Surrey Homes | SH101 | June 2023 | Education Supplement inside

No Sweat!
Josephine Fairley explores the new generation of premium deodorants
that are just as pampering as your specialist skincare
Q
uietly, discreetly, a revolution
has been taking place in our
armpits. Where once antiperspirants
and deodorants were a
workaday staple – right up there
with brushing your teeth, in terms of
sexiness – they’ve had a major makeover,
in the past few years. Beauty brands
and perfume houses have worked
to transform a chore into a positive,
sensory pleasure. (Though it probably
won’t surprise you to learn we’re
definitely not talking Right Guard
prices, here: the ‘poshest’ deodorants
can set you back a pretty penny.)
Is this new generation of ‘designer’
deodorants any more ‘effective’? The
answer is: probably not. If you have a
severe perspiration problem and you
find it distressing you need – yes, a
full-on antiperspirant, which blocks
the sweat glands. (Think: Vichy
72-Hour Stress Resist Anti-Perspirant
Deodorant, £9.95; Mitchum Ice
Fresh Anti-Perspirant Deodorant,
or Perspirex Strong Antiperspirant
Roll-On, £9.99.) But if you want
to smell fresh and limit odour, and
massively up the enjoyment factor,
I point you in the direction of the
following introductions – all of which
are a quantum sensory leap from the
Boots and Superdrug mainstream.
One of the big differences with many
of the new deos is how you apply them.
Creams are a strong deodorant trend
(not a phrase I ever thought would
dance off my keyboard), the idea being
that you take generally a pea-sized
amount and physically massage it into
the armpit. The other advantage is
that you can be sure you’ve reached all
the ‘nooks and crannies’, for optimum
odour protection. And for women,
there is one big bonus: the action of
application also lets you feel for any
changes in the armpit which you
might want to check out with your
doctor; in some cases, a lump in the
armpit can be a symptom of breast
cancer – and is always worth checking
out.) All the cream deos I’ve tried
dry to a powder finish, meanwhile,
which keeps you feeling fresh without
stopping the body’s natural processes.
I certainly very much prefer cream
deodorants, now I’ve made the switch.
I’ve been able to try many of the
launches, and have some definite top
picks. For its spa-like scent and chic
bamboo packaging, I’m very much
enjoying GAIA Skincare Awakening
Cream Deodorant, £20 for 50g, which
adds a low-key touch of antibacterial tea
tree to their signature aromatherapeutic
wake-up blend of tangerine, peppermint
and grapefruit; all this British brand’s
products are created out of their awardwinning
spa at Boringdon Hall, in
Devon, the most relaxing of destinations
and one I’d return to in a heartbeat.
I’ve also become very keen on a
new-ish brand called AKT, which
smells amazing. AMAZING. There’s
an interesting story behind AKT: the
founders, Andy Coxon and Ed Currie,
met while rehearsing for the Carole
King musical in the West End, with
demanding roles and eight shows a
week, they needed something to tackle
the sweat and whiff. Unable to find
anything that fitted the bill, the duo
then spent three years working with
formulators and perfumers to come up
with AKT, which was then tested on a
large number of West End performers,
who gave it rave reviews. There are
now five scents in the range, all priced
at £19 for 50ml: SC.01 EXT. Orange
Grove (citrusy petitgrain, neroli and
mandarin), SC.02 EXT. After Thunder
(woody-aromatic, with eucalyptus, cedar
and bitter orange), and SC.03 EXT.
The Onsen (vetiver, lavender, yuzu);
SC.04 Ext. Halcyon Summers (mint,
tomato vine, pomelo), and super-pretty
SC.04 Ext. Columbia Road (amber,
violet, tonka), a tribute to East London’s
flower market, and my new fave in the
range. The packaging, in the form of
aluminium tubes – almost toothpastestyle
–is 100% recyclable, and to ensure
that you squeeze every last dab out of
the tube, a stylish ‘key’ is available.
It’s certainly an innovative take on
deodorant – as is Fussy, who apparently
got their break on Dragon’s Den.
Their sculptural, sleek cases, priced
£20, are refillable (they look like they
could have been designed by Apple)
– and inside, you slip one of a really
wide range of solid deodorants with
scents spanning citrus, cucumber,
fresh, tropical, woody, or my fave,
Night Tales, which blends cedar and
cinnamon and patchouli. (NB the refills
come in multiples of three, but you
can mix and match and at just a fiver,
it’s not the absolute end of the world
if they don’t all push your buttons.)
Another plus of a cream deodorant
is their skin conditioning action – and
who doesn’t want strokable armpits…?
If you aren’t too ticklish, they can be
an erogenous zone. The best of all
for this, I’ve found, is Kopari Beauty
priceless-magazines.com
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