A Guide to the Best Anti-Sweat Deodorants
Producing fragrant oils and perfumes can be traced back to the very beginning of civilization. Even much later, in Renaissance Europe and afterward, it wasn’t very common to bathe regularly with soap and water, so people sought to mask body odors using perfumes instead. Even nowadays, when people bathe or shower daily, it’s still a challenge to keep smelling nice–especially during the summer months. People commonly think that body odor comes from perspiration. That’s partly true. But the real culprit is bacteria that feed off perspiration and produce the body odor that we associate with sweat. A deodorant that also helps to reduce perspiration can succeed in nipping body odor in the bud!
We’ll see that there are anti-sweat deodorants that contain ingredients that will reduce the amount of sweat that your body produces. Some provide protection for 12, 24, or 48 hours. And they come in a wide variety of fragrances as well. There are products that you’re only supposed to apply to your underarms, while there are others that can be applied to your entire body, to prevent chafing and irritation due to sweating. These anti-sweat deodorants will get you through the summer in comfort while smelling great!
FAQ
How does antiperspirant work?
Most antiperspirants contain an aluminum salt. Perspiration dissolves the particles of the antiperspirant. The antiperspirant then sinks into the pores and blocks the pores on the outer layer of the skin, so that it’s more difficult for sweat to be released. The sweat gland stops producing sweat when it senses that the pore is clogged. This reduces the amount of sweat that reaches the surface. If a person suffers from hyperhidrosis (=excessive sweating), an antiperspirant is the first thing they should try.
What are the active ingredients in anti-sweat deodorants?
Most of them contain a metallic salt, such as aluminum zirconium or trichlorohydrex, or aluminum chloride hexahydrate. There will be three levels of strengths to these antiperspirants:
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Over-the-counter products, which are relatively mild. You would start out with these, to see if they’re sufficiently strong.
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Clinical strength products, which are still OTC, but have the highest concentration of the active ingredient without requiring a prescription.
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Prescription products, which have the highest concentration of their active ingredients, and offer the most protection. But using it too much can cause skin irritation. Be sure to follow the dermatologist’s instructions to avoid skin irritation.
What do deodorants do?
Perspiration itself is odorless, but your skin can harbor bacteria that feed on fat and proteins in sweat. There are deodorants that control bacteria growth to stop the smell that they produce. So an antiperspirant fights against sweat, while deodorants fight against odor-producing bacteria.
How do some antiperspirants cause staining?
We mentioned that anti-sweat products use metallic salts. Sometimes these salts can leave white marks on dark clothing, or yellow marks on white clothing. Many anti-sweat products will advertise that they won’t stain your clothing.
Types of Anti Sweat Deodorants
Looking at the Best Reviews Guide list of the most popular anti-sweat deodorants, we see that they come in a variety of forms:
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Aerosol spray: You can find anti-sweat deodorants that come in a mist form that dries quickly on the skin. An example is the Degree Ultraclear Men’s Antiperspirant Spray. It has a special formula with aluminum chlorohydrate as the active ingredient, that won’t stain white or black fabrics.
Degree Ultraclear Men’s Antiperspirant Spray
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Roll-on stick: There are roll-on antiperspirant deodorants in stick form. An example is the Axe Antiperspirant Stick. It provides 48 hours of odor protection and uses aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly as the active ingredient to prevent sweating. It also functions as a deodorant, with the fragrance of pear and cedarwood.
Axe Antiperspirant Stick
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Roll-on liquid: There are also liquid antiperspirants that come in liquid form such as ZeroSweat Antiperspirant Deodorant. It is considered a “clinical strength” treatment because it contains a formula that can keep your sweat glands from producing sweat for as long as 7 days! The active ingredient is 15% Aluminum Chloride.
ZeroSweat Antiperspirant Deodorant
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Cream: There are also antiperspirants that come in cream form, such as Anthony No Sweat Body Defense Deodorant for Men. It contains tapioca starch, aloe vera for a soothing effect, macadamia nut oil to glide on smoothly, and glycerin to condition your skin. When the water in the lotion evaporates, it remains on your skin in a powder form, thanks to the tapioca starch. Unlike other antiperspirants, which you can only apply to your underarms, you can use the Anthony No Sweat Body Defense lotion on practically any part of your body where you feel sweaty!
Anthony No Sweat Body Defense Deodorant for Men
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Powder: The Fresh Body No Sweat Bundle includes two products: It has Fresh Balls Lotion and Anti-Monkey Butt Powder. The lotion acts very much like the Anthony No Sweat Body Defense Deodorant for Men with tapioca powder, that dries into a sweat-preventing powder. But there’s also the Anti-Monkey Butt Powder, which prevents excessive sweating and chafing. The powder contains baking soda to absorb odors, and powdered calamine to soothe your skin.
Fresh Body No Sweat Bundle, including Fresh Balls lotion and Anti-Monkey Butt Powder
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Gel: A gel has a greater liquid content than lotion or cream. The Duradry AM Deodorant and Antiperspirant is a prescription-strength gel to prevent sweating. It has the active ingredient aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly in a 20% concentration. It’s available in four different fragrances.
Duradry AM Deodorant and Antiperspirant
What reviewers say
Here are some customers’ impressions about the anti-sweat deodorant that they bought:
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No more embarrassing wet spots: Another embarrassing aspect of sweating heavily is suffering from wet spots on your clothing in the area of your armpits. One woman who is very active used ZeroSweat Antiperspirant Deodorant. She was pleasantly surprised when she checked herself and didn’t see any wet spots on her blouse!
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Follow the directions: One drawback about some of these anti-sweat deodorants is that they can be very strong, sometimes strong enough to require a doctor’s prescription. One person who used ZeroSweat Antiperspirant Deodorant suffered a breakout in his armpits and had to seek medical attention. The manufacturers of ZeroSweat say only to apply it at night before going to bed. Even if you apply it according to the directions, you should stop immediately if you experience any sort of irritation. Also, you should never apply these toiletries on broken skin!
Important Features
Here are some features to look for when choosing an anti-sweat deodorant:
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When to apply antiperspirant: Some products work best when applied after your evening shower, just before going to bed. Other products should also be applied in the morning. The manufacturers say that you should only apply antiperspirant to completely dry skin, and get dressed before the antiperspirant has time to dry completely.
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Clear roll-on stick: There are products, like Axe Antiperspirant Stick, that come in a white or blue roll-on stick, but they go onto your skin in a transparent film. That reduces the possibility of them staining your clothes.
Final Verdict
We went through some of the anti-sweat deodorants in the Best Reviews Guide list. You can find them in aerosol, stick, roll-on liquid, gel, and powder. You may want to get two products, where you apply one at night or in the morning, and another that you take with you during the day, to freshen up. They can help keep you comfortable through the hot summer months!
