Deodorant, Antiperspirant, Cologne, Perfume For Women

Rihana · Oct 1, 2016

A friend's daughter has come to the U.S. for her M.S. and is asking about stuff to buy in this category for daily use: deodorant, antiperspirant, cologne, perfume.

Can anyone share any suggestions or point to a definitive guide on the internet? What is the difference between all these? In each one, what is better, like spray versus roll-on?

The items have to be available in Target or CVS or amazon. The university is in a fairly humid state. Her question is for daily use. My knowledge is limited and the brands I know about are old. What do twenty-something's use?

And, is aluminum content something to worry about?

Gauri03 · Oct 2, 2016

Deodorants prevent you from smelling by killing odor-causing bacteria. They don't stop you from sweating though! So if you sweat like me, hurray wet armpits! Antiperspirants stop odor and sweat both, by plugging the sweat glands. Some people prefer deodorants because of the aluminium in antiperspirants. It has been claimed that the aluminium increases the risk of everything from breast cancer to Alzheimer's. An informative discussion on these claims can be found here -- Antiperspirants and Breast Cancer Risk

Short answer -- So far these are just claims, not backed by any scientific evidence. More research required.

As to Eau de Parfum, Eau de Cologne, and Eau de Toilette, the difference is the percentage of pure fragrance oils in alcohol or water. Parfum's have the highest concentration, hence they are the most expensive. Here is a neat little graphic explaining the difference -- (source)

What to buy? Depends entirely on personal preference. I use good old Dove antiperspirants or Tom's deodorant sticks. Don't like sprays.

It's been ages since I bought perfume from Target but I used to wear some Elizabeth Arden. Both Red Door and Green Tea are nice fragrances for the price point. Green Tea is a light, fresh fragrance, great for the daytime.

MalStrom · Oct 2, 2016

I would advise her to be judicious using perfume during the workday. Many Americans are allergic to or very sensitive to smells, no matter how expensive the brand. Our workplace prohibits wearing perfume during the workday.
I use Gillette clear gel deodorant every day and while not a women's fragrance it doesn't smell odd. Secret is supposed to be a good heavy duty choice. I am not concerned about aluminum. There are natural deodorants of varying efficacy if that is a concern. One that was featured on Shark Tank gets rave reviews but is pretty pricey for what it is: Piper Wai.

nuss · Oct 2, 2016

@Gauri03 already answered the differences. I use Dove deodorant stick and one of these perfumes - Ck Euphoria, Mediterranean, Clinique Happy Heart, and Philosophy's Falling in love. I always use little bit of deodorant/ antiperspirant and then perfume on wrists and neck.
Falling in love is the lightest among all. Happy Heart has a fruity scent and not too overpowering. Mediterranean and Euphoria are my most favorite and I use either of those to change the regular routine. These are the ones that get most compliment too.

sabarimathi · Oct 2, 2016

There are non-Aluminium deodorants as well - the one that I use being http://www.tomsofmaine.com/product-details/original-care-deodorant-stick
You'll also find the kids version on their main page. I'm extremely sensitive to even mild levels of perfumes due to which I've always stuck to deodorants. While other deodorants also have some amount of perfume, tom's of maine doesn't have.

Rihana · Oct 5, 2016

Thanks, guys. It is not like I could not google it. I did try, and the results were as confusing as standing in the aisle in the store and wondering which to buy. I even went to second page of google results - and you know what they say about that! It is the best place to hide a dead body. : )

Also nice to read that Dove and Toms are still commonly used brands. I was beginning to feel quite outdated.. I told that college lass I get my supplies from Costco.. and what I use is dictated by what they are carrying at that time. : ) I hate it when they have only cucumber and not the powder, fresh, or other regular non vegetable ones. : )