When it comes to products that care for the way we smell, deodorants are some of the most popular ones out there.
Throughout your lifetime, chances are you’ve used such a product on your skin after showering, before going out, etc.
Most of you know that there are men’s and women’s deodorants, although both can be used by eighter. However, there are some common misconceptions regarding them, and we are going to try and tell you all that there is to it.
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There Is a Clear Difference between Deodorants and Antiperspirants
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The reason why we smell after sweating isn’t down to the sweat itself, it’s down to a combination of sweat and bacteria. We mostly sweat after doing physical activities, if we’re too hot, etc. But did you know that sweat is odorless?
As we mentioned, whenever bacteria come into contact with our sweat, our armpit area starts giving out bad odors. To help with this issue, you can lend the hand of antiperspirant and deodorant.
But there is a clear difference as to what both do. The former is used to effectively plug the area of sweating through a coat of aluminum compound that promotes less sweating.
The latter, however, is used to effectively eliminate, or kill, the bacteria that are causing the sweating in the first place.
While both essentially do the same job, both prevent bad odors, it’s up to you to choose the way you want to eliminate the bacteria that is responsible for it. Luckily for you, your job is made easy as there are products nowadays that combine both methods.
Now that you know the main difference as to what is what, let’s find out some other things about this product.
They Don’t Cause Breast Cancer
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There have been zero (0) examples of such odor repellants to cause breast cancer. Most of the news that you see around the topic is mostly fake, and most of the headlines were filled on newspaper covers dating back to the 90s.
Once these rumors started printing, it wasn’t until the internet was filled with articles on the matter.
However, numerous research studies found no correlation between cancer and the chemicals found in deodorants. What’s even more interesting is that there are plenty of products out there that do not even use chemicals in their formula. Also, the question of antiperspirants and cancer has been debunked.
Many people also think that both products likely increase the risks of developing cancer in the breast areas, presumably for women. But, to burst yet another mythical bubble, this simply isn’t the case.
Most of the research conducted on both products concerning cancer was done by the American Cancer Society and the UK’s Cancer Institute, and both have publically debunked the myth in 2014.
However, most people still believe this myth. So, to help you put your mind to ease, here is an article from deodorant-reviews.com on the best alcohol-free products on the market.
Speaking of alcohol-free products, we will now discuss the ingredients of which deodorants are made.
Common Ingredients
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We mentioned that antiseptics use aluminum in a way to combat the bacteria that gives out the bad odor. Well, this was how antiseptics used to do the job, in the past. Currently, both deodorants and antiseptics use natural ingredients to prevent any bad odors.
Almost every company that manufactures and creates the formula for each product uses a “play safe” attitude towards the process. Currently, nearly 99.9% of all products are free of the potentially harmful aluminum and paraben ingredients.
As an example for some of the ingredients used in the product, skin-care companies use tea tree oil, which can be very beneficial for the skin, lemongrass, and of course, eucalyptus oils. And while these are the most common and rightfully most popular ingredients, others certainly do the job as well. Some other ingredients used in combination with the ones mentioned are mineral salts, which is the ingredient that effectively prevents the formation of harmful bacteria.
Now, we’re going to tell you a few other things that you had no idea of.
Anti-Bad Odor Isn’t New
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While many would think that deodorants, perfumes, and other products that combat bad odor, only exist for around a hundred years, this is simply far from the truth.
While some of you might think of the French during the 16th century as one of the first to use perfumes to repel bad odors, it was actually the ancient Egyptians that were obsessed with perfuming their armpits.
You Can Become Immune to it
A very surprising fact has recently emerged that says we can become immune to the deodorant we are using. It seems that our bodies do adapt to everything, and that includes our very own cleanser.
It is unclear how the body does this, although most say it does it in the form of producing more sweat. This comes as a surprise to the industry, as customers are encouraged to change products every six months.
Your Gender Doesn’t Matter
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We touched on this at the begging, so let’s explain it now.
The deodorant you’re using, regardless of which product that is, doesn’t discriminate your gender. If you’re a male and are using a woman’s odor repellant, it will not prevent sweating less or more.
The subject of male and female deodorants is simply a marketing ploy so that customers can associate with a product more. And while men do tend to sweat more than women, both types of products are created to give you the same amount of protection against bad odor.
So, what this essentially means is that you could be male and be using a pink deodorant, and it will not make a difference what so ever. The only difference is the aromatic scent that the product itself gives out, which tends to pick sides.
And with all this said, out of all the products out there, nearly 90% market themselves as eighter for males or for females. This is according to a study from USA Today, conducted back in 2006 on the subject of deodorants and price.