We can all do our morning routines with our eyes closed (and knowing how tired we are when we wake up, we usually are half asleep) – shower, brush our teeth, ditching our PJs and spraying our under arms with a spritz of deodorant.
Well, apparently, what we’ve been doing for the last two decades or so…is all wrong – at least skincare experts believe so.
Dermatologists have revealed we should be applying anti-perspirant and deodorant at night in order to keep ourselves sweat (and stink) free.
Skin expert Lucy Faddoul, brand ambassador for the Veri Luci skincare clinic, told Tyla: “We use deodorant to control the amount of perspirant, or sweat.
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“Sweating plays a vital role in our health. It eliminates toxins from the body, helps maintain the balance of salt levels and regulates the body temperature.
“On average in one day we can lose around two pints of sweat through our skin but we just don’t notice it as it evaporates quickly once secreted.”
Lucy added that sweat on its own is odourless, but whiffy smells begin to build up through bacteria on our skin.
“Deodorant controls the smell, and not the sweat,” she said. “While anti-perspirant stops the sweat, but not the smell.
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“The apocrine glands, located primarily around your underarms and groin, tend to be the most stinky because they sweat they produce is laced with fat and proteins. When this mixes with the bacteria on your skin, it creates a funky odour.”
And applying your antiperspirant first thing, when you’re fresh out the shower, is not the most effective way to stop you from sweating.
“You don’t have to choose between having smelly armpits or soggy armpits. As long as you use antiperspirant and deodorant correctly, you can certainly use them together to control sweat and eliminate foul body odour,” Lucy said.
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“You should apply antiperspirant at night — before you go to bed. This gives the antiperspirant ample time to 'activate'. When you’re sleeping, sweat glands are less active and your body is at rest. This creates the optimal environment for antiperspirant to work its magic.
“Make sure this is in clean dry skin with ample time to for it to take effect.”
Lucy also warned of using an anti-perspirant and deodorant together.
“f you apply your antiperspirant and deodorant at the same time, the results will likely be… disappointing. Antiperspirant needs time to activate on the skin without the interference of moisture, sweat, soap or deodorant residue,” she said.
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“Apply antiperspirant BEFORE deodorant at night, it’s best after a shower. When applying antiperspirant, make sure your skin is completely clean and dry. Even leftover soap or deodorant residue can hamper the effectiveness of your antiperspirant
“Let antiperspirant dry and activate for two to three hours before applying your deodorant.
“For stronger antiperspirant, apply at night and don’t apply deodorant until morning.”
Lucy also warned away from using spray deodorants, saying roll-ons provide more comprehensive coverage.
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“You use far less of the product and we have a better change of distributing it more evenly it’s also great for travel as they always tend to be a small item plus you have less change of causing damages to the underarm,” she said.
“When you use spray deodorants or anti-perspirant and you hold the can too close, it can cause an aerosol burn by the pressurised gas which feels cold and will damage the skin.”
Finally, Lucy says you should keep an eye out for more natural deodorants and antiperspirants.
“Aluminium is the most common ingredient which many antiperspirants use to plug the sweat glands and eliminate sweat secretion,” she said.
“As we cover the sweat glands and filter systems, this can cause a build up of toxin in the body.
“It has been also known that aluminium can cause cells to change which potentially links to health changes in the future.
“More natural solutions are on the market but not always as effective in controlling sweat or odour throughout the day but can be safer to consume every day.”
Looks like we really have to switch up that morning routine…
Featured Image Credit: Unsplash