Frequently

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Questions

Sweat is natural and happens to all of us. It’s a mix of salt, water, proteins and oils that’s produced by over 3 million sweat glands all over your body. Sweating (also known as perspiration) is your body’s natural way of controlling and reducing your temperature. You actually sweat about a litre every day, but most of it evaporates, so you don’t notice. This sweat can increase to up to 10 litres a day if it’s really hot or you’re exercising hard. Excessive, constant sweating is clinically known as Hyperhidrosis. If you constantly have excessively sweaty palms, sweaty feet, sweaty armpits, you’ll find that a clinical strength antiperspirant gives you a more effective level of protection, so that you can move more without the worry of excessive sweating.

You sweat to cool down. Perspiration lowers your body temperature as it evaporates – it’s your body’s natural way of maintaining your optimum temperature. However, other factors such as illness, hormones, the environment, exercise, adrenaline and stress can also cause you to sweat – sometimes profusely – or can trigger severe night sweats.

When we get sweaty, it’s from either two types of sweat glands on the skin: Apocrine – found mainly in the underarm area – and Eccrine glands, which are found all over the skin surface. Sweating is controlled by the body’s autonomic nervous system – the part of our nervous system which is under involuntary or ‘unconscious’ control. Apocrine glands become active from puberty and are found mainly in the underarms. They produce sweat when we feel stress, pain or exercise. The sweat from apocrine glands that’s responsible for producing smelly sweat. Eccrine glands are the most abundant type of sweat gland, found all over the skin and start to function soon after birth, releasing a dilute salt solution made up of 99% water. It’s the Eccrine gland that’s responsible for the wet sensation of sweat. Sweat produced from the Eccrine glands are key in keeping the body cool by thermoregulation.

Surprisingly, sweat doesn’t actually smell. In fact, it’s completely odorless. We call the smell associated with sweat “body odor” (or BO) and it’s caused by the bacteria that lives on your skin. Your body is home to millions of harmless bacteria that thrive in moist, humid and nutrient-rich environments like your underarms, producing by-products that have a very distinctive smell. Smelly ‘sweat’ isn’t harmful to your health, but it can be a bit embarrassing. To help prevent sweaty body odor, ensure your underarms are clean and dry and use an antiperspirant regularly to keep you feeling (and smelling) fresh.

Excessive sweating is also referred to as “heavy sweating”. If you constantly have sweaty hands and feet, sweaty palms, severe night sweats, and struggle with heavy sweating every day, you may have hyperhidrosis. Only a small percentage of people who experience excessive sweating also have this medical condition. Excessive sweating occurs when you sweat, even without the triggers of heat, stress or exercise. Everybody sweats. But not everybody sweats in the same way. This is usually down to overactive sweat glands and hormones. To live without the stress of stickiness and sweat patches, choose a clinical protection antiperspirant.

Antiperspirants help to control sweat and body odor by using aluminum salts, the active ingredient found in antiperspirants, which dissolve into the moisture on your skin. This then forms a gel, which temporarily (and safely) sits on top of the sweat gland, limiting the amount of sweat that’s released. This ‘stopper’ provides enhanced odor control and reduces unpleasant underarm wetness. A good antiperspirant like Degree will leave you feeling fresh, dry and confident to keep moving.

Antiperspirants and deodorants are actually two different products with different purposes. Knowing the difference is key to finding the protection you need. Antiperspirants help prevent sweat reaching the skin’s surface and protects from body odor so that you feel fresh and dry, whereas deodorants and body sprays control body odor without actually reducing the amount you sweat. Antiperspirants control sweat and body odor firstly by preventing sweat reaching the skin surface and secondly by reducing the bacteria that causes body. Deodorants, on the other hand, only contain antimicrobial agents to prevent body odor.

Yes, antiperspirants and deodorants are proven to be completely safe to use. A go-to hero for millions of people every single day, antiperspirant and deodorant formulas are extensively evaluated on a regular basis. Degree is always looking to provide you with the absolute best protection from sweat. There is no scientific research to suggest that any of the ingredients used in antiperspirants and deodorants are harmful for your health. Many people choose to use natural deodorant, unscented deodorant or aluminum-free deodorant. Like every personal care product, it’s all about choosing what’s best for you and your lifestyle.

There are no known health risks associated with using antiperspirant and deodorant. However, some people do experience sensitivity. All of us experience skin sensitivity from time to time, and some people find that antiperspirants and deodorants can irritate their underarm skin. This is generally caused by a minor reaction to fragrance, alcohol or aluminum salts. You don’t have to put up with sensitivity. Get savvy about which products to use. Give unscented deodorant, natural deodorant or aluminum-free deodorant a go.

In a nutshell, using antiperspirant does not prevent your body from sweating out harmful toxins. Experts state that around 95% of toxins are removed from the body by the liver and kidneys, not by sweat. Your body sweats to control temperature and not to remove toxins. Antiperspirants do not affect how your body sweats overall. Sweat is produced by 2-5 million sweat glands around the body, and antiperspirants and deodorants only affect a few in your armpits.

First things first. Antiperspirants are activated by aluminum salts to help reduce the flow of sweat, while deodorants mask the smell of sweat using fragrance. Whichever your choice, both are completely safe to use. Sweat mildly or hardly at all? You probably don’t need to use aluminum-infused protection, so go for aluminum-free deodorant. Sweat heavily every day? Go for a strong antiperspirant. It’s all about choosing the right deodorant or antiperspirant for you.

Whether you choose natural deodorant, antiperspirant or aluminum-free deodorant, it’s a matter of personal preference. Aluminum-free deodorants help to reduce the bacteria that cause body odor, but antiperspirants have the added benefit of controlling the flow of sweat to avoid the feeling of underarm wetness.

There is no convincing or conclusive scientific evidence to suggest using antiperspirant increases the likelihood of developing breast cancer. This view is supported by numerous cancer experts, charities and health authorities. Degree takes your health and the safety of your products very seriously. For more information, visit  Can antiperspirants cause breast cancer?Opens in a new window