Deodorant - how do you use yours?!

[ClearlyMoo]

I've just realised that I might be applying deodorant in an odd way - I've been doing this for over two decades and I'm wondering if it's actually counter productive!

You're probably all wondering what I'm on about!

So I use ROLL ON and AEROSOL deodorant. Belt and braces is what I've always thought.

This started as a young teen paranoid about "BO"!

I put the roll on on, and then before it's dry spray aerosol deodorant in the same place!

Do you think the aerosol is doing anything?

I know it sounds REALLY odd and I feel like a right plonker now I've thought about it..

What should I do?!

Is one of aerosol or roll on more efficient

Have I been spending double the money I needed to all these years?!

I wonder if when I started doing it I used the "stick" type of roll on which doesn't need to dry or flapped my arms around a bit to let roll on dry.

My DH is very anti aerosols so I suppose really I should just use roll on if it were to be one or the other.. He doesn't like me "polluting the air" with sprays.

Since having DD I also now use a strong 24hr cream anti perspirant at night before going to bed but still use my "normal" deos in the morning. So actually that's three different types.

Really interested to know what everyone else does.

sits back and waits for MN to inform (and hopefully not flame!)!

Use bicarbonate of soda every morning, it's all you'll need!

I agree with the chemical issue. That's an awful lot of dubious stuff to be putting into your system. I'm a roll on-girl, once a day. Once a week, I go without and put alcohol gel under my arms (not after shaving). I've no idea if this is 'good for me', but it certainly kills off any lingering lingers that the shower hasn't got rid of.

I'd stick to the 24hr cream.

If I were you I'd just put the most 'normal' one of your range on in the morning and only again in the evening if you have a shower. See how you get on.

Aerosol's are fine. I love them, but hate the mess, so I use a roll on, which I like. It's not sticky and I get dressed as soon as I've put it on - I don't stand there waiting for it to dry!

If that's not 'enough' then go back to using the stronger one at night.

The roll on then the spray is definitely over kill :)

Ninawish - what do you mean by letting the soap activate?

As a general question to everybody, what do you use to wash under your arms? I shower at least once everyday and use shower gel to wash but sometimes even directly out of the shower if I smell the skin of my underarms closely it smells like BO. It's like the smell is ingrained and I need to use something exfoliating or antibac?! Sorry for the hijack.

I use a salt Crystal after my bath. I use a natural soap first. I don't smell at all now where as I used to smell and sweat more when using chemical deodorant.

@souper by activate I mean rub the soap in and leave it there for 30 secs or so - I then really rub it in again to 'activate' the soap getting rid of the bacteria, then let the water run over armpit to get rid of soap and then rub over pits a bit more with the water running through.

haha this sounds like technical armpit washing! it's not but I know what you mean about still smelling after shower I've had that too it's quite easy to actually not get your armpits that clean when in the shower which is how this came about for me

I don't think i could not wear deodorant if I didn't do this routine in shower twice a day

I have never been someone who sweats much - it takes a really, really hot day for me to sweat.

I stopped using deodorant when I begn breastfeeding, as it didn't feel very natural and noticed no change in my level of body odour whatsoever. I didn't use it for nearly two years.

I began using it again when I went back to work and now use a crystal deodorant, which seems to do the trick. If it is a very hot day I use a bit of roll on. I go without the crystal one at weekends on a fairly regular basis.

Oh, and I use Dr Bronner's soap bars - amazing stuff and you smell super clean.

PS. Before you hate my smug non-sweatiness, my feet are the exception to this rule!

I need technical washing! Maybe I need a bar of soap rather than just shower gel...

@souper it really works:) my hubby does it too now

I use sticks when I shave, in summer and sprays when I don't shave (any time of year!). Sprays work better than sticks with hair, for me. DH prefers roll-ons, though, as he finds that sprays sting.

Salt crystal deodorants aren't the least bit chemical free, btw. The chemicals simply haven't been ground up onto some sort of formula, with other chemicals.

Well, everything's a chemical at the end of the day, but there are some chemicals you need less than others.

If your roll on is taking ages to dry, maybe you are using too much.
I just roll once, maybe twice to cover the armpit area immediately after I shower and it's usually dry by the time I put my clothes on.

It's definitely overkill! Just use your roll on, and only once a day after your shower. Wash properly and your body is clean - then apply deodorant.

Some v complicated routines here, which only serve to pump chemicals into bodies and make profits for the manufacturers. As long as you shower daily and wear a clean top daily, you won't smell.

I use pitrok, don't have smelly pits though I do sweat, and so far no yellow stains on my tops only takes as long to apply as a roll on (in fact they do a roll on, but it is gently scented) I sometimes use the spray on my feet if wearing canvas shoes with no socks. I very very rarely use anti perspirant, only on occasions where it is essential that no sweat occurs, like a job interview or funeral!

But I should add, I sweat as much from other parts of my body as I do in my armpits, my face and neck and underboobs often sweat, even my legs! And I don't put deo on those areas.

ouryve Why do you say that a salt rock crystal is not chemical free?

Because it isn't?

The ingredients that work in anti-perspirants are aluminium salts. These are the same ingredients that there are disputes about health concerns with - although absolutely nothing proven.

What do you think the crystal is made from? Yes, aluminium salts. But of course it looks 'natural' and 'crystal' sounds so much better than 'chemical'.

Everything is made of chemicals and many natural ones are fair more problematic ingredients than synthetic.

Ninawish" you're worried about "crap toxins" being stopped from being excreted?

You've been misled by wimmins magazines. Sweat is sweat, it's designed to regulate temperature. It's not full of toxins (salts yes, not toxins). The liver is the bit of you that removes 'toxins' (and you don't need to do stupid juice diets or anything either). The smell from sweat comes from the respiration of bacteria on your skin (which multiply in damp conditions). They're essential for healthy skin (so all that soap is killing the poor things).

There's absolutely no harm in a sensible wash (not a deep scrub) and a bit of deoderant/anti-perspiring. It won't give you Alzheimer's, it won't force toxins back into your body. The deodorant is no worse for your skin flora than the heinous scrubbing.

We live in a crowded society. No one wants to smell hippy BO, but don't go overboard either.

Logic and reason, people, logic and reason.

Pitrok is a chunk of ammonium alum (often referred to as "natural mineral salt") not the same as Aluminum-based compounds which are the nasties in normal deodorants.

*anti-perspirant

13stitches how do you know that anti perspirants wont cause Alzheimers and cancer. The jury is out on what causes these things but you cannot state for definite that they don't. It is pretty safe to say that using strong chemicals on the body that then seeps into our systems is not going to be good for us and the more we can avoid them the better. Anti perspirants block and plug the pores so that toxins cannot escape and therefore no smell escapes. So where do those toxins go.

Roll on underarms and under boobs after each shower. . Shower first thing in morning and last thing at night. With a shower when I get in from work in the hot summer.

No one knows what causes Alzheimers, hardly likely to be linked to antiperspiratnts though. I'll take my chances rather than smell like a musty old woman now.

The founder of Soapwalla had lupus, and at its worst she couldn't put anything on her skin because it was so sensitive. She started experimenting and that's how she created her range.

I'm not saying that we all have autoimmune diseases, but clearly not all chemicals are the same and some are more irritant than others.

Millie love- which toxins are you talking about? Anti perspirants block and plug the pores so that toxins cannot escape and therefore no smell escapes. So where do those toxins go.

The liver is the organ that removes unwanted substances from the body and they are filtered by our kidneys too and excreted in urine and poo. We don't sweat 'toxins'. Do some reading on basic biology.

Smells under pits etc are caused by bacteria in the air latching on to sweat- the smell is a by-product of their action. Sweat itself has no smell at all- it's water and salt. That's why if you dehydrate the remedy is water + salt.