# My Armpits Itch! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 22, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-armpits-itch/565081 "2010-12-22T17:16:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-armpits-itch/565081/1 "2010-12-22T17:16:22Z")
On my most recent trip, I bought a new brand of antiperspirant/deodorant (some Mennon stick in the trial size version), and now I notice that my armpits are itching. Is there some ingredient in the stick version that would make my armpits itch? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-armpits-itch/565081/2 "2010-12-22T17:18:07Z")
I dunno about mennon, but I do know that pretty much all brands of stick deoderant make me rashy in the pits so I have to use the spray deoderants. As for the itch, some otc hyrdocortisone cream will help out buckets. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-armpits-itch/565081/3 "2010-12-22T17:45:43Z")
I switched deoderants once and got a terrible rash - haven’t wavered in my affections since! I went from my regular stick (Dove) to some Secret one and oh god it was gross. So yes, you can be allergic to a specific brand. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-armpits-itch/565081/4 "2010-12-22T18:29:49Z")
I used to itch with all deodorants, but after I changed to Arm & Hammer stick deodorant, I have never had another itch.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-armpits-itch/565081/5 "2010-12-22T20:05:01Z")
I found that the ones containing an aluminum compound cause me to itch. Check the ingredients. If it has the aluminum, you found the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-armpits-itch/565081/6 "2010-12-24T19:51:21Z")
Tom’s Natural Deodorant gives me a horrible pit rash. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-armpits-itch/565081/7 "2010-12-24T23:42:18Z")
It can even happen with your favorite brand. They don’t have to tell you when they chance the formula. I used Old Spice deodorant for decades, then a new bar made me itch insanely. I switched brands, and the problem went away. However, using more than a couple of passes makes me itch. By the way, antiperspirants react with my body chemistry to make me smell worse than using nothing at all. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2010, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-armpits-itch/565081/8 "2010-12-25T04:30:19Z")
Most deodorants contain so many ingredients, it’d take years to figure out what you’re allergic to. Just try to remember which brands don’t give you a problem, and only buy them (until they change their formula). ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-armpits-itch/565081/9 "2010-12-26T15:37:10Z")
I so wanted to like Tom’s, but it both gave me a rash and I swear I smelled worse after an hour than if I hadn’t put on any deodorant at all. Actually, the several brands of “natural” deodorants I’ve tried all gave me rashes and made me smell worse than if I hadn’t used them. Too weird. ---
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-armpits-itch/565081/10 "2010-12-26T15:38:14Z")
> [@robcaro](#): > > I used to itch with all deodorants, but after I changed to Arm & Hammer stick deodorant, I have never had another itch.😃 On the money! ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-armpits-itch/565081/11 "2010-12-26T18:07:44Z")
I get skin rashes very easily, and have had my share of itchy armpits. For the last 15 years I have used Mitchum roll on, unscented, and have not had any problems. There appears to be two varieties: _deodorant_, and _anti-perspirant and deodorant_. I prefer the former.