Still Sweatin’ it Out in Winter? Consider Deodorant Tolerance

By: Meg Driscoll

Editor-in-Chief

picture courtesy of letterstorob.com

Excessive under-arm sweat has plagued my existence. Most activities or lack thereof have proved to be diaphoretic. There was even a time when I was convinced that I sweat while swimming.

So clearly, I’m a rare breed.

But what about the other more normal sweat-ers? The kind that aren’t clammy during blizzards and can actually sport dark grey t-shirts. I have often wondered, considered and heard of the concept of deodorant tolerance. Just like habitual alcohol consumption, people believe that anti-perspirants stop perspiration less with consistent use. And given my interest in finding sweat proof cures, I’d like to know as well.

And so I set out to find the nitty, gritty, stinking truth.

Personally, I believed this to be true. And I have discussed it with others prior to my current inquiry who felt the same way. It just seemed that after using a deodorant for an extended period of time, it was less effective.

In fact, years ago I tried a product called Certain Dri, an anti-perspirant designed specifically for excessive sweat-ers that, according to the bottle, comes doctor recommended and prescription strength. Although I did not use the product consistently for years, I felt that after many uses my shirts were less dry. I, the jaded sweat-er, attributed this to my sweating problem.

According to Bob Stites, media relations employee for Certain Dri, that is probably not the case. Stites said that he does not believe it is possible to build up anti-perspirant tolerance.

“Your pores are open 24/7 and they need to be closed to stop sweating,” said Stites. He added that sweat pores constantly open, grow and change, making the possibility of tolerant pores minimal.

That is what he said Certain Dri does. It is the only product, according to Stites, that uses aluminum chloride, which can work for up to 72 hours.

And yet, on the blog, “The Show Stopper,” the self-described patent attorney and rock climber living in Chicago claims that his deodorant is no longer keeping his dress shirts dry. He mourns that his glory days with his favorite deodorant of several years are over because he’s been noticing he’s not as dry or as fresh earlier in the day as he once was.

MC student Lindsay Sedor agrees that she has heard of this before and considered it herself. People she knows often switch shampoos as well because they believe shampooing with the same product makes their hair less healthy-looking and feeling.

Every day anti-perspirant and deodorant companies seem unaware of this conceived tolerance.

Procter & Gamble, the company which creates Secret and Old Spice (as well as many other personal care products) could not account for this notion.

A consumer relations representative had never been asked about this before and could only refer me to their website, pg.com.

At Mitchum, another representative had never heard of the idea and was unaware if companies considered it when creating products. The representative was also unsure if that was a concern of Revlon, the larger owner, or of Mitchum. (Many consumers may not know, but personal care companies seem to have as many conglomerations as media corporations.)

The rep from Mitchum referred me to The Personal Care Products Council. This body said that those decisions rest with the individual companies. Their website had nothing on the subject of tolerant under arm pores.

But of course, companies are unlikely to point out their products’ shortcomings.

From what I have found, it seems like an accepted idea in Europe. Many brands such as Vichy, SesDerma Dryses and Sanex Deodorants all claim to clinically test for deodorant tolerance. These products also claim better protection by not clogging pores.

One hot summer spent in Spain leads me to believe that the Europeans know all about deodorants not fulfilling expectations.

This method of fighting perspiration contrasts with that of Certain Dri and other US companies. Some, such as Unilever, which makes Degree and Dove products, now offer “clinical” variations to their existing products. These anti-perspirants must be applied at night to provide enough time to close pores for the following day.

With the myth still not entirely debunked, I asked my own dermatologist, Dr. Richard Eisenberg. He assured me that when dealing with such issues, the question is of anti-perspirant tolerance, not deodorant. It is possible, he says, to require a stronger anti-perspirant over time. The clinical name for such a disorder is called hyper hidrosis, in which products such as CertainDri or prescriptions are used. If those are not enough, Botox is often used to clog pores under the arms. In extreme cases, patients undergo surgery to cut nerves from under the arms.

The one downside to such intense protection though: the sweat has to leave your body somehow. Stites of CertainDri said that he had just heard from a woman that was very happy with the product but she had noticed that while she no longer sweats under her arms, she started sweating from her stomach.

Stites said that with 2 million pores in your body, the sweat will leave wherever it can. The hope is just that if it is not under the arm, then the moisture will dissipate.

Which, oddly enough, is consistent with my own experience. I can remember using Certain Dri and going on a run one summer day. I have never before noticed my shins to sweat and I could only attribute it to the product.

But, according to Eisenberg, the causes for this supposed anti-perspirant “tolerance” is not really tolerance. Shifts in hormones and bodily changes are likely the cause of extra sweating, not anti-perspirant ineffectiveness. This is especially true for the average swea-ter, the tolerance is most likely a perceived phenomenon.

This makes it even more difficult to gauge whether such notions based on personal experience, such as deodorant tolerance, are in fact true. In the case of deodorant tolerance, it appears to be folklore. But I had also used a product and felt that it caused a certain reaction from my body, and upon finding the truth, I was right.

While we want to believe that we are experts of our own bodies, perhaps it is best to keep our sweaty opinions to ourselves and consult the experts- but that certainly takes a lot of the fun out it.

Tags: deodorant, sweat