Before I started testing, I reached out to an expert for a brief overview of the difference between deodorants and antiperspirants.
"Deodorants do notaltersweating. Deodorants contain ingredients that change the pH of the skin to make the environment less suitable for bacteria to survive in," explainedDr. Afton Cobb, MD, FAAD.
"Antiperspirants reduce sweating. They deliver aluminum salts to plug sweat ducts, thereby blocking sweat release. These are what we frequently recommend as dermatologists for people who have trouble with excessive sweating," added Dr. Cobb.
"The way that antiperspirants influence body odor is by minimizing the moist environment that bacteria thrive in," she added.
Each serves its own purpose and some products are a combination of the two. For the sake of this post: I'm aware that deodorants are not meant to keep your underarms completely dry — but I still took into consideration if any of them succeeded in keeping me dry and how well they did it.
Before testing the different deodorants on my list, I also asked Dr. Cobb to answer clear up my confusion about deodorants marketed as "natural."
"Natural deodorants are less likely to use triclosan and tend to incorporate other ingredients, such as baking soda, hops, or witch hazel," she told BuzzFeed.
"Natural deodorants also tend to include essential oils of various types, as opposed to synthetic fragrances which are more likely to be utilized in standard deodorants," she added.
Overall rating: 1.5/5. This was another natural deodorant that just...didn't work for me. Within hours of application, the scent was completely gone and my armpits felt sticky, which is a deodorant pet peeve of mine.
As a point of comparison, I've tried non-natural Arm & Hammer deodorants in the past that I didn't mind. So knowing that in addition to the fabulous review that YouTuber gave of this deodorant,my high expectationswere (sadly) not met.
While wearing it through the day, the simplest of tasks still made my armpits sweaty, meaning the product wasn't doing anything for my sweat. (Again,I know that's not technically deodorant's job but STILL.)
I was disappointed that the scent didn't last because it was a really nice scent for deodorant, as I find other vanilla options smell too much like a candle. The only positive was that this deodorant went on clear — so no transfer to my clothes — — but the fact that it went on wet annoyed me.
Notes:
• Application: 1/5.Went on clear, but it left my armpits feeling wet.
• Scent: 2/5.The scent was nice but it did not last long nor did it mask any odor.
• Effectiveness: 1/5.Its scent didn't last and I sweat a lot wearing it.
• Active ingredient(s): Propylene glycol, purified water, sodium stearate, Maris sal - Magnesium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, citrus aurantium bergamia peel oil, amyris balsamifera oil, fragrance — deodorant
Overall rating: 2.5/5. Although it felt wet upon application, it kept me fairly dry until I worked out. Once I started sweating, though, all bets were off. The smell was gone and my underarms were very sweaty.
After applying this pricey deodorant and letting my underarms dry, I went to Sephora's website to read more about it. The product claims that its "AHA blend deodorizes, exfoliates, improves skin‘s moisture, and addresses visible dullness and discoloration." Sounds nice — but as I did more active tasks, I found the product to be ineffective at masking odor, so the fancy serum talk didn't really matter.
Admittedly, I didn't test the product for long enough to see if its claims about improving underarm texture and discoloration checked out. But given its (lack of) effectiveness, I wasn't motivated to try it for much longer.
Notes:
• Application: 2/5.Went on clear but my armpits felt very wet.
• Scent: 3/5.The scent was nice but subtle and it disappeared once I got sweaty.
• Effectiveness: 2.5/5.It kept me smelling good — until I worked out. Then all bets were off.
• Active ingredient(s): Shikimic acid, Mandelic acid, lactic acid — deodorant
And those with certain allergies should be careful about their underarm product of choice, Dr. Cobb added.
"People who have fragrance allergies should avoid products with fragrance listed in the ingredients, but people without a history of reactions to fragrance should be fine to use it," Dr. Cobb explained.
"For people who experience excessive sweating, aluminum-based antiperspirants are the most effective option. If someone is concerned about the risks, they might consider other methods to minimize sweating — such as botulinum toxin (aka Botox) armpit injections, glycopyrrolate medication or medicated wipes, iontophoresis, or energy-based devices such as MiraDry," she advised.
"For people who have bad-smelling body odor, another option would be to try washing the area with a benzoyl peroxide wash to help minimize bacteria," Dr. Cobb added.
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