This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Learn More. If you suffer from body odor and/or excessive sweating then you definitely need to be using a product to solve this issue. But which product is best for you? And what’s the difference between a deodorants vs antiperspirants? Are they the same? Do they work differently?
Hopefully, this article will answer all these questions and help you decide which is best for you.
Deodorants vs Antiperspirants
What’s the difference between deodorants and antiperspirants?
Simply put, deodorants are designed to target body odour and the bacteria that causes body odour while antiperspirants work by ‘inactivating’ your sweat glands so you sweat less.
Typically, you will find that products sold in most drugstores work both as a deodorant and an antiperspirant. These products tend to contain an aluminum based ingredient that works as the antiperspirant and also fragrance which helps to mask body odour.
In order to understand how both of these work, we need to first discuss sweat and body odour. Sweating is a natural mechanism your body uses to cool you off. In fact, people who cannot sweat (disease) are actually at risk of overheating. So sweating in many ways, is your friend. It’s excessive sweating that is the problem.
Also, you’d be surprised to know that sweat on its own doesn’t result in body odour because sweat is mainly made up of water and salts. Body odour is actually caused by bacteria which feed off of the sweat.
How Do Antiperspirants Work?
Antiperspirants tend to have aluminium based ingredients such as …. These work by blocking the sweat glands in your body and inactivating them which then results in you sweating less. Another benefit of antiperspirants is that since you sweat less, there is not a lot of sweat for the bacteria to feed on which reduces the chances of body odour.
How Do Deodorants Work?
Generally speaking, most deodorants work by masking the smell of body odour. They are fragranced with either synthetic ingredients or essential oils to help you smell clean and fresh. Occasionally, they also include ingredients that inhibit the growth of odour causing bacteria.
Which is Best For You?
This will depend on your personal needs. If you sweat a lot but don’t experience body odour (best to ask around since we can become nose blind to our own odour), then go for an antiperspirant. If you sweat excessively and find that a drugstore antiperspirant isn’t working good enough, then consider a prescription antiperspirant which are stronger.
Consider a deodorant if you experience mild sweat along with body odour. But make sure the scent is mild and neutral. You don’t want to be smelling like the cheap cologne guy at work.
How to Apply?
The best time to apply antiperspirants/deodorants is actually at night before you go to bed. This is because the active ingredient which helps to block the sweat ducts need time start working. Another reason for applying at night is that you sweat less so more of the active ingredient gets to where it needs to go in order to stop you from sweating. These ingredients are designed to work for 24 to 48 hours so you don’t need to reapply the product in the morning.
Here are Some of the Best Deodorants for Men
Best Deodorant for Sensitive Skin
Vanicream as a brand is known for making products for people with sensitive skin and their antiperspirant/deodorant is not different. It is free from fragrance and other commonly irritating ingredients. It has the active ingredients of which helps to provide 24 hours of sweat and odour protection.
Best Deodorant for Body Odour
Dove Men+Care Sensitive Shield Antiperspirant Stick is both incredibly effective and affordable. It also contains Vitamin E which helps to soothe the skin. It is designed to provide 48 hours of odour and wetness protection. With a mild fresh scent, this deodorant won’t clash with any cologne or fragrance that you normally wear.
Best Deodorant for Excessive Sweating
Certain Dri Prescription Strength Clinical Antiperspirant Deodorant is the most powerful non-perscription antiperspirant you can get. This is specifically designed for people with hyperhidrosis which is a condition that results in excessive sweat. It contains the active ingredient of aluminum chloride which is the strongest and most effective ingredient available and is the #1 doctor recommended active ingredient for hyperhidrosis. This antiperspirant is effective for 72 hours so you defintely don’t need to apply daily.
Conclusion
I hope this article made clear as to the difference between a deodorants vs antiperspirants. Also, we went into details about how to apply these products in order to get the most effectiveness. Finally, we gave some recommendations for the best deodorants and antiperspirants.
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