So like most people, I’ve used a variety of deodorants and apparently antiperspirants. Sometimes they’re great. Sometimes not so much. Until recently, I didn’t really know the difference between the two, but here it is:

Deodorant: neutralize the smell of the sweat and by antiseptic action against bacteria.

Antiperspirant:work by clogging, closing, or blocking the pores with powerful astringents such as aluminum salts so that they can’t release sweat.

I can’t say I truly have a preference. I do truly sweat a lot when I exercise, but I don’t generally tend to get really smelly sweat. I’ve tried natural deodorants, but somehow they do the opposite of what they’re supposed to. Unfortunately, I ended up having really smelly sweat (almost like cat spray – gross, right?) and a ruined shirt.

Though my Degree deodorant has never let me down, I am a little tired of the same scent over and over. So I’d like to switch things up a bit. Should I use deodorant or antipersperant? A combination? Use one while exercising, the other the rest of the time? Fellow athletes, what do you do?

While on the hunt for the top 10 list of best products, I came across a lot of information on the topic. It seems that there’s lots of scary, misleading info on why you shouldn’t use antiperspirants, so I thought I’d share what I found. Now, I’m not saying use antiperspirants, but for goodness sakes don’t use a natural deodorant that makes you smell like nasty cat spray because you’re scared of some bogus claims. For a link to information regarding antiperspirants and breast cancer, click here or here.

And for those of you who may still want to go the natural route, here are a few recipes I found on Care2.

Basic Deodorant Powder
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup cornstarch
A few drops essential oils such as lavender or cinnamon

Place the ingredients in a glass jar. Shake to blend. Sprinkle a light covering of the powder on a damp washcloth. Pat on. Don’t rinse.

Basic Liquid Deodorant
1/4 cup each witch hazel extract, aloe vera gel, and mineral water
1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
A few drops antibacterial essential oils such as lavender (optional)

Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake to blend.

Makes 3/4 cup

Shelf life: Indefinite.