Spray Deodorant vs Stick Deodorant
This article on deodorant is being written on the basis of personal experience and is, therefore, being directed at women. I would like to guess it could apply to men and male deodorant as well, but since I've never used male deodorant, I can't be sure. But you're certainly welcome to read along, even if you're a guy, as the following could well apply to you, too. Firstly let me just say that while I didn't hit puberty at an unusually early age, I did start using deodorant around the age of 12, which was when I first noticed that my underarms were suddenly less than April fresh, for some reason. What follows is my own experience from that point forward.
I started out with Soft and Dri spray deodorant, because that's what my mother used and that's all there was. I did not like it at all, because the can was 5 times the size of my hands and I always ended up spraying most of my body with it due to not being able to manipulate the bottle properly. Nothing like spraying cold whatever-it-is all over you first thing in the morning in the winter, let me tell you. After a few years of that, I demanded to be allowed to switch to stick deodorant and mum got me Secret. Well, that was all she wrote, and the only thing I would use for the next 20 some years.
Until last Christmas, when someone gave me some sort of spa kit that included vanilla deodorant which I had no intention of using -- but wound up doing so when I ran out of Secret unexpectedly. I liked it very much in some ways, not so much in others and wound up switching to Secret deodorant spray within 6 months. And I don't intend to ever switch back to stick. Mind, I live in Europe where spray deodorant appears to be more common than stick (with women, at least) and I've got lots and lots of spray deodorant options over here; but the one I use is available in the USA too.
Spray Deodorant
Pros:
This stuff feels nice and silky on your skin! Won't make you feel like you've smeared lard all over yourself.
The mist isn't nearly as bad as it used to be and makes you feel quite fresh. (Although, obviously, you should still use it in a ventilated area and be sure pets and children aren't underfoot at the time.)
Loads of sprays to choose from these days and the cans are more ergonomically designed and can be used easily by those of us with small hands.
- They can be as effective as stick but you've got to choose wisely. (See below.) In my case, Secret spray deodorant works as well as Secret stick deodorant.
- I've not had a single bout of itching since switching to spray.
Cons:
In my experience, some sprays are really crap and you'll smell like you didn't bother using one before bedtime. Seriously -- Secret stick worked so well that after 20 years of using it, I actually thought I might have good smelling sweat! Not so and it takes a good spray to compete with stick in this arena. (For me, anyway.)
While I don't experience itching with spray, I do sometimes experience a stinging sensation if I've shaved my arms just before using it. This may be because I shave too hard, but I'm not sure. It's not a terrible pain, just a brief stinging that stops quickly enough.
Stick Deodorant
Pros:
Works fantastically. Perhaps a little too fantastically. I once laid in bed for close to 3 days due to an illness, bathing only via baby wipes and face wash. Stunningly, I still smelt of Secret on day 3. You've got to wonder a bit at any chemical that can endure fever and bed sweats for 3 days... but hey, it definitely fulfilled its function.
No need for ventilation. You can use a stick deodorant anywhere and needn't worry about inhaling the fumes.
No streaks. Back in the day, this stuff left marks on your clothing. Nowadays it doesn't.
Loads and loads of quality stick deodorant manufacturers to choose from.
Cons:
By the 10th year of using what I was using, I started to develop horribly, horribly itchy reactions, most of which occurred at nighttime for some reason. You'd have thought I had scabies, I would periodically itch so badly! (This stopped the day I switched to spray, so yes, I'm certain of the cause. That said, I do realize that allergies take time to develop and I may, over time, develop a similar allergy to spray deodorant. At the moment, however, I'm happy to report that I haven't got one.)
It's thick. It may not seem that way right now, but if you switch to light and airy spray, you will think stick deodorant is downright archaic and dense.
