I’ve been writing a lot about summer time skin care lately, and today’s post is something that I know bothers a lot of people this time of year. Sweaty pits. It’s hot and humid and personally, for me that means a lot of sweat.
Sweat is a normal bodily function that affects everyone differently. As your body heats up, it will naturally attempt to cool itself by sweating. When sweat combines with bacteria on your skin it produces an odor that is usually unpleasant. There are two products on the market that will help to reduce sweat and the odors associated with it: antiperspirant and deodorant.
Antiperspirant Versus Deodorant
The fundamental difference between antiperspirants and deodorants lie in the way that these products work.
- Antiperspirants contain fragrances to help mask odor but also contain chemical compounds that block pores to stop perspiration, blocking sweat from reaching the area applied.
- Deodorant allow the release of sweat but prevent odor with antiseptic agents which kill the odor-causing bacteria. They also tend to include fragrance which helps to mask odors.
The Nasty Chemicals
For a long time now, various advocacy groups have voiced concerns over ingredients found in many antiperspirants and deodorant. When you put a product on your skin, tiny amounts could be absorbed into your skin. There are five ingredients that can be found in deodorant/ antiperspirants that could cause cancer: Aluminum, Triclosan, Phthalates, Fragrance, and Parabens. Research on the long-term effects of these ingredients is ongoing.
I know that it is hard to read concerns about ingredients that we use in every day products and not react to them. If you have hyperhidrosis, like I do, it’s hard to avoid Aluminum all together because that is the active ingredient that helps to prevent sweating. There are statements from both the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute about the lack of research and the connection or lack thereof between aluminum and cancer.
A ‘Clean’ Solution
earlier posts (Vanicream Skin Cream and Seb Derm) and this product is no different. In the past I’ve rotated through various products to help reduce or mask the sweat but never had one antiperspirant or deodorant that was long lasting. After using this product for a few months now, I have to say that I’m ready to add it to my regular list of products.
- Ingredients are clean – if you suffer from allergies, eczema or any other kind of skin irritation, this product will be great for you. The ingredients are clean and there is nothing included that is going to trigger irritation.
- Unscented – I find a lot of deodorant and antiperspirant contain fragrance that isn’t always pleasant. Even unscented products sometimes have a smell.This product is truly unscented and doesn’t leave any scent on your skin.
- Smooth application – This product applies smoothly and doesn’t leave a sticky feel at all.I found it best to let it dry a few minutes before getting dressed so that it wouldn’t leave any markings behind on my clothes.
Permanent Solutions
There are some more permanent solutions to sweating, although these come with a decent sized price tag. I’ve talked about Botox for sweaty pits on the blog before. Botox works great, and I routinely do this procedure in my office. The downside is that it requires about 20 tiny injections per an armpit, so it is not for the needle phobic. The results last 6-9 months. Another new option is Miradry which is a treatment that uses laser energy to target and destroy sweat and odor glands in your underarm. This is a long lasting option that your dermatologist can offer information about Non-Surgical Eye Lift.
Free Product!
If you want to try Vanicream™ Anti-perspirant/Deodorant, click here to enter your contact information and be entered to win one of six sticks of anti-perspirant/deoderant that we are giving away.
*Giveaway closes August 15.
