What’s Your Choice? Deodorant or Antiperspirant?

(This post was sponsored by Secret. All opinions are my own.)

I LOVE a good myth-buster, don’t you? I bust pregnancy and postpartum myths all the time here on my blog. But let’s talk about a few myths that don’t just pertain to just pregnancy and postpartum . . . but to sweat. You know I love to sweat and being in the midwest 6-months pregnant this summer had me sweatier than usual. I started to question my deodorant choices and what I really needed to keep me feeling fresh. I got some answers, and I’m sharing them with you. So here’s a little True/False quiz for you. Let me know how you do in the comments.

True or False:  Deodorant and antiperspirant are the same thing.

False! Deodorant is NOT designed to prevent your body from sweating—antiperspirant is! Deodorant is designed to mask the scent of body odor created by sweat where antiperspirant is designed to prevent your body from sweating so much. There are various options designed for different levels of physical activity, different types of days (workout day, hang out day, or even a big day at work!), and depending on our body, and how we sweat, each of us may need one or the other. Consider keeping one or both on hand. It’s your choice!

True or False: Aluminum-free products are better for the body.

False! You may have heard the rumor that using aluminum-free products are “better” for women. However, the FDA, American Cancer Society, Alzheimer’s Association and National Cancer Institute, have all refuted claims that link products containing aluminum to negative health outcomes. I recently spoke with a friend of mine who is a highly respected oncologist, and she confirmed for me that “There’s no conclusive evidence linking the use of underarm antiperspirants or deodorants with breast cancer. Some reports have suggested that aluminum and parabens in these products may be harmful as they can be absorbed through the skin, but NO clinical studies have yet given a definitive answer to the question of whether these products cause breast cancer. The evidence to date suggests these products don’t cause cancer.”

True or False: You can avoid aluminum by using an aluminum-free product.

Also false! Did you know that aluminum is the third most abundant element on Earth? It makes up 7-8 percent of the earth’s crust, which means we are encountering it all the time and everywhere we go because it naturally occurs in the air we breathe and food we eat. Everyday products like pots and pans, antacids, food and beverage cans and food processing machines, also contain aluminum or aluminum compounds as well. There is even an aluminum-compound is used to purify water!

True or False: Aluminum is safe for use on skin.

True. Aluminum-based ingredients are the only ingredients deemed safe and effective by the FDA to temporarily stop sweat, and as I shared above, stopping sweat is what antiperspirants do! For an antiperspirant product to legally follow its mission of helping women stay dry, it must contain aluminum.

So how’d you do? Was your knowledge on deodorant and antiperspirants up to par? What did you find the most surprising? I really hope you’ll consider the research above when making your choice to use deodorant, antiperspirant or both. Share in the comments and let me know.