Clinical-Strength Anti-Perspirants
The first of the three categories of antiperspirants you can try are the over the counter “clinical-strength” antiperspirants that you may have seen advertised. Of the three “levels” of antiperspirants geared toward Hyperhidrosis, these products are the mildest. I would recommend trying out the mildest formulations first, since the side effects as well as the pricing for the stronger formulations increase with each level.
“Clinical-strength” antiperspirants, which contain 20% aluminum zirconium, are widely available. These products have come onto the market rather recently, and have been marketed quite heavily under such well-known brand names such as Secret Clinical Strength, Gillette Clinical Strength (both by Proctor &Gamble); and Dove Clinical Protection, Degree Clinical Protection for Women and Degree Clinical Protection for Men (all three by Unilever).
Each of these products has both an antiperspirant formula, as well as a deodorant component to control odor. These products do vary in terms of what they offer in addition to the active ingredients– for example, the product by Dove includes moisturizers and fragrances that are very gentle on the skin. Application type ranges from solids to gels, so you can select which sort of formula you prefer. Drugstore.com always has competitive pricing. Click here to purchase!
To get the best possible results, make sure to follow the directions, which instruct you to apply the product before bed to completely dry skin. There should be no discomfort. I have used both Secret Clinical Strength and Dove Clinical Protection under my arms, and because I no longer sweat as excessively under my arms as I used to (I had ETS a few years ago), I had great results from both. Secret goes on a little dryer, but the dial on the bottle is hard to “click”. Dove smells great and doesn’t even sting after shaving (at least for me), but it goes on a bit wet. Neither product discolors clothing.
The concept of applying antiperspirant at night may seem odd to you, but this is actually something that is recommended for all antiperspirants geared toward Hyperhidrosis. The sweat glands are least active during sleep, and the active ingredient is able to get into the pores and “shrink” them, while also forming a superficial plug that in theory prevents sweat from getting to the skin’s surface. Showering in the morning will not wash the product away, but if you are not comfortable with skipping the antiperspirant in the morning, all the formulas I mentioned are gentle enough to apply again after your shower.
Clinical-strength antiperspirants are found wherever regular antiperspirants are sold. On the Internet, all of these products are available at Drugstore.com. I have found they are on sale often. They tend to cost about 30% more than regular antiperspirants/deodorants.
NOTE: If you are looking for relief for Palmar/Plantar Hyperhidrosis, these products do not seem to be marketed for this use. If you would like to try to see if they can stop mild sweating in these areas, I would recommend applying at nighttime.
Hopefully, these products will be helpful to you. If not, read more about your other antiperspirant options, also under Topical Treatments!
Link to this page
