Friday, January 26, 2007
stop it
A few convergent mentions had me thinking about Drysol and Certain Dri, not necessarily because I need it but because it's one of those things that seems to come up every few years, and it's good to know about. Drysol is a prescription medication that stops excessive sweating, it's a brand name for aluminum chloride hexahydrate. In the US Drysol (20% aluminum chloride hexahydrate) is by prescription only, but you can get Certain Dri (12%) on the shelf. I first heard about these two things at Pamie, where so many of us learned about all sorts of girl hygiene. She got a lot of advice (see part two as well), then tried Certain Dri and declared it a success. It definitely seems like one of those things that would be good to keep in mind for important events, I've heard of it being used for wedding days and I wonder what people walking down the red carpet use (Botox perhaps?).
Anyhow, the most recent mentions I found about Drysol and Certain Dri were this question on Ask Metafilter and in Episode 30 of Lip Gloss and Laptops. Both places also recommend Mitchum. Lip Gloss and Laptops really loves Kiehl's Superbly Efficient Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant. I'm feeling a little deodorant burn out these days and I'm going to seek out some Mitchum next.
categories: beauty, good to know
Wow, crazy! That is exactly my deodorant regimen. I use Mitchum every day (Lady Mitchum, actually, which is the most ridiculous name ever), and Certain Dri for special events or extra muggy summer days. Love both, and I looked for YEARS before I was satisified.
Comment by Anne — January 26, 2007 @ 9:45 am
I've tried the Kiehl's product and found it less than superbly efficient, especially considering the $10+ pricetag. It has a nice feel and is fragrance free, but it lacks what I need in the anti-perspirant and deodorant areas.
Comment by Kate — January 26, 2007 @ 10:22 am
At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, Drysol changed my life, seriously. :) I applied it every other day for a week or two (about 3 years ago now) and now I only have to use it once every few months. It works wonders!
Comment by leandra — January 26, 2007 @ 10:51 am
Maybe I'm more of a sweat-er than I realized, but I tried Lady Mitchum after doing a lot of research and I've only been marginally impressed. It definitely does NOT stop the sweat, and I still get a bit smelly on super hot/active days. Maybe it's time for me to go for the gold with Certain Dri, but I have to admit that it's kind of scary.
I was running into a problem with my antiperspirant discoloring my light colored shirts -- it turns them yellow. Everything I've read recommended using gel and putting it on a good fifteen or twenty minutes before you put on your shirt, which has helped considerably. Still don't know how to get those stains OUT, though. Tragic.
Comment by Heather — January 26, 2007 @ 11:03 am
So in case this angle hasn't been discussed- the big problem with using a heavy-duty deodorant with aluminum is that studies are beginning to show a link betweeen alzheimers and aluminum. So much so that there are a whole host of aluminum-free hygiene products now widely available. I can't get specific becuase I'm no scientist myself but before beginning or continuing a regimen that includes products like Certain Dri or even some of the more innocuous brands like Dove or Degree- do a little research. I hate stinking as much as the next person and I'm fortunate enough not to have any sort of medical condition that exacerbates the problem, but I switched to a product called Queen Helene (talk about bad names) to keep the risk of future problems low. Sure- it doesn't last from 8am to 12pm but I'd rather stink now tan have problems later.
Oh- and one little thing I have heard is that the risk is higher for items like deodorant becuase many women shave and almost immediately apply deodorant which means the product has a high likliehood of entering the blood stream given the ocassional knicks and cuts that result.
Comment by Anna — January 26, 2007 @ 11:17 am
ooh I swear by CertainDri! I think it's a great product. I try not to use it too often, though.
I liked Mitchum, but Ban is my new favorite.
Comment by Emily — January 26, 2007 @ 11:30 am
Men's Mitchum (dark green packaging) was recommended to me by a sweat-phobic runway model. Mitchum's slogan is "so effective you could skip a day" and I've found that to be true -- I never use it more often than every other day. Lady Mitchum, on the other hand, is a better-than-average anti-perspirant but definitely not as strong as the men's formula.
Comment by Molly — January 26, 2007 @ 12:02 pm
I tried Mitchum, but I never found it to help with perspiration whatsoever. I have yet to try Certi-dry or Drysol, which are my next choices, but I'm actually having good luck with just plain old Dove.
Comment by Kristin S — January 26, 2007 @ 12:04 pm
a male friend recommended the men's mitchum in roll-on form to me. he said the roll-on is the only way to go. he is right! it's not perfect, but i've been a user for years. (i just had a pre-mitchum flashback to a button down cotton blend collared shirt with a huge stain under one pit...why only one pit?) i think i might check out that certain-dri just to see what happens. thanks for this post!
Comment by renee — January 26, 2007 @ 1:32 pm
I started to use Certain Dri a few weeks before I got married because I wanted to make sure I didn't have weird sweat marks on my dress on the big day. It really does work- not a drop of sweat. I stayed freakily dry, actually.
I would've kept on using it as an long term thing, but the instructions say that you're supposed to put it on the night before, right before going to bed, and allow it to completely dry otherwise you may stain your clothes. Well, I was always too impatient to stand there flapping my arms till it dried, so I of course ended up discoloring some of my pajama tops. So maybe if you're more patient than I am, it might be worth checking out.
Comment by V — January 26, 2007 @ 4:08 pm
maybe there's a difference between the formulas for mitchum and lady mitchum, but i found that i actually had a perspiration issue when i used mitchum! i've found that degree ultra clear works better than anything else i've tried.
Comment by Shawn — January 26, 2007 @ 9:49 pm
HEATHER--
According to my mother, the most effective way to remove a yellow "pit" stain is to mix lemon juice and baking soda into a paste and place it on the affected area. I've personally never tried this out, but it might be worth a try on an old shirt.
Comment by Shawn — January 26, 2007 @ 9:54 pm
I hope I don't sound like a hippie, but using prodcuts like this increases your risk of breast cancer and alzheimers significantly. I use an aluminum-free lavendar oil deoderant, since my mother and grandmother both had breast cancer. Sweating is (ick) natural. Preventing it, especially on a reguar basis, is really really bad for you. Please be careful, girls.
Comment by Minerva — January 27, 2007 @ 1:53 am
okay, i know there are lots of concerns with aluminum in deodorants & its effects but i swear certain-dri is the bomb. i just bought a 2nd bottle after finding it again at Target. i tried it a couple yrs ago with much success & took a break going back to cheaper yet not so reliable Degree. you do not have to use it often & you shouldn't apply after showering or shaving anyway. it lasts a long time for me because i use it intermittently with Degree. (granted because too often, it can irritate.) when i realized i inherited my dad's awesome body odor & have nasty perspiration including cold sweats (which i still don't get) i started using mitchum. yuck. it's sticky & didn't work for me. so certain-dri, no need for Rx & just use it once in a while. yeah for dry pits!
Comment by amy — January 27, 2007 @ 2:47 pm
There's nothing conclusive about aluminum and anti-perspirants causing breast cancer or Alzheimer's -- definitely nothing to say it increases your risk "significantly." I wish people would actually focus on the things that really do work as disease prevention, like exercising, eating lots of vegetables and keeping their brains sharp -- we know that helps.
Also, preventing sweating on one part of your body is not going to throw your whole system out; you've got lots of sweat glands.
Comment by besweet — January 28, 2007 @ 6:20 am
I love certain dri. I use it about once a week in the winter time, then every three days or so in the summer.
Comment by Nia — January 28, 2007 @ 9:56 am
Another fan of Lady Mitchum, here. Been using it for years, and consider the others, the normal range of anti-perspirants to be 'play' products...good for slight scent only.
Comment by Jo — January 28, 2007 @ 1:41 pm
Too sensitive for any of the above mentioned. I tend to use that crystal stuff in liquid roll-on form and when that dries it's either arm & hammer baking soda anti-persperant or the super ultra secret. Those seem to work the best for me. I also oxy clean the pits of shirts before I wash.
Comment by kat — January 28, 2007 @ 5:12 pm
My BF uses Certain-Dri, and it works really well. He does, however, jokingly call it "the antiperspirant of pain." Apparently it stings a bit when he applies it.
Comment by May — January 29, 2007 @ 6:43 am
Certain Dri rules. It's the only thing on the market that is both effective and fragrance-free, my two requirements for personal care products.
As long as the aluminum studies continue to be inconclusive, I'll take my chances!
Comment by marielle — January 29, 2007 @ 6:57 am
I tried Mitchum and men's anti-perspirants, but the only thing that has been a "miracle cure" for me is a product called Odaban. It's made in the UK and I bought it on-line. It's also a product with 20% aluminum chloride, but no prescription needed!!
Comment by Meem — January 31, 2007 @ 5:48 pm
There is a product I like that works like Drysol, but you don't need a prescription. You can get it at http://www.odaban.com. I think it comes from England. It costs about $12,lasts a long time and works very well. You put it on at night. It's more of an antiperspirant than a deodorant though.
Comment by Jennifer — February 3, 2007 @ 4:30 pm