Everyone knows that after you get up in the morning and start whatever routine you usually do, be it a workout, a prayer or whatever, the ‘next step’ is to get yourself up and go into the bathroom. After a shower, you put on deodorant and whatever else you use for your skin. That’s the “right way” people have been taught to apply deodorant or antiperspirant their entire lives. What happens if I tell you you’ve been doing it wrong all this time? What if I tell you your antiperspirant works better at night? Well, not me, that’s what the experts said.
What is an Antiperspirant?
“Antiperspirants are products designed to reduce sweat or perspiration on the skin. They are available in many formulations including creams, powders, sprays, towels, and roll-ons” says Dr Maanasa Bandla, Resident Doctor, Melbourne, Australia.
Antiperspirant vs Deodorant
A common mistake most people make is thinking that antiperspirants and deodorants are one and the same. They are not. In many ways, they do different jobs. Antiperspirants work to reduce the production of sweat under your arms and deodorants largely only mask the smell, sweat could cause. Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph.D., MSN confirms Healthline’s article which says deodorants are formulated to eliminate armpit odour but not perspiration. They’re typically alcohol-based. When applied, they turn your skin acidic, which makes it less attractive to bacteria. While the active ingredients in antiperspirants usually include aluminium-based compounds that temporarily block sweat pores. Blocking sweat pores reduces the amount of perspiration that reaches your skin.
Should You Apply Antiperspirant At Night?
The short answer is yes, yes you should.
Antiperspirants work better at night because your temperature lowers at night. This means you are less likely to sweat which gives the antiperspirant the room it needs to work efficiently. Using antiperspirants during the day isn’t bad but it won’t work as effectively as it would at night. A study carried out by the British Journal of Dermatology found that applying antiperspirant at night when the body naturally sweats less “improves conditions for the active ingredients to enter the duct”.
During the day, your sweat glands are active, which means the ingredients will have to work extra hard to seep into your skin, if it does at all. Antiperspirants work best on dry skin. If under your arm is wet, it may not penetrate the skin the way it should. Also, antiperspirants, when used right last up to 24 hours. What this means is it will not wash off if you shower in the morning.
Benefits Of Applying Antiperspirant At Night
- The active ingredients last 24 hours. This means you’re not going to “wash it of” when you shower.
- There is more time for the product to sink into your skin.
- Antiperspirants work better on dry skin, rather than after your shower in the morning.
- The product will absorb faster because your sweat glands are less active at night.