To some, deodorant and antiperspirant may seem like interchangeable titles with the same meaning, however, that is farthest from the truth. These two products are vastly different, with differing purposes and outcomes.
So what is deodorant really? Deodorant’s main goal is to block body odor through neutralizing bacteria stemming from poor diet, hormones, and sweat. When sweat and bacteria on the skin mix together, it causes odor. Some prominent odor stopping ingredients are: baking soda, tea tree oil, and lemon juice. Various brands also utilize fragrances to help mask the odor.
How does that differ from antiperspirant? The primary goal of antiperspirant is to stop sweat, which is done through use of aluminum salts. Many products contain a concentration of up to 25% of aluminum, with the higher the percentage, the more sweat blocked. Aluminum blocks sweat by restricting access to the sweat gland and physically blocking them from producing sweat.
A key misconception is that while antiperspirant can stop odor, deodorant can not block sweat. Antiperspirants tend to include odor stopping ingredients on top of aluminum while many deodorants do not contain aluminum.
Some notable brands include; Secret, Dove, Degree, Gillette, Old Spice, and many more. The landscape of underarm skincare has begun to change within the last few years with the introduction of multiple new brands experimenting with new ingredients such as alpha hydroxy acids. Nécessaire, Kosas, and Kopari are a few skincare-focused brands that have ventured into more underarm treatments.
As time continues to pass, brands may consider blurring the lines of antiperspirant and deodorant, finding ways to mesh the two together, to create an ultimate product that helps satisfy every consumers’ needs.
Works Cited
Clinic, Cleveland. “Antiperspirant Vs. Deodorant: What’s the Difference?”
Cleveland Clinic, 5 Sept. 2024, health.clevelandclinic.org/antiperspirant-vs-deodorant.
Professional, Cleveland Clinic Medical. “Body Odor.”
Cleveland Clinic, 7 Feb. 2025, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/17865-body-odor
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