What’s the difference between deodorant and antiperspirant?

Do you ever find that you develop sweat marks halfway through the day, or smell less than fresh after a busy morning? You could be confusing an antiperspirant with a deodorant. While it may sound obvious, there is a big difference between the two, so understanding their purpose is key to making sure you get the protection you need. Read on to find out more about the difference between deodorant and antiperspirant; we’ll answer common questions like “how does antiperspirant deodorant work?” and “are antiperspirant deodorants bad for you?”

What is a deodorant?

Deodorants are designed to protect you from body odour, so they generally contain fragrance and alcohol. Fresh sweat doesn’t smell. The smell occurs when the bacteria on your skin break down sweat and produce acids that smell bad. Using a deodorant makes your skin slightly more acidic and a less appealing environment for bacteria. You’ll still sweat, but the ingredients in deodorant should stop you from smelling. Deodorants are a great way of freshening up – they’ll keep you smelling good, feeling shower-fresh and certain deodorants can even be used on your whole body.

What is an antiperspirant?

Antiperspirants work to control both body odour and sweat by using aluminium-based compounds as an active ingredient. These aluminium salts work to block your sweat glands and prevent moisture from being able to reach the surface of your skin, and can be used on any areas of your body that produce sweat. This effect is temporary, and eventually the antiperspirant wears off, allowing you to release sweat again.

Deodorant vs antiperspirant

Now you understand the difference between deodorant and antiperspirant, which should you choose? If you can’t decide, you might opt for an antiperspirant deodorant that does the job of both!

Protection

Deodorant offers protection against body odour, while antiperspirant protects against sweat. If you have a busy or stressful lifestyle, are exercising or the weather is hot, antiperspirant may be a better choice for you as it will keep you dry. Deodorant is best suited to less active days or people who don’t sweat as much. Only an antiperspirant deodorant can keep you dry whilst also tackling body odour.

Freshness

Both deodorant and antiperspirant have pleasant scents to keep you smelling fresh all day. If you need a top up, you can reapply both whenever you need it. Sanex Dermo Active Freshness Antiperspirant Deodorant offers lasting odour protection up to 48 hours, giving you confidence that lasts all day. 

Care

If you have sensitive skin, certain antiperspirants or deodorants can irritate your delicate underarm skin, causing dryness, redness,  irritation or even discolouration. Sanex Derma Care range is developed with dermatologists and keeps skin healthy by restoring your skin’s natural pH level, while offering both sweat control and odour protection.

How should I apply an antiperspirant and deodorant?

Antiperspirant is usually applied to the underarms as this is where your main sweat glands are, but you can also apply it to other areas where you perspire, such as your chest, back, feet and inner thighs. A deodorant spray, on the other hand, can be used all over the body to freshen up and maintain that post-shower feeling. You can also find products that provide both deodorising and antiperspirant protection, which is ideal if you don’t like to use lots of different products. Here are some tips on how to use both deodorant and antiperspirant:

• Choose your favourite product, whether that’s antiperpsirant deodorant for women, men or for sensitive skin. You can also choose between roll-on or spray varieties.

• Always apply your antiperspirant or deodorant to clean and dry skin. Using deodorant straight after showering allows it to perform at its best. 

• If you’re using a roll-on deodorant, a few swipes under each arm will give even coverage. For spray deodorant, give it a shake, hold around 15cm away from your underarms and spray a few bursts. 

• Let it absorb for a minute before getting dressed to avoid your deodorant transferring onto your clothes. You can also get anti-stain deodorant –  look for formulas labelled as ‘invisible’ that have been designed to prevent leaving white marks or residue behind. 

• Sanex Derma Care range provides up to 48 hours of protection, and as the formula is developed by dermatologists and gentle on skin, you can reapply it any time you need to. 

Look for gentle formulas

If you have sensitive skin, you may find that some deodorants irritate your delicate underarm area. You can avoid this by using gentle formulas that don’t contain harsh ingredients such as alcohol and aluminium. Sanex Zero Extra Control Roll On, for example, uses gentle alternatives like micro talc to control sweat for up to 48 hours..

How else can you stay smelling fresh?

You can also control body odour and sweat production by cleansing your body once or twice a day with a pH-balanced shower gel, like Sanex Expert Skin Health Hypoallergenic Shower Gel. Overly fragranced bath and shower products can actually make the problem of body odour worse as they can alter your skin’s pH balance, which encourages bacteria to grow. You should also shower immediately after vigorous exercise to reduce body odour and bacteria forming on your skin and clinging to your clothes.

FAQs

Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about deodorant vs antiperspirant:

How does antiperspirant deodorant work?

Antiperspirants use aluminium-based compounds as an active ingredient to temporarily block your sweat glands. This means that moisture is unable to reach the surface of your skin. They also often contain fragrance to neutralise body odour, keeping you both dry and smelling fresh.

Are antiperspirant deodorants bad for you?

There has been concern that the aluminium salts in antiperspirant can be absorbed by your skin and can affect the oestrogen receptors of your breast cells, causing breast cancer. Research has shown there’s no clear link between antiperspirant deodorant and breast cancer; however, research is limited. 

What’s the difference between deodorant and antiperspirant?

Deodorant helps to neutralise body odour by making your skin more acidic and less attractive to bacteria. Antiperspirants use aluminium compounds to temporarily block sweat from reaching the surface of your skin. So the main difference between deodorant and antiperspirant is that antiperspirant stops sweating, while deodorant eliminates body odour. You can also get an antiperspirant deodorant that does the job of both.