Antiperspirants VS Deodorants: How To Choose The Best Anti-Body Odor Product for You
For a small part of the body that’s kept mostly hidden, our underarms tend to cause a lot of worry. For most people, it’s one of the main areas of concern when it comes to grooming and maintaining good hygiene.
For that reason, deodorants have become one of the most universally in-demand personal care products. Due to its necessity, the market has responded by producing an immense variety of this daily commodity. But for a product that’s so varied, people tend to view all deodorants as one and the same. Some people even refer to it interchangeably as antiperspirants. But there’s a huge difference between the two.
What’s The Difference?
While used in the same way, deodorants and antiperspirants are formulated differently to produce different effects. Judging by their names, deodorants are intended to control odor while antiperspirants inhibit sweat.
Before deodorants, people resorted to drenching themselves with perfume to deal with body odor. And when excessive sweating became a problem, they would use sweat pads to keep sweat from seeping through their clothes. It wasn’t until the late 1800s when deodorants were invented. Antiperspirants came in a little bit later, during the early 1900s.
Antiperspirants
Underarms are among the few parts of the body that house a higher concentration of sweat glands. But sweat alone isn’t responsible for developing bad odor. Odor is caused by bacteria that mix with sweat. As you know, bacteria thrive in moist conditions, making sweaty armpits a haven for them.
To prevent sweating, aluminum is typically used as an active ingredient for antiperspirants as it works as a temporary plug, blocking sweat glands, which keeps sweat from coming out of the skin’s surface.
Antiperspirants are classified as a form of drug by the FDA because they prevent a natural biological function—sweating. People who suffer from a severe case of sweating may be prescribed with a clinically strong antiperspirant.
Deodorants
The unpleasant odor is caused when bacteria mix with sweat. Deodorants are formulated to prevent that from happening by killing off bacteria. There are some manufacturers that add additional scents to add a hint of freshness. But most of the time, it’s unnecessary. Deodorants can be scentless.
Daily Use
Nowadays, antiperspirants and deodorants come in many forms: stick, spray, or roll-on. Sometimes, manufacturers may even combine the effects of both and come up with an antiperspirant-deodorant hybrid. While they are all intended to prevent sweat and bad odor, these different types of applicators bring different effects.
- Products that come in stick form may either come in solid or gel form. They are the easiest to apply as they dry off easily.
- Sprays also dry up easily. However, the earliest spray-on antiperspirants and deos were known to be bad for the environment. While some companies try to produce more eco-friendly options, most environmentally conscious users prefer to steer clear from these types.
- With roll-ons, the product comes in liquid form applied through a rolling ball applicator. As it’s a liquid, you’ll need to wait for the product to dry before putting a shirt on.
Whatever type of formulation you use, it’s important that you are aware of the side effects each type may bring. When formulated using the wrong ingredients, this simple everyday product can cause several harmful effects.
To start off, a majority of antiperspirants and deodorants may leave a stain or white residue on your clothes. While this won’t cause any adverse effect to your health, seeing stains on your clothes is a bit annoying. There are, of course, several ways to remove those stains, but it would be better to choose a product that won’t cause any.
Some products, especially ones that are strong and formulated with a lot of synthetic ingredients, can cause dark underarms. This effect varies on the wearer’s skin sensitivity. If you happen to be one of those people, it’s better for you to choose a product that is made with more natural ingredients as they are less likely to cause irritation.
If you’re concerned about keeping your underarms fresh and odor-free the entire day, then it’s better if you stick to an all-natural product such as the TreeActiv Magnesium Tea Tree Deodorant.
Low levels of magnesium has often been associated with body odor. TreeActiv combats that by infusing this product with the highly beneficial mineral. It also keeps bad odor at bay with the presence of the natural antifungal, antibacterial, and antimicrobial Tea Tree Water. It’s made with gentle ingredients so it’s great for people with sensitive skin too!
References:
https://www.sweatblock.com/blog/deodorant-vs-antiperspirant/
https://greatist.com/health/are-antiperspirants-bad-me#1
https://www.healthyoptions.com.ph/blog/deodorant-vs-antiperspirant-whats-difference