We’re Layering Our Deodorants Now
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I am writing this as yet another heat wave broils New York City. Since I was cursed at birth to be a heavy perspirer, I thought my sweatproof beauty regimen was ironclad, perfected over many hot summers.
I am a staunch believer in aluminum antiperspirant. So much so that I have always used a weekly application of the aluminum-saturated SweatBlock wipesplusa daily swipe ofDegree Men’s Antiperspirant. But antiperspirants have their drawbacks. They can be cakey and easily clump up, not to mention the nightmare they’ve caused in the laundry room. I had grown tired of trying to remove the white residue they leave behind on my clothes that are difficult to get out and trap odor. And I’ve lost count of the number of white tees I had to throw away due to yellow staining. Plus I started to feel like my pits were getting slightly funky anyway, almost as if the Degree was no longer agreeing with my body chemistry.
Then, during ourdeodorant roundtable, which I moderated, Strategist senior editor Crystal Martin had mentioned toying with a deodorant combo to beat the summer heat: a weekly antiperspirant wipe plus a daily application of her AHA deodorant of choice. Personally, I had never in my life considered using a“natural” deodorantof any kind, convinced those formulas were for the people who simply get a little dewy in the heat. But I had to accept that we’ve come a long way from buying Tom’s of Maine at the health-food store. And Crystal’s explanation was compelling: “I realized that what the natural-deodorant people have been saying for years is true: that the stink is from bacteria, it’s not the sweat itself,” she said. “The bacteria are metabolizing proteins and fat in the sweat, and the by-products of that are what cause body odor. So one thing you can do to control that process of stink production is get rid of the bacteria. Acids do that by lowering the skin’s pH and creating an inhospitable environment for the bacteria.” Then I interviewed nurse injector Vanessa Lee a few weeks ago for the “Beauty Aisle,” who also recommended an in-shower wash to further eradicate underarm bacteria.
By layering these steps, the routine addresses both root causes of body odor. Antiperspirant wipes keep you dry and prevent the sweat from forming in the first place, while the other two steps are antibacterial, ensuring you stay completely dry and funk-free, no matter the heat index.
Is a three-step regimen a little extra? Absolutely. But this protocol has been perfected over much trial and error, and the combination of the three performs much better than a stick of extra-strength antiperspirant ever has for me.
First, use an antibacterial cleanser
The first step starts in the shower with a cleanser. When I interviewed Lee, she gave me this tip about Hibiclens, which is used to clean patients before procedures. “It’s like surgical-grade cleanser for the skin. So when you use it under your arms, it kills the bacteria that is causing body odor,” she says, adding that she recommends using it a few times a week.
Martin uses a 4 percent benzoyl-peroxide wash that will have a similar effect, since benzoyl peroxide also kills bacteria, which is why it is an ingredient commonly found in acne cleansers. Martin, who has tested both the Hibiclens and a benzoyl-peroxide wash, notes that while the Hibilcens is more gentle, the benzoyl-peroxide wash has the edge when it comes to efficacy. Generally, you’ll want to experiment to see what works best for your pits, but if you have sensitive skin the Hibiclens might be the better choice.
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Then, apply an AHA deodorant daily to stay fresh
Then, for daily maintenance, you’ll want to go in with your AHA deodorant of choice in the morning. The AHA deodorants have great formulations that aren’t annoying to apply, absorb quickly, and leave behind zero residue. Many of them come in a serum texture that feels almost watery, and they smell great, too.
And finally, use an antiperspirant wipe weekly to stay dry
Getting rid of the body odor is just one step, but if you also want to be dry, then you’ll need an antiperspirant like SweatBlock or Certain Dri. SweatBlock wipes are a holy grail among the heavy-sweater community and have been long before every brand was making a “full-body deodorant.” I’ve been using them since 2017 as my secret weapon against sweat. They’re saturated with 14 percent aluminum chloride and are applied once weekly at night on clean, dry underarms. While they are quite strong — it’s normal to feel some tingling or itching after application — the SweatBlock wipes go to work while your sweat glands are asleep and will keep pits dry for up to one week.
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