Do You Need a Whole Body Deodorant?
What these new products are made of, and whether they're effective or necessary
It’s hard to miss ads for all-over or whole-body deodorants, but what makes them different from underarm sticks and roll-ons? Whole-body deodorants are designed to reduce odor all over the body. They tend to contain gentler ingredients and may omit potential allergens in contrast to underarm-only products, but they’re not free of irritants. They also come with a higher price tag than underarm-only odor-killers.
Whole-body deodorants are cosmetic products that are intended to reduce body odor wherever it arises. Their makers advertise that they can be safely applied to the feet, groin, and even the face.
Creamy whole-body deodorants can be spread easily, while stick products offer a stiffer format, similar to conventional underarm deodorant. Many whole-body products incorporate plant-based ingredients, including castor oil, caffeine, and cocoa seed butter.Some deodorants are unscented, but most come with lightly-scented fragrances. Some products also include “sweat control” options, combining odor control with anti-perspirant effects, but they’re not marketed as complete antiperspirants.
How Do They Work?
Body odor comes from bacteria that grow and feed on your body’s sweat, skin oil, and other glandular secretions. Whole-body deodorants typically contain antibacterial ingredients as well as fragrances that mask undesirable odors. Some are formulated with acids that reduce the pH of your skin, creating an unfriendly environment for smelly bacteria.
There are few if any whole body anti-perspirants. However, some whole body products are marketed as offering “sweat control.” They use the same types of aluminum-derived ingredients as traditional antiperspirants, although their manufacturers don’t say they will eliminate perspiration, probably because there’s a legal difference between deodorants and antiperspirants.
Deodorants are considered to be cosmetic products and are not regulated by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Antiperspirants are regulated by the FDA because they are made with aluminum compounds which act not only to reduce body odor but also to stop sweat. These compounds can potentially impact health, so antiperspirants containing them are regulated.
Safety and Health Concerns
A few studies evaluating deodorant use and the microbiome have shown that as they inhibit bacterial growth, they can change bacterial populations. A 2014 study of young adult Belgians published in the Archives of Dermatological Research showed that deodorant and antiperspirant use increased the population of Actinobacteria, an odor-producing microbe.
Some people may also develop sensitivities and allergies to various ingredients in regular or whole-body deodorant. Some of the most common ingredients used in deodorants that can lead to skin sensitivity or contact dermatitis are fragrances (natural or lab-created), parabens, lanolin, and propylene glycol. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, about 2.5 million or 3% of the population is allergic to some fragrances. All of the whole body deodorants on the market contain either parabens or propylene glycol, or both.
With so many types of whole body deodorant on the market, you would expect that there would be some hypoallergenic products, but all contain some potentially allergenic ingredients so far. Some people with sensitive skin find that products with zeolite crystals cause less skin irritation, but there aren’t any zeolite whole body deodorants yet on the market.
Antiperspirants, the FDA-regulated product, are another matter. They block sweat by filling your sweat ducts with gel-like aluminum compounds.
Some researchers have suggested that aluminum compounds are associated with a greater risk of Alzheimer’s Disease and breast cancer, but the evidence is inconclusive. There’s also the question of whether you would really want to prevent your entire body from sweating, a natural and important mechanism for cooling the body on hot days or during exercise. Sweat glands also cleanse the body of toxins.
Do You Need Them?
Some whole body deodorants say they’ll prevent unwanted body odor for up to 72 hours. Others promise they can be used anywhere on the body where an undesirable odor might arise, and according to Ohio State University dermatologist Susan Massick, the products may benefit people with moderate body odor concerns.
Choosing a whole body deodorant is a matter of selecting one with ingredients that won’t irritate your skin, just as you would with traditional underarm products.
However, I wrote this article for a reason. I’ve used deodorant and/or antiperspirant every day of my adult life. I had to switch from aluminum-containing products due to skin irritation. I recently experienced more skin irritation from an aluminum-free product I’d been using for several years.
To cure the rash under my arm, I went deodorant-free for several days and discovered an amazing fact: Even when working out, I did not have an unpleasant body odor. All I needed to do was continue to shower regularly with mild soap. I started wondering if the contemporary concept of people in Medieval times smelling terrible because they never bathed and didn’t use deodorant might be untrue. After all, a lot of our current problems with body odor and skin conditions are diet-related. For example, a 2006 study published in the Journal of Chemical senses found that a high-meat diet produced a less appealing body odor than one low in meat. A 2019 study published in Temperature (Austin) found that a high level of sugar in sweat affected bacterial growth and influenced body odor.
Most Medieval people in the 1200s ate simple diets free of sugar and preservatives and may not have smelled as awful as we imagine.
Researchers are working to uncover the complex interactions of microbes, our natural sweat and other secretions, and our internal body chemistry. Deodorants and antiperspirants stop or mask bad odors, but they don’t get at the root cause of the problem.
I’ve saved some money by not buying and using whole body deodorant, and I’m still stink-free.
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