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Deodorant is everyday essential that is becoming increasingly beauty-focused and performance driven.

Let’s be honest – deodorant is not the most glam or gorgeous part of anyone’s beauty routine, but it’s a necessity. Body odor is one of the fastest ways to lose friends and can be an embarrassing topic to address, but with the huge variety of deodorants on the market today, there is no excuse for it. Everybody sweats – let’s face it, those old tales about women ‘glowing’ just don’t cut it! According to the Cosmetic, Toiletry & Perfumery Association, we produce on average one liter of seat everyday, and when we are hot, active, nervous or stressed, sweat glands are stimulated to produce more sweat. Choosing the right product to keep you feeling dry and smelling fresh is crucial to keep you feeling confident and comfortable.

What is deodorant?

There are two types of products available that tackle body odor: deodorants and anti-perspirants. A deodorant is used to mask the unpleasant odor caused by perspiration already on the skin and fight the odor-causing bacteria. An anti-perspirant, on the other hand, fights perspiration at the source by limiting sweating and fighting the odor-causing bacteria. Put simply, anti-perspirants are designed specifically to prevent you sweating, while deodorants don’t stop you sweating but kill bacteria and hide underarm smells with fragrance. Most anti-perspirants contain aluminium salts, which dissolve in sweat to create a thin coating of gel to cover the sweat glands. This reduces the amount of sweat released onto the skin’s surface for a number of hours after application. Within the anti-perspirants market, there are specialist products designed to tackle heavier perpiration. Specialist anti-perspirants have a higher level of active ingredients compared with everyday anti-perspirants, and the type of active ingredients used tend to be more efficacious. As a result, specialist anti-perspirants such as Triple Dry give a much stronger product performance, while needing less frequent application, making them an effective choice for those suffering from heavy perspiration.

Why we sweat?

We have between 25,000 and 50,000 sweat glands in our armpits alone, although this is actually only a small percentage of the total amount in our bodies. Sweat is more likely to get trapped under our arms and can’t escape, so it is more noticeable here. This is when bacteria start to feed off the sweat and create body odor. There are two types of sweat glands on our bodies – eccrine and apocrine. The former are all over our bodyu and control temperature. The latter are concentrated in certain areas, such as the armpits and can be triggered by stress. The ‘emotional’ sweating can be a problem because about double the amount of moisture is released. This means more sweat for the bacteria to feed on and so greater body odor.

Added benefits

Anti-perspirant deodorants are generally a more popular choice with today’s consumer due to their dual action of preventing both wetness and odor. Far from merely performing these functions, deodorant manufacturers have added a host of extra benefits to their products in a bid to entice consumers to their product or brand and remain loyal. Although there is some crossover, these benefits are often of differing importance for men and women. Performance and protection are crucial to both consumer groups, but tend to outweigh the importance of most other benefits when it come to male consumers. For men, deodorants are highly functional products and the two primary reasons for them using a deodorant are to prevent odor and perspiration. Secondary benefits are irrelevant to men if their deodorant doesn’t perform in these key areas.

As discussed by anti-perspirants specialist go even further than normal ones and these are favored by men and women alike who require confidence in their products. Along with Triple Dry which claims to protect against odor and wetness for 72 hours, even the heat, thanks to its effective and plentiful active ingredients. Sure Maximum Protection is another option for those who want more protection for their pennies. Now available in a new aerosol format, Sure Maximum Protection claims to offer twice the protection against sweat of the best selling anti-perspirant. Both these products are designed to be applied at night, giving the formulas time to get to work when the body is most responsive due to its temperature. Along with high performance and protection that lasts for even longer than 24 hours, fragrance is an important driver for men when it comes to deodorant selection. Men will often top up their deodorant throughout the day to freshen up, or use it all over, so fragrance is an important feature. Women, on the other hand, favor fine fragrances and often want more subtle or even unscented products that won’t compete with their perfume. More important for women is choosing a product that cares for their skin and won’t sting after shaving. Most female deodorants now highlight their skin-caring benefits, with new ingredients being added all the time: for example, Soft & Gentle now includes soybean oil, an emollient that compliments the skin’s natural balance, allowing it to absorb and retain moisture, while Nivea Calm & Care is enriched with witch hazel, known for its soothing properties, and pro-vitamin B5, which can have an important role in the formation of new skin cells, so supports skin recovery after shaving. However, men are also increasingly searching for deodorants that feel more comfortable to wear without compromising on efficacy, prompting Unilever to launch two brand new ranges. Dove Men+Care, aimed at the more mature man, contains the Dove ¾ moisturizing complex to keep underarms comfortable, while for the younger market, Lynx Dry+Sensitive contains an anti-irritation formula that tackles both sweat and sensitive skin, and was launched in response to new consumer research which found that 57% of men have sensitive underarm skin that reacts badly to normal deodorants.

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