How does deodorant work?

Deodorant or antiperspirant?

Deodorant.
Personally, I use Tom’s of Maine, but I’m curious how deodorant works in general.

I think that stuff just sort of uses scent to cover up BO. Other products like Crystal Body Deodorant use salt, which actually help to eliminate odor, rather than just masking it. I’ve used that and it works pretty well for me.

I’ve always wondered about deodorant stones myself. How does that work?

I often get unscented deodorant. That seems to work fine. If the scent masks BO, how does unscented deodorant work?

Tom’s of Maine uses hops to draw out the odor, or so they state. I use the one that smells like pine trees. It works ok but is better than aluminum, I suppose.

@trustinglife When you say unscented deodorant you mean antipersperant – it stops you sweating. Deodorant always has a smell.

@Lightlyseared Tom’s of Maine makes unscented deodorant, not antiperspirant…I’m not really sure…

Here’s the evidence: unscented deodorant. @LS, you still might have a point though in general – maybe Tom’s didn’t get that memo.

Isn’t it the funk that grows after you sweat that actually stinks?

I always thought deodorant was like skin-friendly lysol, it keeps bacteria from growing on you, blocks off some amount of the sweat since it’s semi-permeable, and smells manly or womanly so you can keep people from getting confused when they snuggle up with your pits.

I guess the other portion is that it has to stay in place, and be fairly easy to apply, hence the gooey bar form.

From Tom’s of Maine website : “Hops inhibits the growth of odor-causing bacteria, so you smell better!”

It is the bacteria that cause the smell. That’s why other folds of skin can also have scents if they are made sweaty and left for a bit. Bacteria eat your sweat and excrete smelliness. Deodorant helps to slow down the bacteria’s propagation, thus reducing the smell.

Antiperspirants use aluminum oxide to physically block the sweat glands, thus stopping you from sweating.

Tom’s never works for me.

@AlfredaPrufrock: For most, it doesn’t work, at all.