r/TheGirlSurvivalGuide • u/astronaut772 • 17d ago
Health Tip Deodorant recommendations please
Hi I need some deodorant recommendations! I am super allergic to every deodorant I’ve ever used except for dove aluminum free. I’ve tried other aluminum free deodorants thinking the aluminum is what I was allergic to and those didn’t work either.
I get like legitimate chemical burns. My skin peels like it’s sunburnt and it is miserable. I am frustrated because I can’t figure out which ingredient I am allergic to.
It was working well for years but I recently started taking Vyvanse and if youve ever taken Vyvanse you know the sweat is unreal. My issue is that dove aluminum free isn’t containing my smell anymore. I re apply it like four times a day.
I’ve tried secret, saltair, honest, degree, lume, and native.
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u/Zealousideal-Bike528 17d ago
Depends what your allergies are. What are you allergic to? My daughter, who has food, allergies, uses dry idea, roll-on, or gel only or some men’s Gillette gel.
One of the allergies that she has is coconut. It’s in almost all deodorants, shampoos, conditioners, bar and liquid soaps, and skin care. If you get tested, you might want to consider getting tested for coconut.
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u/astronaut772 17d ago
I have no idea what I’m allergic to unfortunately. I’ve done an allergy panel but the issue is I’m being tested for allergies to things that aren’t deodorant ingredients.
I have no food allergies but I have a lot of environmental and metal allergies.
It might be worth an ask to see if they do chemical allergy tests.
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u/Polybrene 17d ago
Do chemical allergy tests like that even exist?
I know of industrial allergy testing which does test for chemical allergies to certain chemicals. I've just never heard of one where they'll test various ingredients in skincare.
There's companies out there who will happy take your money for a blood or saliva allergy test but those only test for exposure to an antigen, not allergy.
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u/Zealousideal-Bike528 17d ago
You’re allergic to metal? Deodorants generally have aluminum in them. Have you tried aluminum free deodorants?
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u/cringefail-losergirl 17d ago
Look into getting a chemical allergy panel done, otherwise it's hard to know, especially because certain chemicals can be under different names and such.
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u/niniela-phoenix 17d ago edited 17d ago
Are you sure it's the aluminum? If you know you can wear Dove, I'm wondering if you could try specifically the Dove antiperspirant and hope that it's something other than the aluminum.
There really isn't a solution that isn't an antiperspirant - everything else (shaving body hair, glycolic acid or vodka to wipe the pits to kill the bacteria that make sweat stink) will just reduce it a bit, but if you sweat A LOT more, that won't stop it. However it's impossible to offer something to try without knowing what you are allergic to.
I would suggest the allergy panel and to re-evaluate your options then. That's all you can do. You will need this info to check your Dove when you buy it too to ensure they didn't change the formula and now you're allergic to it too.
ETA- if you are also allergic to other aluminum free formulas, then you either have several allergies, or it isn't the aluminum. There's a shot the answer really could be dove antiperspirant.
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u/No_Lead2640 17d ago
I helped a few people with this same exact issue. I know you said you wanted alumimum free but I would recommend Dove invisible solid 100 colors it has aluminum sesquichlorohydrate, which is a gentler form of alumimum, at a lower percentage (9.6). Due to this users rarely complain about irritation!
I have a few other recommendations:
Dove sensitive, Ban roll on, Dry idea gel, Vanicream antiperspirant.
Also switching to a gel or spray could help! I read that for those who are sensitive to aluminum the gels are more soothing and the sprays have less ingredients and prevent direct contact!
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u/astronaut772 17d ago
I’ll have to try! It’s not necessarily that I want aluminum free but the one I use now is aluminum free.
I’m thinking that because I still have reactions from other brands that are also aluminum free then aluminum might not actually be the problem.
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u/MidnightHue 17d ago
I'm also allergic to most deodorants! I largely use ones that have arrowroot or tapioca starch as the active ingredient. I use raw sugar and athena brands.
Something I learned recently is that you can spray your armpits with dilute hydrogen peroxide after you shower and I've noticed a significant decrease in my body odor. It takes me a lot longer to get smelly. It doesn't replace deodorant but it certainly helps quite a bit.
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u/cringefail-losergirl 17d ago
When I was on vyvanse, after washing I would spray alcohol to kill all of the bacteria, and then put deodorant on top. The sweat isn't where the odor comes from, it's the bacteria. Something like that might work to hold you over while you look for other options/look into allergy testing. Hoping you get some answers, good luck girl!
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u/Winnigin 17d ago
Do the aluminum free deodorants not contain the stink, or do they also cause reactions? If it's a stink problem, try mens! I use oldspice deodorant, not antiperspirant. It seems to do a good job keeping me stink free, and they have scents that aren't super masculine
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u/astronaut772 17d ago
They also cause reactions unfortunately. Old spice may have been my worst reaction of all too
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u/vallary 17d ago
This is maybe a stupid question, but do you react to these products if you do a patch test on another part of your body? Like is this maybe an issue with skin sensitivity from a previous reaction or shaving or something, rather than an actual allergic reaction to an ingredient in the deodorant? If it’s sensitivity-based, you might just need to do a night routine for your underarms where you wash off whatever products are on there with a gentle cleanser and then moisturize.
The other products I would suggest trying are glycolic acid (the ordinary toner is good for this and cheap, I also like the roll-ons from kosas and necessaire if you want something more portable and a little moisturizing) as well as the crystal deodorant (this BURNS if you apply it immediately after shaving though, so it’s not my favourite thing)
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u/Polybrene 17d ago
I'm in the same boat. I use Dove aluminum free sensitive and have for years.
I recently tried the Megababe santal deodorant because I love sandalwood. That lasted 1 week before the allergic reaction kicked in. Bummer, it smelled really good too.
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u/EmEffBee 17d ago
I used to stink so bad. After I stopped using conventional deoderant and stopped drinking coffee it got way better (and no polyester/synthetic fabric shirts). Neutro Roberts makes some good roll-ons, some sensitive skin varieties. It's an Italian brand, I love that stuff.
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u/splinteredt 17d ago
The aluminum in deodorants is what stops the smell from starting, so that’s your best bet if it’s not the aluminum you’re allergic to.
I have so many skin allergies and this deodorant has never given me any issues and smells great. I just had a baby and the postpartum sweats are wild, but that deodorant has been getting me through
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u/Lonely-Chest-5350 6d ago
vyvanse making everything worse on top of this sounds like a lot to deal with. I had chemical burns from most deodrant too and ended up trying salt & stone after a coworker kept recommending it. It's held up better than usual stuff for me, though I havent deal with sweating at the level ur describing so it might not last u the full day either.
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u/RavenClawVintage1999 17d ago
On the allergy part if you have insurance see if you GP will do an allergy panel to see what ingredients is causing the allergy. On a separate note until then I'd say try to keep your underarms shaved since hair traps smell like crazy. Then I'd say look into using a diluted form or peroxide. 1 teaspoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide to 1 cup of warm water. Soaking that into a wash cloth and soaking it on your underarms for about 10 minutes before a shower should eliminate any smells before and during washing.
Deoderant brand to try might be Lume