The Year of Sweat: 2024 Was All About Embracing the Power of Perspiration

Charli XCX and Troye Sivan’s Sweat tour, in support of their albums Brat and Something to Give Each Other, was more than just a high-octane event; it ignited a cultural movement. One that inspired us to embrace a grittier, less varnished, more brat version of ourselves. It proved that the word sweat holds powerful resonance. When you’re glistening in perspiration, your blood is pumping, you’re living in the moment, you’re cleansing your mind and body.

“With the Sweat tour, sweating became more than just physical; it was about authenticity and embracing the many sides of ourselves,” says Keta Burke-Williams, founder of perfume brand Ourside. “From the serious ballads to the hot, sweaty dance tracks, it reminded us that we can be it all—bookish and basic, cerebral and cutesy. We don’t have to fit into one box; we get to define ourselves. It’s shown us the joy in letting go of inhibitions, sweating, dancing, and embracing what makes us unique.”

And, of course, honorable mention must go to Tyla, whose sultry track “Water” surged to number one on Billboard's Hot R&B Songs in April with the chorus hook. “Make me sweat, make me hotter. Make me lose my breath, make me water.” As a beauty editor, this raw and refreshing attitude towards perspiration got me thinking about the other trends that have emerged this year that encourage us to reject stigma and embrace the totally healthy bodily function; that have made sweat chic.

“Listen, sweat is normal, it’s natural, and sometimes it’s sexy AF,” says Ed Currie, who, alongside co-founder Andy Coxon, launched British deodorant brand AKT London, inspired by the pair’s experience as West End performers. “Let us remind ourselves why we sweat: It’s our body’s natural response to help cool us down.” Hume co-founder and chemist Melissa Christenson wants to drive the same point home. “The eccrine glands in our skin are responsible for producing the sweat that allows our bodies to regulate temperature,” she explains. “Physical activity-induced sweating can produce hormones, including endorphins, that can [lead to] a feeling of exhilaration and happiness.”

Still, for decades, there has been an overwhelming pressure to keep our appearances bone dry and totally mattified. “Years of marketing by big conglomerates have convinced us sweating is embarrassing and something to be ashamed of,” says Currie. At long last, there has been a sea change. It’s finally culturally acceptable to speak about things previously considered taboo, especially on social platforms like TikTok and Instagram. “The radical candor that the community now speaks out about, things like body odor, hygiene routines, and intimate tips and tricks, has been freeing, unifying, and has become a place to feel seen and get solutions,” she explains. “These conversations have opened up a new dialogue that should have been started a long time ago, and the market is finally catching up by creating the products that people have been looking for but didn’t know what to ask for.”

For brand founders in the body care and fine fragrance spaces especially, it’s been a thrilling shift. “I love how sweat isn’t something to hide anymore—it’s a symbol of authenticity, energy, and confidence,” says Chriselle Lim, the founder and creative director of Phlur. “It’s about feeling empowered to be unapologetically yourself, whether you’re on stage, in the gym, or just living life.”

From innovative, luxury deodorants to the meteoric rise of skin scents, learn more about the new wave of categories that revolutionized 2024 as The Year of Sweat—and are continuing to set the tone for the year to come.

The Ultra-Luxe Upgrade

While designer deodorants aren’t a new concept (popular fine fragrances have been available in deodorant form for years), recently, there has been a dramatic surge in luxury scents crafted specifically for deodorants.

“When we created AKT, not only did we want to make the best deodorant on the market ever, but we wanted them to smell like fine perfumes,” says Currie. “I hated how everything in the market had very ‘adolescent’ fragrances.” Before launching their innovative natural balms in 2020, Currie and Coxon spent three years researching, developing, formulating, and collaborating with leading experts in fragrance and cosmetic science. Today, they offer an array of scents across deodorant and body wash, including best-selling Sc. 02, an invigorating combination of cedar, eucalyptus, and orange designed to evoke a walk through the woods after a thunderstorm, and Sc. 05, a soothing medley of amber, violet, and tonka that gives you that early Sunday morning bliss. Their offerings come in sleek, eco-friendly tubes, too. “We wanted to create elevated, luxurious deodorants in sustainable packaging, which people would be proud to show off in the gym locker room or in their bathroom,” says Currie.

In terms of traditional stick deodorant, brands like Hume and Salt & Stone each offer a collection of elevated scents that cater to every fragrance profile, from crisp citrus to warm and smoky. “Sweating is a natural and essential part of who we are, and embracing this allows us to design fragrances and deodorants that work in harmony with the body rather than against it,” says Lim, who just unveiled Phlur’s Vanilla Skin deodorant featuring their viral scent. “The key is creating products that let your skin breathe, keep you fresh, and enhance your natural scent.”

The Whole-Body Treatment

“We don’t just sweat from our underarms,” proclaims Currie. “Boobs, feet, foreheads, upper lip, perineum—we sweat from everywhere!” This is why, when Currie and Coxon set out to create AKT’s debut deodorant, it had to be a formula that could be used from the pits down. At the end of last year, Hume launched their All Body Deodorant balm with a special focus on skin health, packing the formula with prebiotic ingredients, including colloidal oatmeal and antioxidant-rich, skin barrier–supporting marine extracts. Their motto? If you sweat there, you can use it there. “Whole body deodorants help people feel confident in their skin by adding a little extra odor protection with skin benefits, creating an environment where you can feel confident about the way you smell,” says Hume’s Christenson. And it’s not just younger indie brands shaping the category; now, industry titans like Dove have gotten in on the action with a collection of body deodorant sprays, sticks, and creams that, according to its website, “keep you feeling fresh from your pits and thighs to your toes.”

Today, there is a plethora of mainstream whole-body deodorant offerings, and the category is primed to continue booming in 2025. “These new forms make it easier to apply deodorant to different parts of your body and also normalize the fact that we all have odor in places other than our armpits,” says Christenson. She also emphasizes that many whole-body deodorants, like Hume’s, are also anti-chafing. “Most effective are waterless formulations that are sweat-resistant and long-lasting, with high powder content to absorb moisture and deliver a silky, velvety feel on the skin. It’s very effective in preventing irritation caused by friction.” It’s all about supplying comfort—in more ways than one.

The Skin Scent Awakening

In the fragrance realm, the fervor around skin scents, which work in harmony with your unique body chemistry, has only grown. “Skin scents are fragrances that are designed to feel intimate and personal, almost like a second skin,” explains Lim, namechecking Phlur’s Missing Person, a skin musk–powered juice laced with jasmine, orange blossom, and light woods meant to conjure the lingering scent of your lover, and Soft Spot, a sultry “skin-on-skin”-inspired blend of soft citrus, watery florals, glowing amber, and velvety musk, as perfect examples. They offer that cozy, intimate feeling and smell different on everyone. “They’re subtle, warm, and not overpowering, with notes that blend seamlessly with your natural body chemistry.” According to Burke-Williams, skin scents like Ourside’s Moon Dust, a fresh citrus and woody scent blending grapefruit, jasmine, peppermint, palo santo, and vetiver, have struck a chord with consumers because they’re inherently more authentic and individual. “In a world that can feel overly curated, these scents embrace the natural and ‘imperfect,’” she says. “They’re all about revealing who we are, not covering it up.”

So, when it comes to skin scents, how is sweat specifically factored? “Sweat is natural, and it changes how a fragrance smells on our skin,” explains Burke-Williams. “Perfumers know this and consider it when creating scents, often using base notes with good longevity to keep the scent balanced and grounded, even as it mixes with sweat and body heat.” Sweat and heat can also make a fragrance project more. “Think about how your scent feels stronger in the summer or when you’re running to catch the train,” she says.

The beauty of skin scents is that they feel like they’re a part of you and shift how you show up in the world, emphasizes Lim. “It’s about feeling comfortable and confident in your own skin,” she muses. “They remind us that we don’t need to mask or fight against our bodies, but rather celebrate them in all their raw beauty and uniqueness.”

In this spirit, Burke-Williams believes skin scents are, by all means, brat. “Just like the Sweat tour took messy, hot dance music out of basements and brought it to the main stage, skin scents encourage us to embrace every side of ourselves,” says Burke-Williams. “We’ve learned to embrace the duality of life: vulnerability and boldness, intimacy and chaos. Skin scents are the perfect fragrance for this moment, allowing us to show up fully, unapologetically, and authentically.”

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