Article by BR Amelia
Whenever you're asked what beauty product you couldn't live without you probably think of your mascara. Moisturiser. Or maybe your hairspray. We so often overlook one of the most powerful weapons in our beauty arsenal.
Think about it - just how much of a Sweaty Betty would you be without your deodorant?! Be it a roll on, stick or spray, the humble deodorant does a lot for us. It stops us worrying we stink. It helps prevent pit stains. It deals with that strange area of our bodies - our armpits.
Hands up, who uses a deodorant daily? That's what we thought! But are you using the right one for you?
The Basics.
Deodorant - these essentialy just mask body odour.
Anti-perspirant - these prevent the body from sweating in the first place.
Fragrance - Fragrance is added to both deodorants and anti-persipirants to help mask body odour and leave you feeling fresh. Like most beauty products you can find fragrance free options if you don't want your deodorant competiting with your fragrance, or have sensitive skin.
The Urban Myth.
You might have heard that ingredients or parabens in some deodorant formulas cause cancer, particularly breast cancer. Just like the rumours of dangerous levels of lead in lipstick and of SLS being a carcinogen; the rumours about anti-perspirants have been debunked by scientists, Cancer Societies and regulatory bodies the world over.
The American Cancer Society states: “There are no strong epidemiologic studies in the medical literature that link breast cancer risk and antiperspirant use, and very little scientific evidence to support this claim.”
Deodorants by Format.
The key to finding the right deodorant format for you is to simply try different types and see which you like the best.
Roll On - These are a wet product with a ball on top to dispense product as you roll it onto your arm pit. You'll want to wait until your armpits are dry before you get dressed. These are great for travelling and compact enough to keep in your bag.
Stick - These are considered a dry deodorant and are essentially a powder deodorant bound together in solid form. They won't leave the skin wet after application, but they can be more difficult to wash off and are prone to staining
Gel - These look like a stick but gel is pushed up through little holes. Gels are great for those who don't want to wait to get dressed and they dry clear - so you don't have to worry about residue when wearing short sleeves.
Aerosol - These are a wet product, much like a roll on but offer a wider application range. They dry to a powdery finish and offer great protection. These are also good for families as the applicator never touches the skin, meaning they can be shared. You'll want to check airline regulations before packing an aerosol.
Body Sprays - Like an aerosol these are wet, but they will not offer anti-perspirant options, and some won't even off basic deodorants - instead they may just offer fragrance to mask body odour.
Crystal - These deodorants are great for those that want to embrace truly natural products or have very sensitive skin. They are made of natural mineral salts which help prevent body odour.
Powder - These are sprinkled or patted on to the skin. They don't need to dry, but can leave white marks.
Deodorants by Formula.
If you have a particular need when it comes to body odour or sweating then you'll want to look for a formula especially designed to combat your problem.
No marks - Seriously if there's anything worse than pit stains, it's deodorant marks. From white marks on black clothing to yellow crusty fabric on your white t shirts, deodrants that leave marks just won't cut it. The new Rexona Invisible Dry Range has an anti-yellow, anti-white and anti-sweat stain formula, meaning you can wear what you want and wave your arms proudly!
Stress - Sweating derived from stress is different from sweat brought on by high intensity levels and some deodorants have formulas to target this type of sweating.
High Performance - if you have a sweating problem then there are high perfomance deodorants that will help you with what can be a daily battle.
So come on - surely for all it does for us, the trusty deodorant is now worthy of a place on your can't live without them products list?!
What do you think of our guide to deodorants? Did you learn anything new? Are you using the right deodorant for your needs or is it time to go shopping?
Get chatting below!
I've used Dove Clinical Protection for years. It does the job but if I use it daily my body gets used to it so I find rotating my deoderants between different brands helps. I use a natural spray deoderant at night and another different brand during the days at home where it's not as bad if I sweat because I'm dressed in my workout clothes and I have my trusty antiperspirant I would never leave the house without it on. When it comes to deoderants I found it's best not to go all out natural.