The Best And Worst Times To Put On Deodorant

Whilst people’s daily routines are varied, at some point nearly everyone will apply some form of deodorant or antiperspirant to themselves.

 

Whether it takes the form of a natural deodorant powder or reusable deodorant stick, most people apply it to their bodies before they go out for the day, confident that they do not have to worry about their body odour.

 

However, whilst there are not technically any wrong times to put on deodorant, there are times when it is less effective and lasts a shorter time. Interestingly, the majority of people actually apply them during these times.

 

Here are the best and worst times to put on deodorant or top up your antiperspirant.

 

Best: At The End Of The Day

This can seem somewhat counterintuitive, especially if you live alone and are not too worried about sweating at night, but it can help to maximise your sweat protection more than you think.

 

Part of it is that antiperspirants take some time to actually reduce sweat, whilst deodorants often take some time as well to neutralise odours.

 

It can be better therefore to apply deodorant at night, and then when you have your morning shower, you only need to quickly top it up to keep it at maximum effectiveness and reduce any worries you have about sweat marks.

 

Worst: Right After A Shower Or Bath

This may provoke some strong reactions, given that deodorant is typically the last part of most people’s routines, applied after they have cleaned themselves ready to face the day.

 

However, this may be the time when deodorant is at its least effective, and the reason for this is frustratingly simple.

 

Deodorant does not tend to work effectively on damp skin so it is best to wait until you have dried off completely before applying anything to your skin.

 

Best: When Your Skin Is Clean

Unfortunately, whilst it can be tempting to simply apply deodorant before you get into the shower to get around the wet skin problem, there are a couple of issues that would make it less effective.

 

Deodorant works by limiting the growth of odour-causing bacteria on the skin, but if it is already there, it can be a bit less effective.

 

Worst: After A Workout

An exercise routine always builds up quite an intense sweat; that is largely the point after all. For many people, the end of their routine after finishing up and showering off is to apply deodorant, but this might be the wrong side of the workout to do it on.

 

Sweat does not actually cause body odour by itself, but instead starts to smell once it comes into contact with the bacteria on your skin, and by that point, it is a little too late to fix it.

 

Generally, it is best to apply before you work out if you can, but if not, take a shower and reapply afterwards. Either way, putting it on directly after you get out of the gym is probably the wrong way to do it.