Has anyone found an anti-perspirant and/or deodorant that they've found to be really, significantly better than the rest of the pack? Mitchum nor Arm and Hammer are working for me now that I'm commuting.

Old Spice High Endurance

I switched to Mitchum after reading an article that broke down the percentage of Aluminum Chloride (the ingredient that actually stops sweat); Mitchum has one of the highest non-prescription content. I've been very happy with it. Here's another to try: Certain Dri Antiperspirant

Crystal Stick. It does not contain aluminum chlorohydrate, and has absolutely no scent of its own, but a stick of it lasts forever and it works better than anything else I've ever used. Most major grocery and drugstores have it in the deodorant section.

Blah. Those crystals leave me with rivers of sweat running down my sides. I use whatever is on sale, never deoderant, always anti-perspirant.

Apply the anti-perspirant after you get to work and are cooled down and cleaned up. No anti-perspirant works when you're furnace is on "high".

I stay away from antiperspirants because they create nice yellow stains on your shirts. It must be the active ingredient, Aluminum Chloride. I personally sweat like a lot, but I find that two showers a day keeps me from smelling: a proper shower in the evening after a get home and then I just take a quick one in the morning. I hope that the other people at work agree with me.

Though every brand will claim that they do...

I just heard that you can now get botox to kill your sweat glands! People are using botox underarms and in the private areas for this purpose. Freaky.

Never let them see you sweat, they say. Doh! I predict a slew of lawsuits over heat stroke.

Anti-p seems kind of crazy during exercise, no? You *should* be sweating, I would think.

Regular old Speed Stick deodorant for me. Keep a stick at work, too.

just shove two speedstick cakes under your arms and go

seriously tho, I been using that crystal thing too. Seems to work.
yep. just checked

Right Guard or Degree. I like both.

Koffee

My gf and I both have that crystal thing. She's got it dissolved in liquid in spray form, I have the actual chunk of crystal. It works for LIGHT perspiration. Plus I think certain types of bacteria get used to it cause after a while, it loses some of its effectiveness. Plus, it won't stop chemical odors.

Antiperspirants leave that nasty stain, plus it stays with you, even after you try scrubbing it off in the shower. And it won't help when you're in overdrive an hour and a half a day on the bike. I find if I just don't use any before going to work and spray on some body spray after cleaning up, it takes care of most of it. Sometimes if I'm really sweaty out on the shop floor, I'd give it an extra spray midday.

I use Arm and Hammer powder fresh scent, but I've always used that. I also have baby powder at the office that I use once I dry down. Not as good as a shower but better than nothing.

Kinda funny. I've always found that anti-perspirants make me sweat like crazy. I just use regular deoderant.

For me, I only use DEGREE. Anything else and I stink like a rotten lemon.

I wonder, though, if it is tied somewhat to personal chemistry or something. DEGREE is the only deoderant that has ever worked for me. It makes me wonder why other people use other brands, thus my thinking if personal chemistry comes into play.

Does anyone use the Thai stone?

I just keep two blocks of sandalwood clenched under my armpits. The aromatic woodiness stays with me all day.

I also vote for Old Spice High Endurance. It works the best for me.

To those of you who don't use DEGREE, are you:

a) a Mama's Boy?
b) a Suck Up?
c) the Wuss?

I really like the crystal - have been using it for years now. It certainly does NOT keep you from sweating, but I never have BO anymore.

I used to be under the impression that antiperspirants and deodorants are the same thing, but they're not. Antiperspirants use strong astringents like aluminum salts to clog, block, or close pores so that they can’t release sweat. (Studies have been shown that aluminum can accumulate in the brain and may be linked with Alzheimer’s, among other things.) Deodorants instead neutralize the smell of the sweat and also by using antiseptics against bacteria. I think deodorants are better (IMO) because they don’t keep you from sweating. I think sweating is important for cooling, especially on a bike.

Personally, I have used the crystals and have found them to be pretty much ineffective. If I have to use an off-the-shelf deodorant, I get Tom's of Maine or Nature's Choice, whichever is cheaper and whatever styles (smells) they have that I like. Both seem to last longer than conventional deodorants (while not costing a great deal more) and seem to work (for me) very, very well.

As of late, though, I've been making my own homemade deodorant, and the results of it's effectiveness has been surprising. Actually I made two different kinds, one with baking soda as the main ingredient and the other that was a gel and used witch hazel and aloe vera gel. Both formulas used lavender oil, which has natural anti-bacterial properties. Both formulas have also been working great, as good as any name brand and significantly cheaper, especially since even a small batch can last almost 6 months. When traveling I've been using the small plastic travel shampoo bottles to store the gel, and a small Tupperware tub to keep the powdered stuff. Normally if your ride is short and you have a restroom at your disposal, all you really need to do is splash your pits with some soap and water, dry, and put on some deodorant.

When I used to ride to work (now I work from home) I wouldn't put on deodorant before the ride at all. Supposedly for long rides, stuff in your pits traps sweat and is eventually overcome, so your pits are smelly anyway. Plus you don't have stuff in your pits blocking any cooling action going on.

Nowadays, if I have to run an errand or something on the bike it's not a terribly long distance so this isn't really an issue, and even in this hot steamy weather the homemade goo is working surprisingly well.

"If you run out of deodorant, go to the kitchen and put a bay leaf under each arm. Doesn't keep you from perspiring, but makes you smell like soup.

'(sniff, sniff) I smell chicken noodle!'
'Not me... I'm bean with bacon.' " -George Carlin (paraphrased from memory, I couldn't find the exact words with google)

Talk about a contradiction. Given your avatar Patrick A, I would have never imagined you talking about hazel, aloe Vera and lavender oil. At least you are in touch with your feminine side.