Everyone has got a personal hygiene routine and deodorant is certainly one part of it. However, you might be applying your deodorant wrongly and not benefit from it as you should. Moreover, there’s a difference between regular deodorants and the best antiperspirants in the market. Both have different uses while they’re also best applied at different times.
Technically, it’s right to put on deodorant after shower
Generally speaking, applying regular deodorant after you’ve showered is a good time. You just cleaned your skin with any sweat as well as remains from your deodorant from the day before. It’s rather important to keep your armpits clean or your deodorant may fail. To make your deodorant more effective, it’s a good idea to use a gentle exfoliator every now and then. Sweat as well as deodorant residues can build up and clog your pores. That doesn’t only cause irritations but can also lead to more trouble for people who sweat excessively. Once your armpits are cleaned properly and the pores are open, your deodorant will work wonders for you. Just make sure that your skin has properly dried before applying deodorant.
However, if you’re using a clinical deodorant, you should not apply it after showering in the morning.
The difference between regular and clinical deodorant
There’s a bit of an epilog to fully understand the difference between regular and clinical deodorant. Both work differently for different reasons. The only side task they’ve got in common is to tackle sweat.
In general, sweat itself doesn’t smell. Body odor shows up once your sweat gets in touch with bacteria under your arms. There always are bacteria on your skin and they’re part of our human biology. Only do they have a better breeding ground in your armpits than in any other spot of your body. Sweat contains fats and proteins which leave with your sweat and that’s basically what creates body odor. Fats and proteins react with the bacteria.
Clinical deodorants, on the other hand, keep you from sweating. They’re the go-to solution for people who sweat excessively or are also the perfect solution to stay fresh and dry in hot climates. Since you don’t sweat under your arms with clinical deodorant, you can avoid unsightly sweat stains. They function as they form a gel in reaction with your sweat. That gel will temporarily clog your pores and thus keep you from sweating.
Never use clinical deodorants after shower
Since clinical deodorants have a slightly different task, applying them after a shower is pretty much the worst time. They need a while to become fully effective. Therefore, clinical deodorants are best applied at night before you go to bed. You don’t sweat as much when sleeping and that allows the clinical deodorant to have a head start. After you have a shower in the morning, you can use some additional regular deodorant for some extra fragrance and a fresh feeling. Some also use regular deodorant the night before as they find it more effective when applying it like a clinical deodorant.
Just like with regular deodorants, a clinical deodorant has to be applied on completely dry skin. Its special compounds cannot penetrate your skin properly if it’s wet.
Make sure your skin is moisturized
The skin under your arms is a highly sensitive area. If you’re using a lot of deodorant or even clinical deodorant, your skin can dry out quickly. If it’s dry, it can also cause inflammation and skin irritation which makes applying any deodorant highly uncomfortable.
You can use a gentle moisturizer for your armpits which you’d also apply to your face. Apply the moisturizer on dry skin after showering. Allow it some time to completely dry as well before using any deodorant.
How often you should apply deodorant
Regular deodorant you can apply as often as you desire to provide you with that fresh kick. Usually, regular deodorants will work around 24 hours, but it’s good to use them right before a workout. You can apply it again after your workout when you give your armpits a wipe to make sure your skin is dry enough for applying deodorant.
Clinical deodorants you only have to use once every 48 hours. As they keep you from sweating, you won’t feel the desire to apply them as often as you would with regular deodorant. If you want to, you can choose a mix to get the best of both worlds. Use a clinical deodorant you keep any sweat at bay and use deodorant if you require that fresh feeling – like after a workout.
Why do I still feel like I smell bad?
Regular deodorants will not keep you from sweating. You will still sweat with regular deodorant. Hence, the more you sweat, the more stuff the bacteria under your armpits have to react with. Traditional deodorants will only mask body odors that are occurring from your sweat reacting with the bacteria. And they can only mask body odors to a certain extent.
If you’re using regular deodorant and still don’t feel as if it’s effective enough, you can proceed to the following steps:
- Wash your armpits to remove any superficial sweat
- Dry your skin completely and apply deodorant afterwards
- Have a shower in the evening to clean your armpits again, the warm water will open your pores
- Dry your skin properly and apply some clinical deodorant before going to bed
- Use some deodorant the next morning after showering on dry skin
Parting words
Sweating is simply natural and some people sweat more than others. It’s mainly just to keep your body temperature down. Only can it cause that uncomfortable smell once it reacts with your naturally occurring bacteria. Regular deodorants will mask that smell, but only a clinical deodorant can also prevent those embarrassing sweat stains.
