Shower daily

A daily shower isn't just about cleanliness—it also plays a key role in regulating your body temperature. When you take a cool or lukewarm shower, the water absorbs heat from your body, and when it evaporates from your skin, it takes this heat with it, cooling the surface of your skin and lowering your overall body temperature. This leaves you feeling refreshed and helps reduce sweating.

Towel dry

Use a soft, absorbent towel large enough to comfortably wrap around your body. Instead of rubbing, gently pat your skin dry to help prevent irritation and retain moisture.

Start by drying your upper body—arms, chest, and back—then move down to your legs and feet. If you plan to apply moisturizer right away to lock in moisture, leave some dampness in those areas. Be sure to thoroughly dry spots where you might apply deodorant, such as under your arms, under your breasts, behind your ears, navel, in the gluteal cleft, between your toes, and behind your knees.

Avoid applying deodorant over wet skin. This will create a mess by transferring to your clothing and reduce the deodorant's effectiveness.

Choose the right deodorant

Choose a deodorant that suits your skin type. If you have sensitive skin, opt for fragrance-free or hypoallergenic formulas with minimal ingredients, like Super Deodorant. Cream or paste deodorants are a good choice since they leave no visible residue and spread more evenly across the skin, providing better coverage than deodorant sticks.

Patch test

No product is universally safe for everyone, so it is always wise to patch-test your deodorant before applying it to sensitive areas.

Apply a small amount to the inner fold of your elbow and rub it in until the product is barely visible. Observe the area for 48 hours. If a reaction occurs, it might be a one-time response to a new product. To be sure, repeat the patch test on the inner fold of your other elbow and observe for another 48 hours. If a reaction happens again, discontinue use immediately. You are likely sensitive to an ingredient or a combination of ingredients in the formula.

Shave/exfoliate 

A deodorant with the right active ingredients will work even on hairy armpits. However, if you shave, you’ll use less product and make it easier for the deodorant to do its job. Shaving also helps prevent side effects like accidental staining from incorrect application. Shaving once a week is sufficient; shaving too often can lead to other complications. 

Everyone experiences slower skin cell turnover with age or due to lifestyle factors. Exfoliating with an acid peel helps remove dead skin cells from the surface, deep clean pores, remove product buildup, and allow the deodorant to adhere better to the skin. Chemical exfoliation also helps prevent side effects like ingrown hairs, bumps, pimples, and cysts. Exfoliating once or twice a month is usually enough.

Apply deodorant correctly

Body odour is caused by the following bacteria in different parts of the body,

🦠Staphylococcus epidermidis

🦠Corynebacterium xerosis

🦠Brevibacterium epidermidis

🦠Propionibacterium acnes

🦠Gardnerella vaginalis

These microorganisms are found in all microbiomes, and their populations vary. Using the right amount of deodorant is important to effectively control the microbe population for your skin type. The serving size is not a standard; it depends on the bacteria population on your skin. 

All our bodies are unique designs. Though the overall layout is similar, not everything is exactly located in the same place or dimension. In some people, the apocrine glands may extend well beyond the hair-bearing area. If this happens to be you, applying deodorant only within the hair-bearing region might not provide sufficient coverage against body odour.

When using a new deodorant, start with a generous dab, spread it widely, cover the entire underarm fold, and rub it in well until it is barely visible. 

Any new deodorant may have a small learning curve, so be patient as you get used to its workings. You will notice improved performance once you nail the right serving size and application technique.