To not 'get' anti-perspirants

[bakeroony]

I think this is going to be a controversial one

The thought of using an anti-perspirant gives me the creeps. To me, it's like using a product to cut down on your saliva, or other secretions, and it just seems unnatural and wrong. I haven't used it since I was a teenager and got fed up of all the white marks, not to mention the scaremongering about products containing aluminium.

I'm slightly more comfortable with the idea of deodorants but again, I hate the thought of slicking my armpits with a sticky product just to smell a bit more like a toilet freshener. I'm 'lucky' to have the dry earwax gene and everyone I've asked (I did a study as part of this at Uni too) says they can't detect an odour, but I think I'd feel this way even if I did produce BO.

I usually just spritz a bit of perfume and get on with it. To me, sweating is a beneficial thing for the body.

Does anyone else feel the same or am I completely on my own here?

I sweat very heavily, no matter how hot or cold it is, if I didn't use a strong antiperspirant I would smell awful and would be dripping with sweat. Saliva is not comparable - if I had so much saliva that I was constantly dribbling then I'd also want to do something about it.

Good for you not needing it. Some people do. Don't really understand why you felt the need to post.

Moment, for me it's not so much the sight of sweat patches that bothers me any more (that was my main concern as a teen though); it's how it feels to have wet patches- I find it really unpleasant and uncomfortable.

I do sweat a lot though, and not just when I'm exercising, so I accept it's not such an issue for people who sweat "normally".

No I am thinking of a daft moment in my youth when I used some antiperspirant wipes and 'cleaned myself with that. Thinking that it would be good as they would give me a nice smell too (we were doing so wild camping and there was no showers).
I ended up really uncomfortable, getting too hot etc...

You must be part of a lucky minority.

I used to have to do 8 pallet deliveries up two flights of stairs and then carry on my shift serving customers on the shop floor. For the sake of customers and colleagues I need deodorants and anti perspirants!

Anti perspirant adverts are aimed at people who DO sweat. You don't. Just ignore. Make a cup of tea or something...

And yes I am asking all of you how do you think people in tropical countries are doing. Are they all extremely smelly? because clearly they will have being sweaty all over the body, not just armpits.

In reality, no they aren't all extremely smelly. So why the need in the UK?

Moment - people in tropical countries may well have the genes to be less sweaty, unlike people in the UK. See earlier reference to 'dry earwax gene' - the same gene seems to make you sweat less and have dry earwax; it's the prevalent version in Japan, for example. But I think most Europeans produce sticky earwax and more sweat.

It makes sense as a natural adaptation to hot climates, in the same way as having pale skin and blue eyes is an adaption to less sunny regions.

For those of you with heavy perspiration problems, it's called hyperhidrosis and there are antiperspirants available on prescription that can help.

I don't think they do, exexpat - it tends to be wholly absent in African countries, and only prevalent in North Asian areas, becoming rarer and rarer towards the West.

Hold on the people I was living with were not all 'native' Quite a few were expats with the same 'genes'.
And they didn't have any more problem.

And the gene doesn't make you less sweaty, it just allows odorless sweat. It would be a good thing to be sweaty in hot climates - would cool you down.

Tapirs - don't they sting? I used something once that felt awful.

And YY I agree some people do have some issue with perspiration. it's a medical condition and a very different issue that what the OP is talking about.

Omfg, I've just read about the dry ear wax gene thing and realised this is me! I very rarely sweat and when I do I don't get bo at all. I use maybe 1 small can of deodorant a year, and thats only for horse shows (riding horse while wearing wool jacket in height of summer = guaranteed sweat)
I've always wondered why I don't get Bo (and always considered myself incredibly lucky!)
Now I know. Dry ear wax, who would have thought it.

Sauce- I use Triple Dry, and it doesn't sting. You can get it over the counter; it costs about £6.

I also tried Driclor, which was very effective, but it stung and made my armpits really red and sore.

Yes it was driclor that hurt!

Thanks for the tip!

God I'd love that gene.

I've had to give up my beloved jive/latin/salsa dancing as I'm so distressed by the sweat the runs down my temples, drips off my nose and makes my hair so wet I look like I've been swimming

not to mention the rivers running down my spine and soaking my clothes.

OOh, Gander - thanks for posting that link, interesting!

This is one of those stealth boast OP's.

"I don't sweat or smell, don't need deodorant therefore what is wrong with those of you who do you dirty stinking mingers ?"

YABU - for not having the imagination to realise that some people sweat and smell and for boring us all with how dry and odourless you are. Lucky you, well done.

Reminds me of those threads where the OP doesn't understand why some women wax. Then delights in telling us about her perfect, neat, triangular lady garden and soft, blond leg hairs.

Ahhh, that moment when you're out and you realise you've got massive sweat rings forming and you spend the rest of the evening trying not to move your upper arms and reveal your huge patches. You only move arms from the elbow down.

I'm bloody well hairy too.

SauceForTheGander that's really interesting about low blood pressure and sweating. I had people at work laughing about the people that would use 48 hour anti persperiants and how horrible they must be to not wash every day. I was too to mention that I needed that type just to get through an 8hour working day.

Once when I was at the G.Ps they mentioned that if I was in Germany I would be treated for my low blood pressure because it is so low I asked why I wasn't here and she said that the drugs can increase your chances of having a heart attack so weighing up the risks they would never treat low blood pressure here.

They just leave you to suffer instead

Moment, underarm sweat is different to general sweat so the tropical countries reference is not comparable. Underarm sweat is apocrine. Body sweat is eccrine and does not develop odour.

^I'm bloody well hairy too.

^

Me too! Yay, me.