Ewww, what’s that smell? It’s YOU? How embarrassing, right? Body odor stinks, literally. The olfactory does not even welcome its own body’s manufacturing of unpleasant smells, but don’t distress because you’re not the only one.

The body naturally emits a smell. You can thank your “sweat gland secretions” (where sweat are produced and stored) and “skin microbiota” (the microorganisms residing on hair follicles and dead skin cells on the upper most layer of your skin, epidermis) for being responsible for this body’s smelly chemical compound phenomenon.

But you’re not here for a biology lesson, are you? So let’s get back to addressing the problem at hand. There are two odor solutions that we are going to discuss: deodorant and antiperspirant.

Even though they may seem like one and the same, nothing could be further from the truth. Deodorant and antiperspirant are meant for different uses, and if you’ve thought otherwise, don’t be surprised if you have been using either or both incorrectly.

Deodorant Champion

Ah good old deodorant, what would life be without you in our lives, having been forever ingrained in our mind since the first time in middle school gym class.

Deodorant is the hero savior we all need in fighting smelly odor. No matter how thorough we are in the shower, after a period of time, the exocrine glands will remove toxins and wastes in the form of sweat through our skin to cleanse and keep the body healthy.

You can find all sorts of deodorants with different scents readily available in stores as body sprays and solid sticks for applying on your body to diminish odor. Though, this is worth mentioning – deodorant doesn’t actually stop sweating, mind you, but simply neutralizes odor and helps things stay at bay.

So, keep in mind that this is not going to stop sweating and won’t help much with making you feel fresh. A deodorant’s main purpose is to be an odor fighter; hence, the prefix “de-” and noun “odorant” for the “removal of odor.” And it does exactly that in protecting you for hours on, during extreme conditions.

Antiperspirant Contender

If you thought deodorant was the ultimate hero, it’s time for an evolutionary upgrade to an even bigger hero. Say hell to antiperspirant. Like deodorant, antiperspirant can reduce odor, but there are additional chemicals found within it that is meant to help with avoiding sweat.

While most people are already familiar with the word “deodorant,” the usage of the word “antiperspirant” doesn’t get thrown around as much. For one thing, it doesn’t come off as sexy…anti-pers-pir-ant…sounds like something scary that some conspiracy theorist would oppose along with their anti-vaccination campaign, but it is simply made up from the prefix “anti-” (to be against) and the noun “perspirant” (relating to the process of perspiring). So yeah, saying “antiperspirant” rather than “deodorant” back in your junior high locker room would have probably made you look like a dweeb; and you wonder why it’s not as popular and cool as “deodorant.”

Nevertheless, sweating is something that no one can fully avoid. You will always sweat, as that is what the body is supposed to do naturally, but if you want to ensure that you are not sweating as much, or you want to control odor and wetness, antiperspirant is the way to go.

Which is the Winner?

Whether you should go with a deodorant or antiperspirant depends on what you need the most.

• Do you suffer the most from strong odor or do you need to stop sweating?

Here’s the real kicker: the decision doesn’t have to be a competition of odor versus sweating. They can both coexist.

Go with an “antiperspirant deodorant” that combines the best of both worlds. Just make sure the body spray or solid stick that you find reads “antiperspirant deodorant” on the label, and not solely either “antiperspirant” or “deodorant” by itself as one word.

This hybrid approach as a source dedicating to eliminating odor and reducing sweat is the best way to go. You’re smelling like a real winner now. Now go winning it!