Shirt / antiperspirant détente!

October 26, 2008 10:36 AM

Quotidian-question-filter: I seek a high-quality antiperspirant that won't stain clothing.

Right now I use Gillette gel, which works fine as a deodorant/antiperspirant but also performs all too well as an under-arm shirt bleach. Needless to say, permanent white staining in and around the armpit region is both unattractive and unsettling.

There must exist an antiperspirant (preferably gel, but I'll consider all options) carefully engineered to coexist peacefully with clothing. Know of one? I'm male, if it matters.

posted by Captain Rayford Steele, Tribulation Force to clothing, beauty, & fashion (8 answers total)

I have been using Mitchum unscented gel for years and have never noticed any sort of staining, even on my oldest clothes.

You should also consider whether you are using too much deodorant. I tried the Gilette stuff before and felt that the container was designed such that it was impossible not to get way too much deodorant out of it (which also feels gross to me).
posted by grouse at 10:44 AM on October 26, 2008

I asked this once, too
posted by tristeza at 10:50 AM on October 26, 2008

Certain-Dri. You apply it at night and it works through the next day. You can just use a deodorant in the morning if you want. Other brands have started introducing copycat products, too (I have one by Dove.).
posted by granted at 11:22 AM on October 26, 2008

certain-dri, certain-dri, certain-dri. so good, it's life-changing.
posted by lia at 11:23 AM on October 26, 2008

Kiehls.
posted by dame at 12:11 PM on October 26, 2008

Certain Dri will do the trick, but remember it's ONLY an antiperspirant. So if you're prone to BO, it's not goint to help. I like it with the Kiss My Face roll-on deodorant. An extra step, but it's worth it.

Also, Certain Dri can really irritate your skin, so be prepared for that as well.
posted by orrnyereg at 1:05 PM on October 26, 2008

I switched to Mitchum because of this problem, and it's worked fine.
posted by Stylus Happenstance at 2:01 PM on October 26, 2008

I use Mitchum unscented gel. Two things that I've found that help minimize deodorant on clothing messiness is a) not using too much (kind of like with toothpaste, a little bit goes a long way) and b) apply the deodorant a while before I put on a shirt. I kind of do a little chicken wing arm flap action before I put on my shirt. I don't know if that's doing anything, but at least I'm giving it time to absorb and minimizing the risk of it all just rubbing off on my clothing.
posted by zorrine at 4:05 PM on October 26, 2008