Hand/Foot Antiperspirants: Aluminum Sesquichlorohydrate at 15%, Water, Isopropyl Alcohol, Silica, Silica Silylate, Talc, Polysorbate-20, Dimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Isopropyl Myristate, Eucalyptus Oil, Glycerin, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide U.S. Food & Drug Administration. (2022, February 25). Are all "personal care products" regulated as cosmetics? Are some drugs or "cosmeceuticals"? Certain Dri is a popular OTC brand for antiperspirants. They are one of the only antiperspirant companies to offer three strength levels, each with a different active ingredient, and all three are alcohol-free. Carpe’s sweat-absorbing lotions and powders help soak up sweat that has already exited your sweat glands. When you apply them before you start sweating, they’re ready and waiting to absorb moisture. You can then apply them to dry skin as needed throughout the day.

Antiperspirants are nothing new, and their ingredients haven’t changed a ton over the past few decades. The active ingredient in antiperspirants is typically a form of aluminum salt because it’s cheaper and more readily available than other metallic salts. Prescription antiperspirants tend to use aluminum chloride hexahydrate, which the FDA doesn’t allow in OTC antiperspirants, or high percentages of aluminum chloride (ACL). 9 Most OTC antiperspirants use other forms like aluminum chlorohydrate (ACH), aluminum zirconium trichlorohydrex glycine, aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex glycine, or aluminum sesquichlorohydrate. Many will also use lower concentrations of ACL than would necessitate a prescription. Not only can they prevent perspiration, but they can combat the odors our bodies naturally exude. The key ingredient is aluminum sesquichlorohydrate, which is safe on sensitive skins. It shouldn’t dry out your arms which could cause irritation and rashing. Instead, it’s good for comfortably neutralizing odors. Underarm Antiperspirant Aluminum Sesquichlorohydrate at 15%, Water (Aqua), Glyceryl Stearate SE, Silica, Silica Silylate, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Fragrance/Eucalyptus Oil (excluded in Fragrance Free), Isopropyl Myristate, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide Thianboonsong, T., Kanokrungsee, S., Paichitrojjana, A., Udompataikul, M., Kamanamool, N., & Rojhirunsakool, S. (2020). Efficacy and Tolerability of 20% Aluminum Sesquichlorohydrate vs 20% Aluminum Chloride for the Treatment of Axillary Hyperhidrosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Dermatologic therapy, 33(6), e14354. But if you're the kind of person who feels like they sweat more than the average individual, you know that not every formula is going to cut it. Four members of the Shop TODAY team, who all self-identify as "sweaty girls," were recently talking about how hard it is to find an antiperspirant that actually helps cut down on sweat, when the brand Carpe entered the conversation.Innocenzi, D., Ruggero, A., Francesconi, L., Lacarrubba, F., Nardone, B., & Micali, G. (2008). An Open-Label Tolerability and Efficacy Study of an Aluminum Sesquichlorohydrate Topical Foam in Axillary and Palmar Primary Hyperhidrosis. Dermatologic Therapy, 21, S27-S30. They added one caveat though. “Only big thing to consider is that the scent is a strong Eucalyptus small (some may not enjoy) and it does not really control for odor. I typically don’t have an issue but if I’m going to do a hard workout or know I’m going to be sweating then I would pair it with another scented fragrance.”

I'm now a natural deodorant girl, meaning I've grown to accept sweating as a constant in my life and instead focus on just minimizing odor. That said, I was excited but somewhat nervous to try Carpe, since in all my years trying out different antiperspirants, only one has worked for me (and it's not an American brand). I was surprised that it was more of a lotion, but I like that there's a knob that you twist, so you can customize how much you use per armpit. Carpe has two types of antiperspirants. Their standard version uses a formulation of 15% aluminum sesquichlorohydrate and works for the average person and people with mild hyperhidrosis. It’s a lotion that’s housed in a traditional twist-up antiperspirant case, so it’s easy to swipe on your underarms. We found that one twist gave us enough product for one application on a small female. The applicator is more in line with the size of typical women’s antiperspirants, so men may need to use more. I've tried the gamut of products designed to keep pit stains at bay. At the risk of oversharing, from 48-hour, extra-strength deodorant to overnight antiperspirant wipes, nothing has ever truly stopped me from sweating under my arms. That’s why I was skeptical when I heard about Carpe’s claims of totally dry underarms. The consistency took some getting used to, but once I got the hang of application, this stuff actually really impressed me. As long as I let it dry completely (sometimes with the help of a fan or standing in front of my AC unit), this delivered on its promise of keeping me sweat-free all day. Odor isn't as much of an issue for me as just sheer sweat, but I loved the scent of the mountain breeze one — not so much the so-called 'unscented' one, which I found had an almost medicinal smell and mysteriously oozed out from the top on its own when I wasn't using it." Emma Stessman, associate editor Take the quiz. If you’re unsure which Carpe products might be right for you, the easiest first step is to take The Sweat Quiz. Answer a few yes or no and multiple-choice questions about why you sweat and how concerned you are with your sweat situation to get matched with products that can help. It only took us a couple of minutes to complete the quiz, and the results were immediate. The summer sweat struggle is real. Especially right now, as temperatures reach all-time highs, it seems like just the thought of stepping outside already has us perspiring. And for many of us, when it comes to preventing the dreaded pit stains and odor, the first line of defense is an antiperspirant.Cosmetic Ingredient Review, (2017, November 10). Safety Assessment of Eucalyptus globulus (Eucalyptus) - Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics. Because all of Carpe’s antiperspirants are sort of wet, you’ll need to apply them to dry skin and give them a few minutes to dry before getting dressed. But they didn’t leave behind a visible residue in our testing experience. Carpe’s sweat-absorbing products No matter what I'm doing, whether I'm going for a walk or sitting at my desk at work, odds are, I'm sweating. And I've tried plenty of different products, from prescription-strength deodorants to ones designed for men, to try and help cut down on some of that perspiration. And I honestly say that none have worked as well as this formula from Carpe. National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2023). PubChem Compound Summary for CID 1292, Mandelic Acid.

Corkins, M., Abrams, S., Fuchs, G., Goday, P., Hannon, T., Kim, J., Lindsey, C.W., Rome, E. (2019). Aluminum Effects in Infants and Children. Pediatrics, e20193148. 10.1542/peds.2019-3148. If you’ve got hyperhidrosis, look for phrases like “extra strength” or “clinical strength” to get the highest concentration of ingredients allowed OTC by the FDA. These statements aren’t regulated in any way, however. You might find a product marketed as “clinical strength” that has less ACH in it that another marketed as an everyday product. Rice, Z., Pieretti, L., Wheeler, A., Payne, J., Gillard, K., & Hebert, A. (2020). Prevalence of Primary Focal Hyperhidrosis (PFHh) Among Teens 12-17 in US Population. SKIN The Journal of Cutaneous Medicine, 4(6), s117.I will say, I felt like it got more effective the more I used it (the brand says for best results, you should use it consistently for four weeks). The one thing I didn't love about it was the application process. It took a while to figure out how much to use, and sometimes it would dispense more than I wanted, so it would go on goopy. But for the impressive results, I'm happy to deal with that." Fran Sales, associate SEO editor Zirwas, M.J., & Moennich, J. (2008). Antiperspirant and Deodorant Allergy: Diagnosis and Management. The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 1(3), 38-43. If you’ve got moderate to severe hyperhidrosis, a prescription antiperspirant might be more effective than an OTC antiperspirant because it is stronger. And if you’re mostly worried about smell, a deodorant could be all you need. Drysol Arnab D., Wireko, F., Shauchuk, A., Morgan,J.L.L., Webber,J.T., Jones,S.D., Swaile, D. and Kumari, H. (2022). Structure–Function Correlations in the Mechanism of Action of Key Antiperspirant Agents Containing Al(III) and ZAG Salts. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 14 (9), 11597-11609.