I’ve posted before about how I’m allergic to some antiperspirants. I’d been using Almay’s hypoallergenic formula for years, in the solid form as I’m not a fan of gels or roll-ons, but a few years ago Almay discontinued the solid form. I never did find out why, attempts to contact them failed massively. Since then I’ve been using Dove’s unscented Sensitive Skin antiperspirant with no problems.
Till the past couple weeks.
The past couple weeks I’d started noticing my underarms itching on occasion. It didn’t really penetrate my brain though, till this past Wednesday evening when I realized that my underarms were ITCHING. Crap.
Dug out the stick of Almay gel antiperspirant I’d stuffed in the back of the cabinet. I’m working a job that not only requires me to be outside in the sun a fair bit, but also requires me to do a fair bit of physical labor, and I absolutely sweat. Not wearing anything wasn’t an option. But thankfully the itching went away pretty much as soon as I switched.
But that puts me back to using a gel, and I’m really not a fan of gel antiperspirants, I really really prefer a solid. If a deodorant worked well enough for me I’d totally be willing to go that direction, but not one of the ones I’d tried previous worked for more than a couple hours for me, even when I wasn’t sweating all the time!
But this time I noticed something interesting as I was looking at ingredient lists. Almay’s aluminium of choice is Aluminum Sesquichlorohydrate. The aluminium in most of the other antiperspirants on the shelves, including the Dove formula I’d been using is Aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex Gly. I’d swear that when I was checking back in 2008 that they all used to same form, but I can’t prove that. Not sure when it changed either.
Going through the lineup of antiperspirants and deodorants at the grocery store I found one other antiperspirant that uses yet a 3rd form of aluminium, and one deodorant that says that it works for up to 48 hours. I guess its back to experimentation time!
Being allergic must be awful. I’ve had issues with my body getting used to them so they don’t work any more – thus having to switch. But I can’t imagine how badly that itch must have driven you crazy!
Hope you find something that not only works well and without reaction, but in a form you prefer.
I wouldn’t mind quite so much if I could figure out what the problem ingredient is. Instead I have to play a guessing game till I find something I can tolerate.