If you’ve ever wondered how using an antiperspirant works, don’t worry! Keep reading and we will let you know.
There is a chemical called Ecrine in your body that produces sweat on our skin. One of the main places this happens is under the arms, in the armpits. Sweating is a 100% natural thing that we all do, but it can be a problem for some people and ruin their lives.
The bad smell that sweat gives off under your arms is not a pleasant thing, and most people use deodorants or antiperspirants to control the odor. While deodorants are just a smelly spray that tries to cover up the bad smell of underarm sweat, an antiperspirant tries to keep the sweat from coming out in the first place. It does this by blocking the pores where sweat is normally excreted. In all antiperspirants, there are many chemicals, but the main ingredient that is present to plug these pores is aluminum. It is actually an aluminum-based compound that is made from several different types of aluminum. This could be aluminum chloride or aluminum zirconium trichlorohydrex glycine. The list of possible ingredients is quite large.
When you spray or rub the antiperspirant on your skin, it quickly blocks the pores and prevents sweat from getting onto the skin. The cells in the armpits are told to swell, which blocks sweat from reaching the skin. When the cells are inflamed and the passages are constricted, you will sweat less and therefore smell fresher. Over time, the cells will relax and sweat will be allowed to flow out normally. For some sprays, this can happen around 24 hours later, but 8-12 hours is a normal time.
There have been some health problems from the use of aluminum compounds in these types of sprays and products. Scientists have tried to test links to cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and other major diseases. As aluminum enters your pores, it will also enter your body and it is this buildup that scientists are concerned about.