8 Celebrities Who Skip Deodorant For All-Natural Pits

Commercial deodorant has been available in the U.S. since the late 1880s and quickly became part of folks' everyday hygiene routines. However, some folks — including more than a handful of celebrities — are saying "goodbye" to deodorants and antiperspirants and "hello" to all-natural pits. But what's behind this somewhat controversial phenomenon? Turns out, there's no single answer. 

Some people are wary of certain ingredients in popular deodorant brands, which are said to potentially increase a person's risk of developing cancer. Others cite skin irritation and allergic reactions to deodorants they've tried. Plus, a few lucky folks don't produce body odors because they carry the ABCC11 gene. Speaking with Yahoo! Life, dermatologist Hannah Kopelman explained, "This gene variation means that certain populations are less prone to body odor because their sweat contains fewer proteins that bacteria can break down into smelly compounds." Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's due to these reasons that many A-listers have ditched deodorant sticks, sprays, powders, roll-ons, and creams in favor of their natural body odor.

After being named Sexiest Man Alive by People in 2005, Matthew McConaughey reportedly told the magazine that he hadn't used deodorant for 20 years (via Entertainment Tonight). That was more than two decades ago, so you do the math. Despite this, McConaughey supposedly has a nice natural smell, according to some people, including his mother. Co-star Yvette Nicole Brown even put McConaughey through the smell test while they filmed together. In a 2021 appearance on "The Jess Cagle Show," Brown said that McConaughey "smells like granola and good living."

When Kate Hudson worked with Matthew McConaughey, she allegedly begged him to wear deodorant. That rumor originated from McConaughey himself; during a 2008 Playboy interview, he said, "She always brings a salt rock, which is some natural deodorant," alluding to her wanting him to use it. Years later, in a 2024 episode of "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen," Hudson denied forcing McConaughey — and outed herself as a fellow deodorant non-user. "We're au naturels," she quipped.

In 2021, after learning about Matthew McConaughey's staunch anti-deodorant stance, singer Lizzo took to social media to share her thoughts, which were in clear alignment with his. "Ok... I'm w him on this one. I stopped using deodorant and I smell BETTER," she wrote in a now-unavailable Instagram story (via Page Six). At least one fan doubted this big reveal, while another encouraged her to "find a happy medium" in the form of a natural deodorant alternative to keep body odor away, according to Us Magazine.

In 2006, New York Magazine reported that fashion icon Tom Ford made a startling admission at his newest fragrance's launch party: "I don't wear deodorant." He then doubled down on his surprising statement by saying, "I actually love the way that human beings smell." Ford added that he also liked how his dog's ears smell, and that he isn't fond of the scent of soap. Admittedly, regardless of how you feel about his beliefs, he certainly picked an interesting time to share them.

Leave it to super-interviewer Oprah Winfrey to wrangle a hygiene secret out of a superstar. On the 2008 Earth Day episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Julia Roberts confessed to a no-go attitude toward deodorant, likely in line with her pursuit of a more authentic lifestyle. "I don't actually use deodorant. I don't like to share that with a lot of people. It's just never been my thing," the "Pretty Woman" star said. Of course, Roberts is no stranger to being unapologetically herself. In 1999, she attended a red carpet event in a short-sleeved dress with unshaved armpits, a move that launched a global hygiene debate. 

During a 2012 interview with Esquire, Bradley Cooper shared that he isn't a fan of deodorant, supposedly due to his belief that the body has ways of keeping itself clean. Instead, he takes multiple showers daily — up to thrice a day, by his own count — to keep any unpleasant body odor away. As he's washing away the bacteria that can cause putrid-smelling pits, he just has to make sure he's not showering too much to avoid irritating his skin.

"I don't use deodorant," comedian Mark Maron told Us Weekly in 2015, revealing that he uses patchouli instead. In a 2023 episode of his podcast "WTF with Marc Maron," Maron told fellow comedian Dan Soder that he finds antiperspirants to be generally ineffective. Additionally, due to Maron's increased sensitivity to smells, he isn't much of a fan of any other scents aside from patchouli, as many of them feel artificial to him. With that said, perhaps he would prefer unscented over scented deodorant?

When asked about her views on antiperspirant by E! News in 2014, Cameron Diaz was blunt. "It's really bad for you," the actor asserted. "I haven't used it for almost 20 years." Diaz continued by saying that antiperspirant traps all the unpleasant smells in your body, making it the actual cause of bad body odor. Her advice? "Let it go and just trim your armpit hair so it doesn't hold onto the scent," she said, adding that this strategy works for both men and women.