Antiperspirant!
Too often this thought slams into our brain as our hand reaches for the doorknob, coffee mug in one hand, car keys in the other, as we begin the daily rush that is our workday morning.
This simple ritual of daily grooming is often overlooked and misunderstood. How many times have you cranked out a two-mile run on your lunch break and returned to the conference room for a meeting only to avoid raising your hand to participate for fear of showing off your armpit sweat?
You try stick after spray after gel but get the same sweaty results. The problem may not be the product … but the application of the product.
According to experts, I’ve been using antiperspirants incorrectly for years. Chances are you have, as well. Before we get into the “how-to”, let’s look at the science of antiperspirants.
In the active lifestyle, there’s sweat – the body’s way of cooling down and getting rid of impurities. And then there’s really, really sweaty, which could be a chronic condition. That condition could be diagnosed as hyperhidrosis, the cause of those ever-present sweat rings on your shirt.
The easiest and cheapest treatment for excessive sweating is the use of antiperspirants – specifically, antiperspirants using the chemical aluminum chlorohydrate, a common type of aluminum salt. Common antiperspirants contain as much as 20 percent aluminum chlorohydrate, although doctors may prescribe a more powerful stick if needed.
Aluminum chlorohydrate mixes with perspiration on the skin surface and in the sweat ducts when applied to areas prone to excessive sweating. A chemical reaction occurs inside the sweat duct and the antiperspirant forms a shallow plug to reduce the flow of perspiration.
The key to an antiperspirant’s effectiveness, however, is proper application. And chances are, you’ve been using it incorrectly.
Antiperspirant Application
Instead of applying a few strokes of antiperspirant after your shower in the morning, medical professionals advise showering at night. Allow the skin under the arms to dry completely, then apply the antiperspirant before bed. The chemicals are absorbed into the sweat glands overnight. Is a morning wake-up shower a necessity to start your day? No worries. The antiperspirant won’t wash away.
American Academy of Dermatology board-certified dermatologist Dr. Farah Moustafa, Fellow of the AAD, recommends applying antiperspirants before your mid-day workout as well for added protection against sweaty pits.
Are Antiperspirants Safe?
But wait … aluminum chlorohydrate absorbed into your body? Is this safe?
Dr. Beth Santmyire-Rosenberger, an AAD board-certified dermatologist at Appalachian Spring Dermatology in West Virginia, addresses the health concerns of antiperspirant use in her blog. Dr. Rosenberger says even after making small nicks in the skin while shaving, the amount of aluminum that enters the bloodstream is minimal. She cites a claim by the National Institute of Health’s National Cancer Institute that “no scientific evidence links their use to breast cancer.” She also adds a claim from www.Alzheimers.org that states, “As yet no study or group of studies have been able to confirm that aluminum is involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.”
That being said, Dr. Rosenberger advises those who have lingering concerns about using antiperspirants to “follow your instincts.”
