beauty

Oh wow, we've all been applying our anti-perspirant deodorant wrong.

Image via iStock.

Your world of grooming is about to be turned upside-down: we’re sorry, but apparently you’ve been applying anti-perspirant deodorant wrong.

You, like me, and surely everyone else in the world, probably apply anti-perspirant deodorant like this: in a quick swipe or spray in the mornings, before getting on with your life. (Well, if I’m honest, I forget half the time and then end up in a paranoid thought-loop of “Do I stink? Do I? Could I?” for the rest of the day.)

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Well, I’m here to subvert everything you know about anti-perspirant deodorant, because we’ve learnt something absolutely revolutionary. The best time to apply it is at night, before you go to bed.

What if I stink?!

 

Oh, I know. This sounds completely erroneous and bizarre.

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“But Carla,” you plead. “What if I sweat during the night? And I shower in the mornings – won’t it all come off? I don’t understand!”

Settle, petal: Allow me to explain. Firstly, this isn’t something that emerged from the fantastical, mystical chaos of my imagination; it’s actually a direction on the label of clinical strength anti-perspirant deodorants. If it’s what the anti-perspirant deodorant says to do, well, how can we argue with that?

Applying anti-perspirant deodorant before you catch your zs has this benefit: it has several hours to ooze into your pores and clog up those sweat ducts. You perspire less at night, and applying the anti-perspirant deodorant at that time will give those sweat glands a not-so-subtle hint to stop or reduce sweating. (Post continues after gallery.)

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Make sure the product is applied just before you start snoozing – so, you know, after all of your exciting night activities have subsided (the sexing, the showering, the samba and anything else starting with 's' while we’re at it).

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Hence, when you arise in the morning, your armpits will be pre-clogged with anti-perspiring, deodorized goodness, and you’ll be ready to conquer the world. Even if you shower, the active ingredients would have already absorbed, so you need not be shy of giving those pits a scrubbin’.

 

Oh Katy, if only you'd applied this at night!

 

So, while we're a little skeptical of this one, we might all need to make room on our bedside table for our favourite anti-stench product.

And this way, if I forget to put it on in the mornings, I won’t have to worry. And that’s something I’m sure that my colleagues and public transport seat-buddies can celebrate.

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When do you apply deodorant? Do you think applying deodorant at night is clever or crazy?