# Plain deodorant vs antiperspirant/deodorant combo?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plain-deodorant-vs-antiperspirant-deodorant-combo/681177
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 12, 2014, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plain-deodorant-vs-antiperspirant-deodorant-combo/681177 "2014-02-12T18:46:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@kaltkalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaltkalt)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2014, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plain-deodorant-vs-antiperspirant-deodorant-combo/681177/1 "2014-02-12T18:46:27Z")
Can someone explain to me why anyone would prefer a plain deodorant underarm stick to a deodorant and antiperspirant combination? Why do they sell just plain deodorant without antiperspirant? Even if you’re not planning on sweating, wouldn’t you want the protection anyway? Seems they both cost the same price, too.
---
### Author:  [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2014, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plain-deodorant-vs-antiperspirant-deodorant-combo/681177/2 "2014-02-12T19:06:43Z")
Some people have an adverse reaction to antiperspirants. When I was in my early 20s, I got a weird rash and swelling in my armpits. I panicked thinking my lymph nodes were going bonkers. The doctor told me to switch to plain deodorant and the problem went away.
---
### Author:  [@dzray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzray)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plain-deodorant-vs-antiperspirant-deodorant-combo/681177/3 "2014-02-12T19:13:06Z")
For me at least, anti-perspirants caused nasty yellow pit stains on all my white t-shirts. Regular old deodorant causes no such issues.
---
### Author:  [@kaltkalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaltkalt)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2014, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plain-deodorant-vs-antiperspirant-deodorant-combo/681177/4 "2014-02-12T19:20:17Z")
Okay, both valid reasons. I’ve had the same issue with the nasty yellow stains on white t-shirts.
---
### Author:  [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2014, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plain-deodorant-vs-antiperspirant-deodorant-combo/681177/5 "2014-02-12T19:43:46Z")
I consider sweating a healthy, natural body function. However, I don’t feel the same about body odor. Sweating is good, stinky is not. I always buy just a deodorant.
---
### Author:  [@kaltkalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaltkalt)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2014, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plain-deodorant-vs-antiperspirant-deodorant-combo/681177/6 "2014-02-12T19:52:00Z")
Well, I don’t think anyone covers their whole body with the stuff to avoid all sweating, the goal is to avoid embarrassing underarm sweat marks.
Seeing both products right next to each other made me think of it like buying a pencil without an eraser or buying a pencil-eraser combo for the same price - why would anyone choose the pencil w/out the eraser?
---
### Author:  [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2014, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plain-deodorant-vs-antiperspirant-deodorant-combo/681177/7 "2014-02-12T20:10:31Z")
Most anitperspirants are aluminum based and interact with your skin to actually block sweating from that area. A lot of people don’t like the idea of this or have skin reactions to it.
Deoderants let you sweat and try to just mask the sweat smell.
I couldn’t use just a deoderant. My underarms would be soaked at the end of the day.
---
### Author:  [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2014, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plain-deodorant-vs-antiperspirant-deodorant-combo/681177/8 "2014-02-12T20:44:58Z")
I find antiperspirants are generally a sticky gross paste that I only use when I know I might sweat in a shirt that will show wetness. In most cases, I prefer a deodorant which does more to prevent odor and is much more comfortable to have on.
---
### Author:  [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2014, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plain-deodorant-vs-antiperspirant-deodorant-combo/681177/9 "2014-02-12T20:59:20Z")
The most effective antiperspirants only reduce sweating by about 5%. I found that to be true for me as well. In addition to that, antiperspirants react with my body chemistry to smell much worse than deodorants, and worse than nothing at all.
That’s why I use a deodorant, with no antiperspirant.
The concept of being embarrassed or unhappy about sweating and smelling sweaty is a relatively recent thing. It is a triumph of the advertising industry. The same is true of the desire to be tanned. Intentionally tanning was unknown in the early 20th century.
---
### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2014, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plain-deodorant-vs-antiperspirant-deodorant-combo/681177/10 "2014-02-12T23:06:44Z")
> [@Hampshire](#):
>
> Most anitperspirants are aluminum based and interact with your skin to actually block sweating from that area.
I used to work in the industry. At least in the U.S., **all** antiperspirants are aluminum-based; the FDA considers antiperspirants to be an over-the-counter drug (since they interfere with a bodily function – sweating), and as such, they regulate what can and cannot be labeled as an antiperspirant.
The only active ingredients which the FDA recognizes as antiperspirants are several different aluminum salts. Any product which claims antiperspirancy, and doesn’t contain one of those aluminum salts, will eventually get shut down, or forced to remove the claim, or reformulate to contain an aluminum salt.
As for why some people choose deodorant-only products – some people don’t care if their armpits sweat, so long as they don’t stink (an opinion which several folks have already expressed in this thread). IME, the vast majority of such people are men, which is why nearly all deodorants are marketed by male-targeted brands, such as Speed Stick and Right Guard. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to find deodorants in “unisex” brands, or female-targeted brands.
Also, frankly, there are some men who don’t even really realize that there’s a difference between the two kinds of products. I’d frequently get guys in my focus groups who would clearly be using a deodorant-only product, based on their description of what they used, but would swear up and down that they were using a product which stopped them from sweating.
---
### Author:  [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2014, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plain-deodorant-vs-antiperspirant-deodorant-combo/681177/11 "2014-02-13T02:34:35Z")
antiperspirants don’t stop you from sweating, they stop you sweating in your armpits. For me they caused me to sweat more heavily from my back and chest, probably because a lack of armpit sweat was causing me to overheat.
I use crystal deodorant now (no antiperspirant) and am very happy with it.
---
### Author:  [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2014, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plain-deodorant-vs-antiperspirant-deodorant-combo/681177/12 "2014-02-13T02:55:45Z")
Don’t the crystal deodorants have alum in them? It is an antiperspirant (potassium aluminum sulfate).
---
### Author:  [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2014, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plain-deodorant-vs-antiperspirant-deodorant-combo/681177/13 "2014-02-13T03:15:00Z")
I seem to remember hearing (sorry, no cite) that the aluminum compounds in antiperspirants have been linked to Alzheimer’s. I have no idea if this is true, but even if it is just a rumor, it could send some people to buy plain deodorants instead.
---
### Author:  [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2014, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plain-deodorant-vs-antiperspirant-deodorant-combo/681177/14 "2014-02-13T05:28:36Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#):
>
> I seem to remember hearing (sorry, no cite) that the aluminum compounds in antiperspirants have been linked to Alzheimer’s. I have no idea if this is true, but even if it is just a rumor, it could send some people to buy plain deodorants instead.
Indeed, like people who buy fluoride-free toothpaste. FWIW, the link to Alzheimer’s seems to have been [broadly](http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/26/health/26real.html?_r=0) [disproved](http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/08/dont-sweat-it-a/).