We All Used Deodorant at the Wrong Time.
Like most people (unless you work for a deodorant manufacturer or study dermatology), you’ve probably spent your entire post-pubertal life applying deodorant in the morning, while showering, washing your face, brushing your hair, and changing clothes. And as someone who has done exactly this all my life, I was saddened to learn that we all did it wrong: it turns out that there is a lot of evidence that it is best to apply deodorant at night, right before going to bed.
Difference between deodorant and antiperspirant
To clarify, this “apply at night” rule only applies to deodorant containing antiperspirant. (The function of antiperspirant- free deodorant is to kill or mask odor-causing bacteria, not – as anyone who’s ever used Tom’s of Maine can tell you – to actually reduce how much you sweat.) On the other hand. The antiperspirant is designed to temporarily close the pores of sweat and reduce the amount of sweat you produce, keeping your underarms dry (and thereby inhibiting the growth of bacteria that cause foul odor).
Why is the night app better?
So why is it more effective to apply antiperspirant deodorant at night? When you are less active (sleeping), your body temperature drops, which makes you sweat less. This lack of moisture allows your body to more easily absorb the active ingredient in most antiperspirants, aluminum, as explained to Consumer Reports by Dr. David Pariser, president of the American Academy of Dermatology. (Aluminum is easier to penetrate the skin if it doesn’t have to wade through what it’s working with.) Your skin will have more time to absorb the antiperspirant overnight, making it more effective than if you applied it immediately. before rushing to prepare for the new day.
Good news: shower won’t rinse
So if a morning shower is non-negotiable for you, can you still follow this rule? Yes! Because you’ve given the antiperspirant enough time to penetrate your sweat pores and clog them overnight, it doesn’t stay on the surface of your skin, making it more susceptible to flushing. What else? Most antiperspirants last 24-48 hours, so depending on how much you sweat, you may not even need to apply them every day .
Should I worry about aluminum in deodorant?
Due to long-standing Internet speculation that aluminum is a contributing factor to breast cancer and Alzheimer’s, there is a growing market for “natural”, non-aluminum deodorants. However, according to the Alzheimer’s Society , “Numerous small and large-scale studies have failed to find a convincing causal link between human exposure to aluminum and Alzheimer’s.” We also went into great detail to disprove the alleged link between aluminum and these health problems . (Some of you don’t care, do you? You are probably already in the comments, outlining your reasons.)
And a few more surprise deodorants …
If you need something more to change your mindset today: Since deodorant should be applied to dry skin, guess when is not the right time to do it? Immediately after the shower! For best results, thoroughly remove any moisture from these pits before applying. Also? Deodorant can be applied wherever you sweat . We are not saying that they had tried to hold him in all of our most flexible bits in the midst of the summer heat, but we do not say that he would never try. Also the groin area (for men only; this maneuver is not recommended for women). You are welcome? To be honest, we’re not sure.