According to a major part of the world’s population, deodorant and antiperspirant are the same, and nobody bothers whether they buy a deodorant or an antiperspirant.
Though both work towards eliminating sweat and body odor, the difference lies in their process of working.
Hence, to understand whether a deodorant or an antiperspirant is best for combating sweat and body odor, you must know the process of working on both.
In earlier days, nobody liked to talk about sweat. Before the introduction of deodorant, perfumes were used to keep body odor at bay.
In severe hot conditions, sweat pads were utilized to stop the perspiration from seeping into the clothes.
Today, we utilize deodorants and antiperspirants in the summer as it is exceedingly embarrassing if you show up at your workplace or anywhere else drenched in sweat with your body, eliminating a foul smell.
People who tend to sweat a lot have to face such situations often. Mental anxiety and the fear of entrapment by body odor aggravate the rate of perspiration in such persons further.
Hence, such individuals must know the difference between a deodorant and an antiperspirant in order to utilize them effectively and combat sweat and body odor.
How Does Deodorant Work?
Deodorant works by combating body odor.
A deodorant doesn’t stop sweating. Instead, it covers your body odor with a mask.
They provide long-lasting protection against body odor by masking odor with ingredients that develop an environment where bacteria cannot grow. This neutralizes the smelly constituents of sweat.
It is important to remember over here that sweat, as produced by the body, is colorless and odorless.
Our body’s apocrine glands release sweat to regulate our temperature. Sweat released by apocrine glands consists of sufficient quantities of fats and proteins, which act as a source of nutrition for the natural bacteria that reside on our skin.
The reaction of sweat with the natural bacteria creates body odor, and people who tend to perspire or sweat more develop a much fouler-smelling bodily stench as compared to those who sweat normally. Usually, people suffering from hyperhidrosis sweat more, even under normal conditions, especially from underarms, feet, and palms.
How Does Antiperspirant Work?
Antiperspirants work by eliminating sweat, thereby acting on the root cause of body odor.
Deodorant treats the symptoms, and an antiperspirant works to terminate the root cause of the problem.
Antiperspirants are extremely effective in reducing sweating from the underarm area. When sweat reduces, bacteria would have no reason to clog in your underarm area.
As a result, the body odor that follows post-bacterial buildup will not get a chance to develop.
The key ingredients of antiperspirants that work towards the elimination of sweat are the aluminum salts that mix up with the moisture present on your skin’s external layer.
This mixture forms a gel that resides on the top of the sweat glands, thereby preventing the sweat from mixing up with the odor-causing bacteria. Therefore, it becomes imperative that if you see an antiperspirant labeled as being aluminum-free, it won’t give the desired results.
What are Deodorant-Antiperspirants?
The terms deodorant and antiperspirant are used interchangeably in the commercial market though they are not one.
Deodorant-antiperspirants are, actually, antiperspirants that come with fragrance so along with the sweat-reducing the action of antiperspirant you get to experience the odor-reducing the action of deodorant as well.
Some products are labeled as deodorants. But, if you happen to read their ingredients you will be able to filter out an aluminum salt from the list, usually, aluminum zirconium. Hence, in accordance with the definition, this product is not a deodorant and is, actually, an antiperspirant.
Deodorant Vs Antiperspirant – Which One to Choose?
Choosing between a deodorant and an antiperspirant is a personal preference. If you aim to combat body odor then you can happily go with a deodorant. However, if you wish to treat the root cause of body odor, you must take an antiperspirant.
However, the above statements are true for people who don’t sweat excessively and are not suffering from hyperhidrosis. For people who tend to sweat more or are suffering from the emotionally depressing condition of hyperhidrosis where the body of an individual produces more sweat even under normal conditions, antiperspirants will give the best results.
An antiperspirant will keep such person dryer and fresher for long as compared to a deodorant which doesn’t work towards the reduction of sweat. Since, when suffering from hyperhidrosis, the body tends to produce more sweat, it is understandable that the need of the hour is to combat the root cause itself.
Medically-recommended antiperspirants are also available in the market which you can buy from medical stores. Such antiperspirants have varying levels of clinical strength and are, usually, prescribed by dermatologists.
It is important that you follow the instructions provided by the dermatologist judiciously in order to reap the beneficial effects. However, straightaway heading to an antiperspirant with a high degree of clinical strength, without prescription, is not recommended as it could lead to skin irritation which can worsen the condition further.
Hence, the best approach is to start with formulations that are gentle to the skin and climb the ladder until you find an antiperspirant that works best for you. Never go for a strong product directly, even If your friend or a relative recommends it, as it might be suitable for their skin but might not be ideal for you.
Living a Sweat-Free Life
Now that you know the difference between deodorants and antiperspirants you can choose a better product for combating sweat and body odor.
As mentioned above antiperspirants come with fragrances as well, known as deodorant-antiperspirants, giving you the power of both worlds in one single product.
So, if your aim is to combat body odor and you don’t perspire much go with a deodorant and if you perspire a lot, like in cases of hyperhidrosis, going for an antiperspirant will be a better option.
Remember, you don’t require feeling mentally anxious about body odor and sweat. Both issues can be treated effectively with deodorants and antiperspirants to help you live a sweat-free life.
