With a plethora of options available in the market, it can be pretty challenging for you to choose the right kind of deodorant for your skin type. Whether it’s a spray, cream, or roll-on deodorant, you want to make sure that it complements your skin, so you can avail the benefits to the fullest and feel great about yourself.
To help you easily pick a suitable deodorant for your skin type, we’ll discuss all the relevant details in this article.
Table of Contents
Determine Your Skin Type
Most people aren’t aware of their skin type, which can be a problem. Therefore, you should be certain of your skin type when shopping for a deodorant that’s right for your skin type. Here are the most basic skin types:
1. Oily Skin
If your skin produces sebum (skin’s natural oil) higher than average, you most probably have oily skin. Oily skin is more prone to breakouts since this kind of skin has enlarged pores, which can contribute to clogged pores.
In addition to acne, you may also experience blackheads and whiteheads. Having oily skin doesn’t negate the need to nourish and hydrate your skin, but you should ensure that particular ingredients don’t clog your pores or cause breakouts.
2. Dry Skin
As opposed to oily skin, dry skin doesn’t have enough oil. Therefore, dry skin can feel tight, dull, itchy, and irritated. Severe dryness in the skin can lead to cracks and cause your skin to flake or peel.
With dry skin, you need to moisturize your skin with soothing and gentle ingredients to maintain the protective moisture barrier of your skin.
3. Combination Skin
If your t-zone (forehead, nose, and chin) is oily and your cheeks are dry/normal, you have combination skin. For such kind of skin, you need to incorporate cleansing and hydration in your skincare regime.
Depending on the stress or hormone levels, your skin type may vary from season to season.
4. Sensitive Skin
You can have normal, oily, or dry skin and still have sensitive skin. Sensitive skin can feel red, irritated, itchy, or dry when a certain ingredient, such as fragrances or dyes, gets in contact with it. Environmental factors can also play a role in this.
You may already know what ingredients trigger your skin, and it’s better to watch out for those ingredients when buying deodorant.
Are You Looking for an Antiperspirant or Deodorant?
Once you have determined your skin type, ask yourself whether you’re looking for a deodorant or an antiperspirant.
Deodorant
Sweat itself isn’t the culprit for making your body stink, but when bacteria mix with sweat, it causes body odor. A deodorant is used for eliminating body odor by killing the odor-causing bacteria through antimicrobial agents or ethanol.
The most common ingredient used in deodorants for this purpose is triclosan, an antifungal and antibacterial agent. However, it’s linked with disrupting hormone function and can cause skin irritation.
If you’ve sensitive skin, you may want to opt for a natural deodorant, which uses ingredients like cornstarch and baking soda to get rid of odor-causing bacteria and give you a shower-inspired scent without harming your body.
Antiperspirant
On the other hand, an antiperspirant helps stop sweat production by blocking your sweat glands, mainly using aluminum as the main ingredient. You might want to go with an antiperspirant if you sweat a lot.
An antiperspirant automatically helps you get rid of body odor as well since it blocks the production of sweat. However, aluminum is also linked to causing several health issues down the road.
People with sensitive skin may also want to stay away from this ingredient, as this can cause irritation. Natural antiperspirants usually contain baking soda and arrowroot to combat sweat without blocking your sweat glands.
Consider Fragrance
When looking for a deodorant, how can you not think about fragrance? Fragrance can be an essential factor for almost everyone, regardless of skin type.
However, make sure that the fragrance doesn’t irritate your skin and cause a burning sensation. People who don’t have sensitive skin may have no problem with artificial fragrances.
Artificial fragrances can be a major problem for sensitive skin. If you believe your skin gets triggered by artificial fragrances, opt for a deodorant with a natural fragrance.
Examine the Type of Deodorant
Since there are different kinds of deodorants, you need to pick one that will be ideal for your skin.
Stick deodorants last longer for people with combination skin as well as oily skin. Whereas roll-on and cream deodorants may be ideal for dry skin. It’s better for people with dry skin to look for moisturizing ingredients in the deodorant.
Remember, if you have sensitive skin, opt for a deodorant without alcohol or artificial fragrance since it can irritate your skin. Instead, go for a natural deodorant.
In this case, spray deodorants may not be ideal for people with sensitive skin since they are packed with alcohol. Aerosols have a strong scent and can be a good choice for people with non-sensitive skin.
