Where Can You Put Deodorant? How to Combat Sweating and Odours in Sensitive Areas

How does deodorant work?

Sweat itself doesn’t have an odour, but the bacteria on your skin does produce odour when it mixes with sweat. Deodorant works by neutralising the odour-causing bacteria, and – often – masking it with a pleasant scent or fragrance.

Terms like deodorant and anti-perspirant are sometimes used interchangeably, but deodorants are used to prevent odour, whereas anti-perspirants are used to prevent sweating. Typically, anti-perspirants are formulated with aluminium-based compounds that form a temporary plug over sweat glands to reduce sweat on the skin surface.

What to look for in an all-over deodorant

As well as odour-control, you’ll want to seek out an all-over body deodorant formulated with gentle ingredients that will feel comfortable on more sensitive areas of the body.

Formulated as a deodorant for intimate areas, Kiehl’s Over & Under Cream-To-Powder Deodorant is enriched with a gentle blend of citric acid to neutralise body odour and minimise feelings of discomfort from friction. This lightweight, cream-to-powder formula is free from talc or aluminium, making it suitable for all skin types – including sensitive. 

Where can you apply deodorant?

The underarms are the most obvious choice for deodorant application, but there are plenty of benefits to using deodorant for intimate parts of the body – especially for your summer body care routine. For example, our Over & Under Cream-To-Powder Deodorant can be used on the underarms, chest, inner thighs, and even intimate areas (external use only).

Since these areas can also be sweat- and odour-prone, read on to find out how an all-over body deodorant can assist in keeping the skin fresh, clean, and dry.

Underarms

Armpits also have the highest concentration of apocrine glands, which are known for producing an oily, opaque secretion that triggers a more noticeable odour as you sweat1.

Apocrine sweat glands are usually stimulated by emotional responses like fear, stress, pain, or excitement1. However, the underarms also contain eccrine glands, which trigger sweat as a cooling response to high temperatures.

For many, underarm deodorant is a daily non-negotiable – helping to control odour, sweat, and prevent discomfort against clothes.

1https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482278/

Feet

The other major sweat glands on the human body – eccrine glands – are present on the soles of the feet. The thick skin of the feet actually holds the highest number of sweat glands than any other area of the body1. Unlike apocrine sweat glands – which are triggered by emotional responses – eccrine sweat is primarily produced to control body temperature2.

Feet sweat is common during exercise, and bacteria from your feet and shoes can naturally produce odour. This is where deodorant can help to both reduce sweat-related odour and minimise friction from shoes.

2https://www.sweathelp.org/home/sweat-and-odor.html

Chest

Like the sweat glands in your underarms, the chest is also prone to sweating from overheating, exercise, stress, or other hormonal factors. It’s also quite common to experience friction and chafing across the chest when exercising – as sweat clings to clothing. Excess moisture on the chest can be especially uncomfortable, so this is another area of the body where you can put deodorant.

Inner thighs

Inner-thigh sweat is a common problem in warm, humid weather, as this area accumulates excess moisture, causing skin to rub together or against clothes.

This friction creates skin chafing – a red, uncomfortable surface rash that’s often tender to the touch. Thankfully, you can use deodorant for this intimate area to reduce moisture and friction-related discomfort, giving you more freedom of movement in summer.

Intimate areas

Where a standard deodorant could cause discomfort on intimate areas, the Over & Under Cream-To-Powder Deodorant is fragrance-free and formulated with gentle ingredients, making it suitable for external intimate care.

You can apply deodorant for private parts to help control excess sweat and moisture before exercise or exposure to warm weather. Like your inner thighs, this comforting formula can also reduce friction from clothing and skin in these more delicate areas of the body.