Deodorants are used to prevent increased perspiration, especially in the armpit area, through a constricting effect on the sweat glands and to prevent unpleasant odor formation through bactericidal active ingredient components. In addition, perfumed deodorants mask already existing odors. This triple action is intended to effectively counter the problem of sweat stains on clothing in the armpit area and unpleasant body odors caused by bacterial decomposition.
What is deodorant?
Deodorant rollers contain a large ball at the top of the container to which the deodorant liquid adheres and is released by direct skin contact to the “rolled over” skin areas. The term deodorant, colloquially also referred to simply as deodorant, is a personal care product intended to prevent excessive perspiration and unpleasant odor formation, due to bacterially decomposing sweat, in the armpit area. While sweat glands are distributed over the entire skin and the secreted sweat is used exclusively for cooling purposes and is almost odorless, there are also many scent glands in the armpit area, which secrete particular odorants depending on the emotional state, such as fear, anger or sexual arousal. While the sweat secreted for cooling purposes consists almost exclusively of water, the sweat secreted by scent glands provides sufficient food for bacteria to produce foul odors by decomposing as waste products. In principle, therefore, there are two ways of preventing excessive sweat and odor formation in the underarm area. On the one hand, certain active ingredients in a deodorant can narrow or even completely block the channels of the scent glands (antiperspirant), thus making secretion more difficult. On the other hand, bactericidal substances in the body care product can largely prevent the decomposition of sweat by killing the bacteria. In addition, perfumes in many deodorants mask any foul odors that may be present with pleasant fragrances.
Forms, types and types
The variety of deodorants offered, most of which also contain antiperspirant complex aluminum compounds, is almost unmanageable. In technical terms, they can be distinguished mainly by the physical nature of their application. Deodorant sprays are the most widespread in Germany. They are very easy to use, since all areas in the armpit are wetted and there is no direct contact between the deodorant container and the skin. Deodorant sprays usually contain a combination of astringent aluminum compounds to constrict or block sweat ducts, bactericidal substances to kill bacteria, and fragrances to mask bad odors. Deodorant rollers are also offered in a wide variety. They contain a large ball at the upper end of the container to which the deodorant liquid adheres and is delivered to the “rolled over” skin areas by direct skin contact. Less widely used is the deodorant crystal. It has a high content of aluminum salts, is odorless and contains no fragrances or preservatives. In addition, deodorant sticks, deodorant creams and deodorant powders are offered.
Structure and mode of operation
Combination preparations, which are often offered as deodorant sprays or deodorant rollers, contain a mixture of astringent substances as the first main component, which constrict or even block the sweat ducts to prevent excessive perspiration purely by physical means. The main components of the astringent substances are usually a complex of aluminum chlorohydrates and an aluminum-zirconium-tetrachloro-glycine complex (ZAG). Propantheline bromide is also usually included as an active ingredient. The second active ingredient complex consists of bactericidal substances, usually bacteriostatic agents that inhibit bacterial growth or bactericidal substances that can kill bacteria. The bacteriostatic and bactericidal substances used by individual manufacturers vary widely. In some cases, natural substances extracted from plants are also incorporated. Effectiveness and compatibility of the substances of a deodorant cannot be predicted in advance, so that usually a trial (self-test) of different products from different manufacturers seems useful.Some deodorants are offered either scented or unscented, as some people are allergic to the perfuming or do not like the scent. Frequently used odor maskers are perfume oils, which combine with the individual body’s own odor formers to create a special odor note and classically mask unpleasant sweat odor. Deodorants often also contain so-called odor absorbers. These are substances that can enclose the odor-forming molecules so that they can no longer be perceived by the odor receptors in our nasal mucosa.
Medical and health benefits
When assessing the medical and health benefits of classic deodorants, it must be taken into account that the active ingredients they contain act almost exclusively symptomatically, i.e. they mask or trap odors, but cannot prevent their formation themselves. Above all, the astringent ingredients in deodorants, which constrict the glands, do not only have positive effects, since the secretion of sweat by the special scent glands is also partly used by the body to dispose of waste and toxic substances. Preventing the secretion of sweat can thus lead to an artificially induced buildup of these substances, which can trigger inflammation. Deodorants that address the causes of excessive sweating in the armpit area are not known. There is debate among experts about the danger of aluminum compounds, as the compounds can enter the surrounding tissues through the sweat ducts and trigger reactions of the lymphatic system. Aluminum is one of the heavy metals and can cause severe damage to the body. The absorption of aluminum salts is also drastically increased as soon as a deodorant is applied to skin that has been damaged with microcracks, for example, during the removal of underarm hair. In the meantime, some drugstores have lists of deodorants that do not contain aluminum additives. The other active ingredient components in deodorants are also not tolerated by everyone and can trigger allergic skin reactions. If such skin reactions occur, the use of a deodorant should be avoided for some time and then another product with other active ingredients should be tested.
