Deodorant that will not leave marks?

January 21, 2005 11:53 AM

Deodorant/anti-perspirant stick (solid) that TRULY does not leave white marks on my clothes?

I’m looking for a US brand of solid/stick deodorant/anti-perspirant that really, honestly doesn’t leave white marks on clothing. Gels are out, sprays suck and roll ons are gross. I use the Degree “invisible solid” but they lie – my clothes are covered with white crud. Bonus points for one that doesn’t smell like men’s cologne.

posted by tristeza to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (30 answers total)

I've had good luck with Tom's of Maine deodorant. The unscented kind. There's no antiperspirant in it, so if you need that, you may have to go with something else. Body Shop used to have an excellent chamomile deodorant/antiperspirant that left no marks, but it's been discontinued.
posted by smich at 12:05 PM on January 21, 2005

I use Tom's of Maine as well, but a scented kind. It's clear, but I must admit it works only so-so, and after say, and eight hour day my pits probably don't smell so fresh. So it's a bit weaker than a major brand.

But the biggest upside is that it contains nothing remotely harmful to your body. All the major brands have all sorts of weird metallic compounds in them, and your armpits are close to your lymph nodes. I figured a lifetime of putting an aluminum compound next to vital organs every day wasn't a good idea and hope I get to steer clear of any cancers in my future because of this.
posted by mathowie at 12:10 PM on January 21, 2005

I have to chime in with Tom's too, both scented and unscented. Even the scented stuff smalls pretty okay, not those traditional Men's Locker Room scents you're used to. I've also had really good luck with those deodorant rocks which might be a good tag team armpit solution. Shower --> Dry Pits --> apply rock --> apply Tom's. I've also had friends who swear by lavalin but I don't know for certain that their "no stain" claims are true.
posted by jessamyn at 12:26 PM on January 21, 2005

I use the Secret Pure Platinum Invisible Solid, and I don't see any white lines on my clothes. Of course, I also put on my deodorant after I get dressed- going up under my clothes to put it on. So that might affect it.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:31 PM on January 21, 2005 [1 favorite]

I'll second the deodorant rocks. The one I sometimes use is unscented, leaves no marks whatsoever, and really works. There are a couple of drawbacks though. First, I find it kind of stings when I use it right after shaving. Second, since you don't like roll-ons, you might not like the rock kind. Because you wet it and then apply, I think it kind of feels like a roll-on. Nevertheless, for its non-staining properties, you might want to try it.
posted by katie at 12:35 PM on January 21, 2005

Response by poster: I actually wrote deodorant/anti-perspirant for a reason - I sweat, mang. The rocks are OK for smell but don't do squat for sweat.
posted by tristeza at 12:40 PM on January 21, 2005

Rocks thirded. I gave up on antiperspirants (even though I'm a prolific sweater) because of the shirt-staining and the armpit-hurting.
If you really feel you need an anti-perspirant, there are some mad strong ones like Certain Dri (I'm pretty sure it's a roll-on, though) that you put on a couple times a week at night and they slam your sweat glands shut for days on end.
My advice is to just use the rocks and don't sweat the, uh, sweat.
posted by willpie at 12:41 PM on January 21, 2005

Tom's of Maine smells like fruit loops. The rock didn't work for me either. What works is putting on less of the product-- don't slather it on. Then put the cap back on the stick and use the cap to rub it in so it absorbs. People with chunks of white deoderant clinging to their pits are a pet peeve of mine. It doesn't take that much, just apply a thin layer, give it some time to soak in before you put on your shirt (say, five minutes. You can brush your teeth during that time.) and see if that helps.
posted by bonheur at 12:50 PM on January 21, 2005

Why the no-gel rule? I use Almay gel, which is clear, hypo-allergenic (I have sensitive pits), and not heavily perfumed. It's great.
posted by mkultra at 12:55 PM on January 21, 2005

There was a Pamie.com entry on it a while ago, including reader suggestions and tests, if you want to check that out.
posted by occhiblu at 1:01 PM on January 21, 2005

I realize it's not what tristeza is looking for, but in the case it might help someone else I highly recommend tea tree oil. the only issues are
(a) the smell -- not everyone loves tea tree fragrance, to be honest it sorta smells like old-people-stereotype.
(2) it's a little less convenient to apply than a retail product.

also, the little bacteria dealies on my body seem to adjust after a while, so every few weeks I switch to lavender oil and then back to tea tree a few weeks later.

sometimes for added deodorizing I sprinkle on some baking soda, which is even messier but works like magic and washes right out of clothes if I happen to use too much and it comes off on a shirt.

man, if I could find a way to turn those into a single convenient product... profit!

not recommended: any fruit oils, the bacteria seem to just love them; peppermint oil, it burns it burns!

also, pure tea tree oil may be too strong for some skin, you might want to dilute it.
posted by dorian at 1:15 PM on January 21, 2005

Fourthing rocks.
posted by transient at 1:46 PM on January 21, 2005

The white marks, incidentally, can be sponged off using either a dampened washcloth or a baby wipe. A wet spot will remain that, once dried, leaves no trace.

Since that discovery, I've simply used what works and then tidied up any mishaps. Even if I'm in a mad rush, the spongemarks are dried before I've gotten from the bathroom to the front door.

Babywipes will get just about anything off of fabric without leaving any residual marks.
posted by padraigin at 2:01 PM on January 21, 2005

I sweat like crazy. Certain Dri, while a roll-on, is a night thing, and if you can stand using it, will probably help a lot. It does me, anyway. Just be sure to sleep in an old ratty t-shirt or whatever when you use it, because it's no-kidding-strong.
posted by Medieval Maven at 2:01 PM on January 21, 2005

I second Certain Dri. My wife uses Certain Dri, and it works. The thing is, once it's on and dried, it doesn't smell like anything at all, which may be a problem if you want to smell like something.
posted by zsazsa at 2:48 PM on January 21, 2005

Try a hydro-solid. They're harder to find (you can always find them at Big Lots) but definitely worth it. Almay makes one and so does Mitchum. They work really well, barely have a smell (if any) and are truly invisible. No white marks on clothes, no balled up white goo in your pits.
posted by wallaby at 3:01 PM on January 21, 2005

50/50 Isopropyl Alcohol + water. It kills the bacteria that start bad armpits. Like listerine for armpits, but cheaper. As popularized by misc.consumers.frugal-living.
posted by shepd at 3:52 PM on January 21, 2005

I hated Tom's of Maine. It would conk out after a few hours and my pits would end up smelling worse that if I hadn't used any deodorant at all. I use Old Spice something something deodorant, which is probably not a scent you're going for if your female. The only unscented deodorants I've seen are anti-perspirants, which actually make me sweat more.

And those gels feel like cold snot on your armpits.
posted by dirigibleman at 3:52 PM on January 21, 2005

ooh, shepd for psychology that ain't half bad -- isopropyl alcohol + tea tree oil + baking soda + water == profit! maybe put it all into an atomizer or something. as for listerine, I've already been using 50/50 hydrogen peroxide (3%) and water plus a few drops tea tree oil as a mouth rinse and it does a great job.

we do have some alcohol under the bathroom sink, I will be sure to give it a try.

also, a friend of mine recently told me that toms o maine donates lots of money to pro-life groups. bleh. used to love their toothpaste, but agreed their deodorant sucks.

mmmmhygienefilter
posted by dorian at 4:08 PM on January 21, 2005

I've never tried a solid that didn't leave gunk. This stuff (Mitchum gel) is advertized as being so strong you can skip a day. It is, in my experience. AND no white crap. But it's a gel.
posted by CunningLinguist at 4:18 PM on January 21, 2005

Is there any evidence of the antiperspirant/cancer/bad stuff absorbed into your lymph nodes connection? Talk about alarming.
posted by _sirmissalot_ at 4:49 PM on January 21, 2005

mitchum's freakin' rocks. but i always use the gel, so.

serious shower in a stick though. recommended for travellers.
posted by fishfucker at 4:57 PM on January 21, 2005

Mitchum's is available in many forms including stick which does not seem to leave white residue. It is too strong for some skin types, so ymmv.
posted by Cranberry at 5:18 PM on January 21, 2005

No gels, I know, I know; however, I second the Mitchum gel. The men's version (& the women's is probably the same) has a few slits in the top (three I think). I usually just twist the knob to get a very little bit and apply. It's not too bad, if grossness is what's keeping you from gels--dries fairly quickly and no cling-ons (but, yeah, twist too much and....). (Stay far, far away from their sticks, though. I have shirts that now have white, stiff underarms--at least on the inside.)
posted by MikeKD at 5:51 PM on January 21, 2005

Certain Dri is the absolute best. I found that after using it every few days for an extended period I sweated less for several months; that probably means it does something alarming to your armpits, but if you have constant damp circles on your clothes you may be open to tinkering with your glands. You could then use a plain deoderant on the days when you aren't wearing the Certain Dri.

Alternatively, my boyfriend uses the Old Spice antiperspirant and never seems to have white stainage. It smells very nice too.
posted by amber_dale at 6:03 PM on January 21, 2005

Mitchum (stick, IIRC) made my skin practically blister. Very bad pain. So I avoid all their deodorants now, just in case.
posted by litlnemo at 6:27 PM on January 21, 2005

slightly off-topic, but Tom's of Maine addresses the pro-life donation rumor on their web site. Do you have any proof of that assertion, dorian? Maybe you'll be happy to know you can start buying their stuff again....
posted by jessamyn at 6:35 PM on January 21, 2005

sweeeeeeeeeet. it was a trusted friend of mine who is generally quite reliable in that aspect but apparently she was quite wrong this time; I'd believed her so did not bother to check into it. thank you jessamyn, you are undoubtedly the sweetheart of askme. toothpaste here I come!
posted by dorian at 7:17 PM on January 21, 2005

Secret Invisible Solid works for me scent, anti-perspirant and no white stuff wise. I'd prefer unscented but it's hard to find.

I can't use gel anti-perspirants nor sticks for sensitive skin. Both types make my pits hurt.
posted by deborah at 9:14 PM on January 21, 2005

Tom's of Maine fans dissatisfied with its longevity might want to check out Pure & Basic, which has all the same merits (non-toxic, no obnoxious smell, no residue) but seems to last longer.
posted by jjg at 2:48 AM on January 22, 2005