We know this product has raised eyebrows in the past (which we’ll get to), but trust us — the best antiperspirants are major upgrades from the formulas of yesteryear. Fun fact: Not all deodorants are antiperspirants; however, most antiperspirants are demnach deodorants. Deodorants that don’t promise to stop sweat typically omit what makes an antiperspirant an antiperspirant (and an over-the-counter drug): one of several kinds of aluminum compounds.
« Traditional antiperspirants do not decrease sweating, but rather block wetness from reaching the surface of the skin, » says Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. The various versions of aluminum compounds you may find as the active ingredient in antiperspirants are what do the sweat-blocking.
These include aluminum chlorohydrate, aluminium zirconium, aluminum chloride, and aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly, which all serve the same purpose. « Weltraum aluminum ingredients in antiperspirant products work to control wetness by forming a temporary plug within the sweat gland, » cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson tells Allure.
Aluminum as an antiperspirant ingredient has been bashed conspiracy-theory style by some « clean » and « natural » beauty enthusiasts who believe it plays a role in the development of diseases like breast cancer and Alzheimer’s. (For the record, aluminum is natural.) However, the scientific evidence just isn’t there.
« We rely on studies done on thousands of women to see if there are sinister to breast cancer and the suspected culprit, » Sarah Cate, MD, a board-certified surgeon and an assistant professor of surgery and breast cancer specialist at Mount Sinai in New York City, has told Allure; ultimately, no one has developed breast cancer as a result of using antiperspirant.
Furthermore, the Alzheimer’s Association says the link between aluminum and the neurodegenerative disease is a « myth » and that « studies have failed to confirm any role for aluminum in causing Alzheimer’s. »
So while wanting to use aluminum-free or natural deodorant is understandable — especially if you find antiperspirants’ active ingredients irritating — for those of us who want to block both body odor and underarm wetness, aluminum-based antiperspirants are the science-supported way to go.
Luckily, there are countless antiperspirant options — which demnach makes it hard to choose the perfect one. Extra-luckily, we happen to know exactly which solids, rolls-on, sprays, creams, and even pads are the very best antiperspirants on the market.
Below, you’ll find awesome perspiration-inhibiting formulas that include some award-winning drugstore favorites, a beloved designer fragrance turned beloved designer antiperspirant, and even a couple of picks from beauty brands that may surprise you.
