recall.

With these developments, it might seem inevitable that you're going to have to shell out more to smell less. However, there's a silver lining: Some brands and retailers may have a large stock of imported deodorant that's already in the United States. This means they might not need to increase their prices quite yet because their warehouses aren't empty yet, allowing you to pick up some bargains before the surplus disappears.

Alternatively, you could switch to a non-aluminum or a domestic brand of deodorant or antiperspirant that's not affected by the tariff. In fact, moving toward a non-aluminum antiperspirant may be on your radar anyway if you've heard the rumor that regularly applying aluminum to the armpits will increase your risk of breast cancer or other conditions. However, you needn't switch to non-aluminum for that reason: The American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute say there's no evidence to support any health problems related to using aluminum in your roll-on, spray, or stick. But if you want to avoid imported aluminum-based products because of the sticker shock, there are different natural ways to stop body odor without deodorant.

(Are deodorants and antiperspirants bad for your health? Read this.)