Reading Time: 5 minutes How To Choose The Best Deodorant for Women
This is a collaborative post by Tiffany on how to choose the best deodorant for women.
How To Choose The Best Deodorant for Women
On the list of biggest conundrums that women face when it comes to personal care, choosing the right type of deodorant has to be one of the most pressing. Since their invention in the late 19th century, deodorant has gradually become a huge business, with consumers spending almost $20 billion per year on these products. Naturally, since there is a plethora of choices on the market, women and men alike might feel confused as to what the best alternative is for them. In the hopes of helping undecisive consumers, we have comprised a short list of tips that will hopefully make your shopping experience much easier. Here is how to choose the best deodorant for women.
Know the Difference Between Deodorant and Anti-Perspirant
While deodorants and antiperspirants have functions and qualities that overlap in some areas, contrary to popular belief, these are two very different types of products with distinct purposes and functions. First off, deodorant will reduce unpleasant smells by fighting off the bacteria that develops in sweat. Antiperspirants, on the other hand, prevent sweat by ‘’attacking’’ the sweat glands and preventing it from reaching the skin.
In other words, deodorant will stop the nasty effects of sweating from occurring, while antiperspirant goes right at the root of the problem and prevents sweat from developing in the first place. However, antiperspirant has some drawbacks, one of them being that the aluminum from its composition can sometimes lead to yellow stains appearing on your clothes. There is currently no scientific consensus on why exactly this happens, but it is a factor you should take into consideration nonetheless.
The truth is unless you sweat profusely (a medical condition that affects only 2 % of the population), are an athlete or have a job that is physically exhausting, there is no sense in using antiperspirant. If you work an office job, like most of us do, deodorant is more than capable of covering your needs. For a full list of deodorants specially targeted towards women that are capable of eliminating any unpleasant effects of sweating, you can check out this review from Beauty Essentials, a reputable online source that regularly posts comprehensive buying guides related to beauty products.
A good compromise is to choose a combo between deodorant and antiperspirant. And since a large part of products fall into this category, this should not be too hard to do. However, benefitting from both of them means also suffering their drawbacks as well.
Understand Labels and Types of Deodorants
While most products do deliver on their promises, the FDA regulations on deodorants are quite relaxed. For a product to be considered an ‘’all day deodorant’’, it needs to cut down only 30 % on sweat. Therefore, before purchasing a particular brand, make sure to inspect the label and determine whether or not it suits your needs.
As to the types of deodorants available on the market, they generally fall into three distinct categories: roll-ons, solids, sprays, and solids. The popularity of a particular type depends on the region, with Americans preferring roll-ons and solids, and the rest of the world preferring sprays (in fact, half of deodorant sales worldwide account for sprays). Here are the main differences between them:
- Solid deodorants are dry and contain special ingredients that prevent irritations from developing. Their main drawback is that users have a hard time not staining their clothes while using solids.
- Sprays, on the other hand, dry quickly and are more durable than solids and roll-ons. On the flipside, they are generally more expensive than other alternatives.
- Roll-ons are more convenient and easy to use, leave no stains and last for a relatively long time. However, they leave a feeling of wetness that some people might find uncomfortable.
To surmise, solids dry quickly but can stain clothes, roll-ons are easier to use but can leave an uncomfortable sensation, while sprays excel in all departments, but are more expensive than the rest of the products. All of these types have their own advantages and drawbacks, so you should use the one that you are most comfortable with.
Check Whether Or Not You Are Sensitive to Their Effects
Even if you are not very concerned about general skin care, you should determine whether or not you are allergic to deodorants. This is vital especially if you shave your armpits on a regular basis, because that is one of the most sensitive areas of the skin. A few ingredients, such as triclosan, propylene glycol, paraben, and aluminum chlorohydrate can potentially cause irritations on your skin and reactions similar to those that appear due to seasonal allergies. See our post on best deodorants for sensitive skin.
Another thing you should take into consideration is that some people can develop a resistance to certain formulas. As in the case of the yellow stains that appear after using antiperspirant, there is currently no scientific consensus on this. However, experts recommend switching between brands every six months to prevent your body from developing a resistance.
Conclusion
While being anti-body odor is not a modern phenomenon, how we perceive and approach it surely is. Since the late 19th century (1888, to be more precise), when the first anti-odor product was patented, the deodorant industry has grown from a small, niche market, into a titan. Because there are many brands of women’s deodorant on the market, finding the right one can be a frustrating endeavor. But if you familiarize yourself with the different types of deodorant available and learn to interpret labels, you will have no problems choosing a brand the next time you will be out on a shopping spree.
Rachel is an Austin blogger, educator, mom, wife, young breast cancer survivor writing about health, saving money, and living a happy life in Austin, Texas.
Rachel has written for HuffPost and Hometalk and has been featured on KXAN, Studio 512, Fox 7 Austin, and CBS Austin.