Should everyone wear deodorant?

Activities all day long make your body sweat and smell. One trick to keep your body from smelling bad is to use deodorant. So, should everyone use deodorant to avoid body odor? Come on, find out the answer below.

Does everyone need to use deodorant?

Apart from perfumed oils, deodorants can also reduce the appearance of body odor. Usually, deodorant is used on the underarm area, which is prone to give off bad odors.

Almost everyone uses this product to prevent body odor. However, should this product actually be used? To answer this, researchers from the University of Bristol conducted a study published in Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

A total of 6,495 women were observed for variations in genes, age, and hygiene. The results showed that 117 women with a rare genetic makeup, namely active ABCC11, tended not to produce odor in their armpits.

Not only that, the study also noted that 78% of people with this rare genetic makeup still used deodorants. These findings indicate that not everyone should use deodorant. Especially, those with special genetics that do not produce underarm odor.

"These findings suggest that genetics can help a person choose personal care products, including deodorants," said Dr. Santiago Rodriguez, one of the researchers.

Even if they do not undergo genetic testing, people with these genes need to increase self-awareness. If he and those around him feel that his body is not emitting body odor, deodorant is unnecessary. Apart from saving expenses, this action also reduces the exposure to chemicals from deodorants in the body.

Researchers also mentioned that people with the genetic ABCC11 active tend to have dry earwax. So checking earwax can be an additional indicator of genetic variants as well as determining whether or not someone should use deodorant.

Who needs to use deodorant?

Woman applying deodorant

You certainly understand the function of deodorant, right? Yes, this product can help a person to reduce body odor. So, this product is very suitable for use in people who are very prone to body odor.

Well, this body odor is likely to appear in people who sweat a lot. That means, it tends to appear in people who are actively moving or doing outdoor activities. However, how often should people with this condition use deodorant?

According to S. Dover, MD, a dermatologist at Yale University School of Medicine, how often to use deodorants depends on the body's humidity levels. If you sweat a little and smell mild enough, you don't have to use it several times a day.

Also balance by cleaning the armpits with soap to reduce the bacteria that cause body odor. Before applying deodorant, make sure your underarm skin is dry.

According to Dover, using deodorants on dry skin is more effective.

Instead of deodorants, antiperspirants are better to use

Deodorants can reduce underarm odor, but they don't prevent sweat production. Remember, heavy sweating is what triggers body odor.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, instead of using deodorants, people who sweat easily or sweat more (hyperhidrosis) are better off choosing antiperspirants.

Antiperspirants work by clogging the sweat glands so that sweat production decreases. Not only underarms, antiperspirants can also be applied to other parts, such as the inner thighs and feet.

If you are still confused about which deodorant or antiperspirant to treat underarm odor, don't hesitate to consult a doctor.

Photo source: Cosmo PH.