Clean and Healthy: Using an Anti-Perspirant and Deodorant Stick ~ Advice For Health

You've built a strong routine around hygiene habits using shampoo that's beneficial to your hair and body soap that refreshes your skin, but you haven't quite settled on an anti-perspirant and deodorant stick that works for you. With a plentiful competition between brand name deodorants it's no wonder people have trouble developing loyalty to one stick above the others. You might be the type of person who shops for the best deal and automatically buys the deodorant that's on sale, or you might be the person who is trying to find a good stick that really beats sweat and keeps you dry all day.

Here's some good news for anyone on the fence about deodorant: sweat isn't harmful to the body. To the contrary, sweating is a healthy expression of a healthy body. Still, most people aren't comfortable with the idea of having armpit stains, and less comfortable with the way it feels to have accumulated moisture on their shirt. Though there have been accusations that certain chemicals, namely aluminum zirconium found in most antiperspirants, have adverse health effects on the body, these claims have not been substantiated.

All medical research has shown that it is as healthy to use antiperspirants as it is to avoid them, which leaves the debate up to personal comfort. So, if your primary concern is smelling fresh, a simple deodorant stick will give you everything you need and save you a small amount of money compared to purchasing antiperspirants. However, if you're like the majority of people, a sweat blocking, and odor-preventing stick is more in line with your preferences.

If your sweat concentration is around average, meaning you don't develop large circles of sweat under your arms during routine physical activities such as walking to and from work, you'll be perfectly content with an over-the-counter antiperspirant. Search for the stick that works best for you, and take a moment to read the active ingredient labels on the reverse side of the product. You'll find some sticks have concentrations as low as 10% while others range as high as 25% (referring to aluminum zirconium). The FDA disallows aluminum concentrations higher than 25% to be sold over-the-counter, but as long as you have average sweat output, you shouldn't need anything stronger.

For the typical person, the higher percentage antiperspirants, applied once daily, will prevent about 30% of your underarm sweat for around eight hours. Once you've found the product that works for you, examine the scents, and pick one that you enjoy, or if you prefer, select from the unscented varieties for fewer skin allergens.

The author has spent a lot of time learning about anti-perspirant and deodorant stick and other related topics. Read more about shampoo at the author's website.

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