I’ve used gel deodorant for years because I like the fact that it doesn’t turn white on my skin, doesn’t cake up and doesn’t make a mess on my clothing while I’m wearing it. But there are many problems for those of us who choose to use gel deodorant.
Here are a few issues that I’ve found particularly annoying:
The best brand is hard to find now. I liked Arid Extra Dry gel deodorant, but in late 2012, it seemed to disappear from shelves. I contacted the maker and got no response. Others said they had the same problem and got no response from anyone either. I wrote about its disappearance in several places. Then, a year and a half later people started telling me it was back on the shelves in some stores — but not in any of the ones I tried. I still haven’t been able to find it again.
Some brands are sticky. When I was forced to find a new brand, I experimented with several brands. Some of them are really sticky and can actually glue your skin to your clothing if you aren’t careful. It may be because they’re thick and go on heavy. While the best gel deodorant on the market probably isn’t sticky, I haven’t found one I’m willing to call the best yet.
Some brands cause itching. One of the brands I tried caused me to itch after using it for two or three days. Even though the active ingredients in this brand are the same as in some other brands, something in it made me very uncomfortable. I changed brands and the problem went away.
Gels don’t really protect clothing. The aluminum in gel deodorants may be hazardous to your health, but it’s certainly hazardous to your clothing. It took me months to learn that the white staining on my clothing wasn’t from my sweat. It was from my gel deodorant. Sweat stains wash out pretty well with modern detergents, but even lengthy soaking and harsh products won’t budge aluminum stains caused by gel deodorant.
I still use gel deodorant because I still prefer it to other kinds. But there has to be a better way — even if I haven’t found it yet.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This site also participates in and links to other affiliate and advertising programs. When you click a link on this page or make a purchase after clicking a link, I may make some money.