Perspirex

Deodorants versus antiperspirants

Often the words deodorant and antiperspirant are used interchangeably; but actually there is a significant difference between the two.

Deodorants

Deodorants do not stop sweat. Instead, they are designed to temporarily neutralise the smell or odour from the bacteria living on the skin. Many deodorants contain fragrance which serves to mask bad odour.

Antiperspirants

Antiperspirants are different in that they actually work on decreasing or halting the production of perspiration in the sweat glands. Once antiperspirant is applied, this forms a temporary plug in the opening of the sweat gland which stops the sweat being released.

The antiperspirant plug is naturally dispelled over the next few days, the duration depending on which brand of antiperspirant has been used.

Did you know?
The active ingredient in antiperspirants is usually aluminium salts, which has been used to combat excessive sweating since the beginning of the 1900s. Aluminium salt in water solution was first used; followed later by an alcohol-based solution which was found to greatly prolong the antiperspirant effect.