For example, everyone is said to sweat at least a pint overnight whilst they are sleeping. Then throughout the day, if you do a lot of exercise and your job involves being on your feet a lot, you will no doubt be sweating quite a lot too.



Whilst others who have a sit down job and who are not as active will not sweat anywhere near as much. So this means that if you are doing more exercise, you will need a better deodorant than one designed for somebody who is not as active!

Overall, we have 2.6 million sweat glands in our entire body and both males and females have exactly the same amount. However, results show that women are better at taking the heat than men; therefore their deodorants are usually weaker than male ones. So how do you know which deodorant is right for you? What is the difference between an ordinary deodorant and an antiperspirant?



Deodorant versus Antiperspirant

A lot of people are uneducated about the difference between antiperspirants and ordinary deodorants. First of all an antiperspirant is mainly what you should use for under your arms. It helps to reduce the sweating by controlling the flow of the underarm sweat, and it also masks any body odor. Basically, the active ingredients which are contained in the antiperspirant dissolve the sweat on the skin surface, and it forms a gel which reduces the amount of sweat released.

Now, the ordinary deodorant acts as a body spray which uses a nice smelling fragrance to reduce the levels of bacteria. Unfortunately they do not stop you from sweating, and if you just use deodorant instead of antiperspirant, you will notice how quickly you will start to smell. When you do start smelling, deodorant will mask the smell but it will not get rid of the sweat itself so you will still end up with sweat patches.

However, whilst antiperspirants are definitely better at eliminating sweat, there have been some health concerns over the past few years. Some experts say that there are health risks with antiperspirants due to the aluminum compounds in it.

However, there have also been potential health risks found in ordinary deodorant due to the parabens which are found in them. In fact, some of the health risks they have been linked to shockingly include breast cancer, though critics argue that the studies were flawed so the results are not accurate.

So which one should you choose? Well, some healthcare experts say that although antiperspirant is great for eliminating sweat, clogging up the pores may not be the healthiest way to go about it. Therefore they recommend ordinary deodorants. However, it is entirely down to personal choice so if you do want to use an antiperspirant, it is entirely up to you.

Of course if you are still unsure you could bypass both options completely and look for more natural alternatives. If you do not sweat quite so much, it is recommended that you use baking soda under the arms. This helps many people though some cannot bear to use it. In natural stores you should find some deodorants, though they may not all be that natural so it is always better to check the label first!



Overall, it is entirely up to you which one you choose to use. Antiperspirants are by far the best choice though they are not always as perfumed as ordinary deodorants. It all depends upon how much you sweat so make a judgment based upon that. Whichever one you choose to go with, you should find a huge variety in your local drug store!