The Best Antiperspirant for Excessive Sweating: Which Products Work, a

If you’re suffering from excessive sweating, a.k.a. hyperhidrosis, finding the best antiperspirant is like dodging through a minefield. The choice can be overwhelming, and every time you try a new antiperspirant that doesn’t end up working, it costs more money, time, and mental energy.

In this post, we’re going to help you map out that minefield. We’re going to explain exactly what to look out for when you’re evaluating the best antiperspirant for excessive sweating.

This guide will help you spot the bogus claims, identify the brands that profit from selling lightweight products and understand which antiperspirants actually help. We’ll dive into why certain types of products work better than others and help you understand more about active ingredients, strengths, and the formulas present in different antiperspirants.

✘ Natural Antiperspirant

Most dermatologists (and the FDA) agree that there’s insufficient evidence to recognize any such thing as a “natural antiperspirant”.

By definition, an antiperspirant stops sweat from forming in the pores. And despite anecdotes about aluminum-free deodorants keeping people dry, this is likely caused by ingredients absorbing some of the moisture. But if you have hyperhidrosis, not only will you sweat all the time, but you’ll actually perspire more. This makes formulas using just baking soda, magnesium, or arrowroot totally ineffective. The absorption simply can’t keep up.

Some brands now use peptides, which they claim have a similar effect to injecting botox — but there’s no FDA-approved evidence to show this, either.

Why Doesn’t Natural Antiperspirant Work for Excessive Sweating?

So-called “natural antiperspirants” don't have any accredited sweat-preventing properties, because the active ingredients do not prevent sweat formation. This means that for people experiencing hyperhidrosis, the absorption effects of non-aluminum ingredients simply won’t make a difference. Natural products don’t work because they’re not designed to block pores.

Note: Deodorants — natural or otherwise — do not contain anything that is purposely designed to stop sweating. In most cases, it is simply a perfume that can help you prevent body odor.

✘ Big Brand Antiperspirant (Conventional and Extra Strength)

When we talk about the “big brand” antiperspirants, we mean the mainstream antiperspirant products that are available at any store or supermarket. These include the conventional everyday products by companies like Dove, Sure, Gillette, Secret, Suave, Mitchum, and Degree.

As someone who experiences excessive sweating, you’ve probably found the conventional antiperspirants to be ineffective. The major brands know this, so they’ve launched what they call “extra strength”, “clinical strength”, and “prescription strength” products onto the market. Unfortunately, this is just a way for them to snatch a bigger slice of the pie.

Why Don’t Big Brand Antiperspirants Work for Excessive Sweating?

Active ingredients have varying levels of effectiveness, and simply boosting the percentage of this ingredient doesn’t necessarily offer extra protection. And usually, this is all they’re doing, while bumping the product up with a disproportionate price hike.

Let’s take Dove as an example. They use Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex (15.2%) in the standard product, and simply increase the concentration of this same active ingredient to 20% for their “Clinical Protection” product. Suave, Mitchum, and Secret’s extra strength products also use this same active ingredient with an equal percentage strength.

While there’s nothing wrong with these ingredients (in fact, Duradry AM uses a similar 20% Aluminum Zirconium Trichlorohydrex), they need to be supported by something more robust such as Aluminum Chloride (present in Duradry PM) to actually prevent excessive sweating.

Aluminum Chloride is a tiny compound that can get deeper into your pores than other variants, but it can be more prone to cause skin irritation. Instead of pairing this with ingredients to soften this effect, consumer brands choose to ignore it altogether — which goes to show how serious they really are about helping people with hyperhidrosis.

Important note: Even the same active ingredients have differing levels of quality. It’s like comparing a fast-food joint to a gourmet steakhouse. They both sell a burger, but that burger is definitely not the same. One will use much fresher and tastier beef, which is cooked with care.

In the case of Duradry, we only use the very purest European-sourced active ingredients with low pH (they’re more potent). We use micronized particles (gets into pores easier), and the molecular ratios of our active ingredients are optimized to improve the formula’s effectiveness.

✓ Specialist Antiperspirant for Excessive Sweating

Now we’re getting to the antiperspirants that can actually stop excessive sweating. Aside from the household brand names, there are serious products on the market that really do deserve the “clinical strength” moniker. Of course, there’s Duradry — but you also have Certain Dri, SweatBlock, Perspirex, Maxim, Dr. Sweat, and others. The common thread: Aluminum Chloride.

Duradry’s 3-step System: Our Specialist Hyperhidrosis Treatment

Our 3-step system helps 97% of our customers to achieve full dryness within one week. It combines three complementary treatments for maximum effect:

Duradry PM: This is our 15% Aluminum Chloride (Hexahydrate) formula, which comes in an unscented gel that you apply to your underarms before bed. It works away while you sleep to block pores and prevent heavy sweating after you wake up and get moving.
Duradry Wash: This is our everyday wash, packed full of vitamins and natural moisturizers and designed to remove all residual bacteria and antiperspirants. This helps Duradry AM and PM treatments get deep into your pores to protect against sweat.
Duradry AM: This is your daily extra strength roll-on antiperspirant with a unisex scent, containing Aluminum Zirconium Trichlorohydrex (20%). This adds another layer of protection, designed to work on top of Duradry PM’s formula.

Duradry is safe and FDA-approved. And research shows that 15% Aluminium Chloride (Hexahydrate) is the optimal concentration, ensuring the best sweat-blocking results while minimizing the risk of irritation. To reduce irritation and achieve even better results, we combine this active ingredient with Salicylic Acid — which is shown to improve performance.

Try Duradry’s 3-step solution that actually works to stop excessive sweating. Use Duradry PM at bedtime, Duradry AM in the morning, and Duradry Wash to deep clean and prepare your skin for total protection against hyperhidrosis. Get started for just $20.

✓ Prescription-Only Antiperspirant

Hyperhidrosis is a recognized condition, with primary focal hyperhidrosis as a result of an overactive sympathetic nervous system — and secondary generalized hyperhidrosis as a result of health problems or medication side effects. This means that many people with excessive sweating will visit a doctor for a health check, where they may get prescribed a treatment.

There are a few leading prescription-only hyperhidrosis treatments. These include Drysol and Xerac AC. All of these brands use Aluminum Chloride (or Aluminum Chloride Hexahydrate) — the strongest and most effective compound for sweat prevention. The reason they’re prescription-based is that the concentration is higher than 15%.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Prescription-Only Treatments?

The main benefit is that prescription-only antiperspirants are reputable, accredited, and approved as a serious treatment for hyperhidrosis. This means that they’ve been rigorously tested for medical use, and they are usually effective for stopping sweat production.

With prescription antiperspirants, you don’t have to worry about ineffective lightweight active ingredients. In fact, with many of these products using 20% Aluminum Chloride, it is their strength that’s often a downside — because the high concentration is liable to cause irritation.

Remember: Studies show that 15% Aluminum Chloride is just as effective as a concentration of 20% while reducing the risks of side effects. So, the extra strength doesn’t bring added benefits.

Another downside is the actual hassle of getting hold of these products. Considering that there is no measurable benefit to getting a stronger product, the process of visiting (and paying for) a doctor and collecting a prescription simply isn’t worth it. That said, if you have health concerns related to your hyperhidrosis or anything else, don’t hesitate to contact a medical professional.

So, What is the Best Antiperspirant for Excessive Sweating?

If you’re suffering from hyperhidrosis, you should be browsing in the category of specialist antiperspirants — whether they’re available to buy with or without a prescription. “Natural” solutions don’t contain any sweat-blocking properties, and the big brand “extra strength” antiperspirants don’t use active ingredients that can make a useful impact by themselves.

There are quite a few specialist antiperspirants to choose from, and we hope you’ll give Duradry a try. You can get started with our complete 3-step solution for just $20 — and achieve full dryness within a few days of use.