We know what you’re thinking. How on earth can you spray or swipe something into an armpit incorrectly?!
However, while it sounds simple, it is possible that you’ve been putting your deodorant on wrong – or may not even needed it at all.
Recent research from the University of Bristol looked at a group of female participants, and found that while 117 of them didn’t produce odour, they still wore deodorising products anyway.
Lead author of the study, Professor Ian Day, explained: ‘Three quarters of those who do not produce an odour regularly use deodorants; we believe that these people simply follow socio-cultural norms.’
And even if you’re not part of this percentage that doesn’t need deodorant, you could still be making a crucial mistake when applying the product.
According to lifestyle website The Verge, the secret to using your deodorant properly, it turns out, is to put it on in the evening, just before you go to bed.
‘On clinical strength antiperspirant, and on countless health websites, you will find this simple, easy, seemingly illogical advice: apply antiperspirant right before you go to bed,’ the author of the piece, Chris Plante, explains.
The logic behind the decision is that antiperspirant works by blocking the sweat glands in your underarms, to prevent moisture escaping. Applying it and then leaving overnight gives the product a chance to ‘soak in’ and block the ducts effectively.
When you apply your antiperspirant in the morning, your moving body is generally a higher temperature, and therefore has more of a chance to sweat, undoing all of the good work that your deodorant is trying to do before it’s able to set in effectively. Your body temperature at night is notably cooler, meaning you’ll sweat less and give your deodorant a fighting chance to keep you fresh and sweat-free.
According to a new feature, the time of day that you apply your deodorant can have a huge impact on its effectiveness
And to those naysayers who think it’ll just wash off when you shower in the morning? Chris explains that once it’s had time to set, antiperspirant should last for 24 hours, regardless of whether you douse it in a bit of body wash and water. Showering before applying deodorant actually means your armpit is more likely to be damp, and the product takes less well to the skin in this instance anyway.
A seperate report from Livestrong concurs with the advice, and says that according to doctors, there’s no need to reapply your deodorant over the top of the existing layer in the morning. Of course, you can do so if you want to, but if you can save yourself stocking up on Sure for another few weeks and have it work just as well, why waste the product?
It’s important to note that this trick is only effective with actual antiperspirant deodorants, rather than products that are simply designed to mask odour rather than prevent it. You want to stop the sweat, not just cover up the resulting smell!
However, if we test it out and it really does work, we might just be converts to the night time deodorant method. Are you tempted to give it a go too?
What’s your take – awesome beauty hack, or load of rubbish? Leave us a comment and let us know if you’ll be changing your routine!
