Sweating is no fun. We know this, which is why we use deodorant.
In fact, 63 per cent of British women cite sweating as their most embarrassing body issue, reports Perspirex.
However, apparently we’ve been doing it wrong our whole lives, as a doctor revealed the errors of our sweaty ways to Cosmopolitan.
According to Dr Dawn Harper, who appears on Embarrassing Bodies, there are four common mistakes everyone makes when applying the antiperspirant.
NO matter how much you spray before leaving the house in the mornings, sometimes our deodorant lets us down - big time.
But rather than blaming the antiperspirant itself, the reason you're sweating may be more to do with how you're applying it than its effectiveness.
It turns out there are some seriously common mistakes we’ve all been making when it comes to applying deodorant – and adding subtle changes to your routine could be life changing.
It makes sense to put your antiperspirant on as soon as you're clean to prevent any rogue sweating. But the problem is, your pits might still be damp. "To get the best results you apply deodorant to completely dry skin," says Dr Dawn Harper, who's working with antiperspirant experts Perspirex.
Naturally, we want to remain sweat-free for the entirety of our days – afternoon sweat patches appeal to no man - so it’s only normal that most of us would apply lashings of our deodorant shortly after we hit the snooze button.
However, Dr. Dawn Harper suggests applying deodorant in the evening instead, explaining that leaving it on overnight has a more long-lasting effect. She advises following this up by washing your armpits the next morning with soap and water.
Apparently, we shouldn’t even be using it every day.
“Apply two strokes up and two strokes down to each armpit. You should only need to do this once or twice a week," Harper advised.
Yep, just once or twice a week. We’re frightened too.
"You should allow your antiperspirant to dry fully," says Dr Dawn, who even suggests using a hairdryer on a cool setting to help it along.
Crucially, one prevents odour, while the other prevents sweat.
Antiperspirants work to help stop the root cause of body odour by reducing sweating in the underarm area.
Meanwhile the main focus of deodorant is to mask the smell of excessive bacteria that may arise during times of moderate to heavy exertion.
If you don't sweat that much but are worried about underarm pong, a deodorant might be enough.
Hang on a bit, as doing so risks aggravating the skin.
It's bound to be more sensitive after doing the rounds with a razor, so applying deodorant to your pits straight away is likely to make it sting.
As with so many other things out there, society makes deodorant a gender issue. Acting like one deodorant is better for a man and one is better for a woman is a complete marketing ploy and scam. Sure, a deodorant brand might like their pretty, flowery deodorant stick is better for females, but that's not true - the active ingredient is the same in deodorant made for men or women. So, don't be afraid to grab for whatever is cheaper or whatever works for you.
If you have sensitive skin, then you already know that it can be hard to find beauty products that don't cause some sort of irritated reaction. Deodorant is no different. Opt for an unscented version over a scented one if your skin is very sensitive - the chemicals used to create the scent can irritate skin or leave it with a rash. You might not even think you have sensitive skin, but you could under your arms - that's the case for me!
Boob sweat and butt sweat suck. Maybe you've had a moment where you've thought, "Let me just put some deodorant under my bra. Can't hurt to try!" While this may not be the end of the world, it probably isn't the best idea. There aren't many studies out there warning against putting deodorant on other parts of your body besides your underarms, but it should be noted that many deodorant companies advise against doing so in the small print of things. I once wrote an article about a deodorant I liked and said it was great to use for boob sweat - when the company saw I wrote that, they immediately emailed me and asked me to remove that line, saying it's not a good idea. Lesson learned! If you're sweating in weird spots, try using baby powder or chafing gel instead.
Some formulas last for 48 hours, so always pay attention to the label.
Don't apply too much either - usually just one to two swipes is sufficient.
