Antiperspirants are chemical solutions produced to restrict or control the body’s rate of sweat production.
Antiperspirants differ by brand, type (including, among others, powder, and spray), and chemical composition.
Most of these solutions, however, are usually made up of aluminum chemical compounds to prevent the flow of sweat from the sweat ducts to the outwardly visible parts of the skin.
Antiperspirants are now popularly used to prevent excessive facial sweating.
However, many users are still confused as to what parts of their body these chemical compounds can be applied to without any negative skin reactions.
If you’re one of these people, then this article will be useful for you. You’ll learn whether you can use antiperspirant on your face or not and if it’s safe for you to do that.
Can antiperspirants be used facially?
Yes. However, you have to be sure which brand you want to use. Not all antiperspirants can be used on the face because some contain substances that aren’t friendly to your face. Anything that goes on your face should be completely safe. Fortunately, you’ll learn about what to look out for when selecting a facial antiperspirant.
And the rest of the article will teach you how safe they are to be used facially.
Table of Contents
How safe are antiperspirants for facial use?
Antiperspirants are recognized by health experts as drugs typically recommended for use in treating hyperhidrosis.
This is a health condition characterized by excessive sweating. Antiperspirants are usually recommended for use in the underarms, which generally produce more sweat than other parts of the body.
However, the use of these chemicals is by no means restricted to this area. Antiperspirants can be applied on the face and back among other areas.
It is important, however, to get advice from medical experts on which chemical components are suitable for application in these more sensitive areas of the body.
Precautions for facial application of antiperspirants
While antiperspirants can be of great help in making your face less sweaty, it is necessary to take certain safety precautions while using them.
Before applying antiperspirants to your face, it is advisable to apply them to a small portion of your face and check if your skin exhibits any negative reactions.
If you do not notice any bad reactions after leaving the chemical on your face for around 4-5 hours, you can proceed to use it on your entire face.
If you do experience any skin irritation, it is best for you to consult a medical expert before the continued application of your antiperspirant.
You are highly likely to experience skin irritation if you have eczema or if your skin is naturally sensitive.
However, be sure to avoid applying antiperspirants on the surface of your eyes or mouth.
How to apply antiperspirants facially
Antiperspirants are best applied after waking up at the start of the day and again at night.
This dual-daily application formula is the most effective. If, however, you must use antiperspirants only once every day, it is best to apply them at night.
To effectively reduce face sweat, gently rub the antiperspirant cream just below the line of your hair. Antiperspirants tend to irritate the body when they are applied to wet or moist skin.
Furthermore, as fragrance has been observed to cause skin irritation, it is best to use a fragrance-free antiperspirant.
Ensure that your face is totally dry before application. You can use a dryer to achieve this if necessary.
Conclusion
Finally, there is a raging argument around whether or not you should use antiperspirants on your face.
Most of those who say you shouldn’t use it base their argument on the chemical contents of these products. They are right only that there are now some products that you can use on your face.
They are not bad and can make a difference between a face that’s sweaty and one that’s dry even after some heavy exercise.
Even if they are totally bad, I’m sure the FDA and similar agencies would have asked for their recall.
Therefore, the ultimate decision is with you. You can decide to use it or not. If you’re going to use it, then select the ones that are safe and certified to work.
Be sure, however, to carry out the skin compatibility tests beforehand to verify that your skin will not react negatively to the use of the antiperspirant solution which you are considering.