Consumers are snapping up whole body deodorants for everything from their pits to their privates—but does this new segment have legs? Do sales of these new forms of deodorants steal from existing forms or deliver incremental sales?
Retailers ponder these questions as they decide what to add to planograms in the already crowded $5.3 billion deodorant category, as tracked by Circana.
Lume Whole Body deodorant jolted the sleepy category when it was created in 2017 by Shannon Klingman, a board-certified gynecologist and obstetrician. While Lume provided the fuel, whole body options aren’t the only news in the once mundane antiperspirant/deodorant category.
“There is a lot going on in the deodorant category to propel its growth. Premiumization, along with minimalist trends, have been drivers, as consumers expect deodorant ingredient formulations to deliver additional benefits for the skin beyond sweat and odor control,” says Elise Morgan, Category and Shopper Insights at The Emerson Group.
“The rise in ‘natural’ brands that do not contain chemicals [e.g., aluminum] can be more sustainable and often deliver on other benefits such as vegan have contributed. Then, add whole body formats, which has become the hot trend of late and a rare disruption in a category like deodorant that seems to be filling a legitimate need,” she adds.
That’s translated into gains. Deodorant is in a unique place right now, experts say, relative to other personal care categories, showing growth in both dollars (+9.2%) and growth in units (+0.4%), according to Circana for the 52 weeks ended September 8, 2024.
Lume’s Roots
Like many indie brands, Lume was formulated to fill a gap its founder saw in the market. In her residency with a focus on gynecology, Klingman noticed too many women were haphazardly prescribed antibiotics for feminine odors. Through her research, she developed a formula that was safe for private parts and became the springboard for her whole body: Lume Deodorants. Clinicals proved her combination of ingredients controlled odors for 72 hours for any body part.
Lume was overlooked by Shark Tank and investors—and even ignored by major brands when Klingman sought to build the brand to help people rather than just financial gains.
She turned to direct-to-consumer distribution and gained traction from favorable social media reviews. Klingman said that “one single piece” of user-generated content helped hit the first $1 million mark. Linking up with the Harmon Brothers, who created an edgy campaign to promote Lume, helped take the brand into the stratosphere.
Lume caught the interest of Harry’s Inc., which acquired the brand in 2021. Klingman remains the CEO and the voice of the brand.
Since its launch in 2017, Lume has emerged as a top 10 deodorant brand in multiunits, according to Circana. "It is still showing incredible growth despite powerful competitive entrants," says Emerson's Morgan.
The brand now includes a full array of body odor solutions spanning solids, creams, body washes, sprays, wipes, laundry, and soaps ranging from $16 to $65. Reacting to demand for a men's version, Klingman rolled out Mando in 2023. According to one retailer, Mando is growing, but at a slower pace than Lume.
Target went all in on Lume. The retailer was the first to stock it and spotlighted the products during the launch on floor stands. The success of whole body products unleased a bevy of launches, even from megabrands that turned down Klingman's offer to share her formula. The proven track record emboldened Target to add brand extensions from Unilever's SheaMoisture and Dove, as well as Procter & Gamble's Old Spice and Secret.
Adding Lume to its assortment exemplifies Walmart's quest to be at the forefront of emerging trends. “We’ve had some of our biggest launches last year with brands like Lume,” said Jerrit Davis, Walmart’s Vice President of Merchandising and Personal Care. What Lume accomplishes, he adds, is that it solves a customer problem—one of the factors he looks for when bringing in new items.
Retailers edited duplicate SKUs and slow movers to find footage to slice in the new items on shelves. The efforts paid off—so far whole body products deliver incremental dollars rather than cannibalizing from traditional products.
“We’ve seen increased consumer interest in whole body deodorants as the category has grown, with many consumers purchasing whole body deodorants as an add-on to their usual underarm deodorant selection,” said Michelle LeBlanc, Vice President of Merchandising for Beauty, Personal Care, and Hispanic Center of Excellence, CVS Health.
“We’re always working to ensure we have the right assortment to meet consumer needs, and so with this category, we’ve met the increasing demand by bringing in several offerings, including launching Lume this year in stores and online, as well as new products from Secret, Native, Dove, Old Spice, and Ban,” she says.
A Budding Probiotic Entry Supporting the Microbiome
The natural deodorant and allover body concept come together in Hume Supernatural. Despite its similar name, the brand was in the works about the same time with unknowingly similar Lume moniker. The founders didn’t start out to create a whole body product, but discovered its plant-based formula was safe for all areas.
“We weren’t following a trend; we were working on a better natural solution,” says Melissa Christenson, the developer of Hume’s formula.
When researching its brand name, Hume's founders saw Lume's name pop up in searches. “But we knew nothing about it,” she recalls.
Hume has a powerhouse team behind it. With Adam Francis, who founded Sun Bum, and the company's current CEO, Jeremy Horowitz, Christenson developed Hume. This prebiotic and plant-based deodorant nourishes the skin barrier and neutralizes odors anywhere on the body. The timing was perfect as the whole body trend was gathering steam. After success online, Hume expanded to natural grocery stores and has since been added to the mix at traditional food stores, with big box distribtuion in its crosshairs.
The Impact on Shelf Space
The success of Lume, Dove, Secret, and small brands like Hume, has resulted in a spike in demand for overall full body products. Regarding “stickiness,” Morgan says the category is at a “tipping point” where big payers have entered and nabbed shelf space from traditional underarm deodorants.
Even without Lume in the mix, whole body brands are catching on. One large drug retailer who does not stock Lume or Mando but does carry Old Spice, Secret, and Native whole body items, reports that 75% of sales from the brands have been incremental to the AP/Deo category.
A BeautyMatter informal poll of consumers asking whether they use whole body products elicited mixed results. “I use Secret deodorant under my arms. I don’t see a need to use anywhere else,” says one woman. Another adds the full body “weirds me out.” Several say they use traditional products all over their body. But a handful say Lume was life-changing for them and/or their family.
Pranav Chandan, US Head of Deodorants at Unilever, acknowledges that some view the items as unnecessary, but Dove research found that 15% of Americans were seeking a full-body solution. “The conversation around body odor for men was often limited to the underarm,” he said. “Men want solutions for other areas. It is time for a product men can use anywhere—from privates to feet to pits,” Chandan says.
Procter & Gamble polled 4,000 consumers about body odor and found that 50% to 60% were concerned about groin odor, up to 30% were worried about chest or under-breast sweat, and 30% to 50% mentioned concern over smelly feet.
Millennials, according to research from Mintel, are the biggest users of whole body products (25%). That’s followed by Gen Z (22%), followed by Gen X (18%), with boomers slower to join the trend (6%).
Still a Runway for Growth
While it is challenging for Lume to command the huge gains it accrued in its debut at retail, household penetration for whole body deodorants is slow, according to Rita Finley, Category Management Insights at The Emerson Group. Citing the Mintel survey of consumers, Finley says 17% say they used “whole body deodorant” versus 88% who use any deodorants. “Whole body has more room to grow as consumers adopt it,” she says. “Education on the benefits and use cases of whole body deodorant would help.”
Merchandising Dilemmas
The speed of new entries poses obstacles for retailers trying to squeeze in whole body items. Some are testing block formations with all whole body in one area while others merchandise by family of brand—whole body next to the underarm item.
CVS highlights its selection with signage that says “Now at CVS. Feel confident with whole body deodorant.” The array of products is merchandised in one area rather than by corresponding underarm choices from the brands. According to LeBlanc, the concept “makes it easier for consumers to find and select the product that’s right for them.”
Emerson’s Finley adds, “The products blur the lines between AP/Deo and bodycare, but the majority (91%) of sales are AP/Deo; the remainder are moist towelettes and body wash. It would make sense to brand block these items primarily in AP/Deo as awareness and adoption grow,” suggests Finley.
No matter how merchandised, the success of whole body deodorants is viewed as a bright spot in personal care. “It gives me hope more categories can have similar disruption and produce incremental sales gains” says one retailer.
What’s Next?
Natural formulas and whole body entries have disrupted the category. Trends to watch include glycolic acid launches and deodorant stones.
Interest in glycolic acids is fueled by the skinification of almost every personal care category. It is an ingredient trending on searches, according to Spate, which reported a 113.6% growth over last year. It is also gaining steam on TikTok.
Deodorant stones, often made from mineral salts, work by creating a layer on the skin that neutralizes odor-causing bacteria without blocking sweat glands. Several industry experts expect the form to catch consumer interest in 2025.
