Mistakes Everyone Makes When Using Deodorant

Deodorant seems like a no-brainer, right? Take off the cap, roll or swipe or pull a retro move and spray it on. And then boom! You are ready to take on the day without leaving the unpleasant stench of body odor trailing behind. Unfortunately, like many of our other daily routines, it's not always that simple. Your deodorant could be failing you. Or you, the busy and active person that you are, could be a bit too rushed in the mornings to maximize your deodorants effect.

Our desire to mask our body odor has resulted in a jaw-droppingly large industry. According to HuffPost, "$18 billion a year [is] spent on deodorants and antiperspirants." It's clear many of us care about smelling fresh. Or at the very least, not offending anyone else with our scent. This is why we thought it would be helpful to point out common mistakes that can be made when using and picking the right deodorant. 

Common deodorant mistakes

A quick application of the same brand day in and day out is not advised — especially if you're starting to notice your once high-functioning deodorant is leaving you a stinky and sweaty mess by noon. "It's a good idea to switch up your deodorant brand every six months to prevent resistance," Dr. Han Lee, assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Southern California, told The Express Tribune.

When it comes to purchasing deodorant, you're likely making the mistake of overlooking half of the selection. That's right. How Stuff Works unveiled that the only difference between men's and women's deodorants is the scent. In fact, in the 1990s, unisex deodorant's made up one-third of the market. This was before manufacturers found out consumers were more likely to buy something that was targeted more specifically to them.

Now that you know you have the whole aisle to choose from when you switch up your deodorant choices, there is one final common mistake we must address. In order for your deodorant to really work well, you need to make sure you are applying enough, according to Women's Health. Sometimes a hurried single swipe is far from enough. So make sure the sweat glands under your arms are fully coated, cosmetic surgeon Mark Malek advised to the publication.