Confession: I’m a sweater (not the kind that you wear on a cool, fall day…the other kind). Or at least I used to be a sweater. After discovering Certain Dri anti-perspirant, I can now wear a silk blouse or clingy dark t-shirt without worrying about unsightly underarm wetness. Certain Dri is definitely one of those products in my arsenal that I’m not sure I could live without, and I never would’ve entertained the possibility until Secret launched Clinical Strength.
Secret Clinical Strength appears to be positioned to go head-to-head with Certain Dri and the people over at Procter & Gamble seem to think it offers some benefits over its competition. So, I decided to undertake an unscientific Cool Broad product test and see if it was a good alternative for me (and for other non-sweater sweaters).
Apparently, our bodies are naturally programmed to perspire - in some cases up to a quart a day. If you are battling body odor, a deodorant is the product for you. If underarm wetness is the primary culprit, an anti-perspirant is what you should be using. I’ve always used a deodorant/anti-perspirant combination product with moderate results. For me, odor wasn’t really the issue, it was excessive underarm wetness. But not, it’s-so-hot-today-I’m-sweating-like-a-pig wetness because I’ve been known to sweat in the middle of winter. No, it was more like, I’m-so-nervous-about-my-interview-today sweating. (Even though I haven’t been on an interview in years!)
The Certain Dri website states that its active ingredient is 12% Aluminum Chloride – the strongest over-the-counter antiperspirant ingredient preferred by dermatologists to treat excessive perspiration. You apply it at night (which takes some getting used to) and only apply it a few times a week. The directions will warn you against applying it to freshly-shaved skin and let me reiterate…DON’T APPLY IT TO FRESHLY SHAVED SKIN! You’ll end up with burning armpits.
That being said, I’ve yet to find an anti-perspirant work nearly as well as Certain Dri. I’ll apply it for a few days and then forget about it until I notice that some wetness has returned. Honestly, I probably only use it a few times a year now (I sort of thought it had killed all of the sweat glands in my armpits) and that’s pretty remarkable considering I was a darn good sweater (if I may say so myself).
One of my gripes with Certain Dri, however, is that I do sometimes experience itching after applying it even if I haven’t shaved in a day or so…
one of the reasons I decided to try Secret Clinical Strength. The makers claim that Clinical Strength contains soothing ingredients and isn’t as irritating as the “leading brand”. Also, the Secret product has odor-fighting capsules to keep you smelling fresh and clean all day. With Certain Dri, I still use a regular deodorant during the day just to stay fresh, so if I switched to Secret, I would have one less thing to do (and God knows I need that extra two and a half seconds every morning).
I tested Secret Clinical Strength over a period of two weeks. It’s also applied at night, though its active ingredient is 20% Aluminum Zirconium Tricholorhydrex GL - the maximum amount available in an OTC product. I didn’t experience any stinging and I liked the fact that it was a solid and not a roll-on like Certain Dri.
That being said, it didn’t provide the wetness relief that Certain Dri did. I was disappointed. If you don’t experience serious underarm wetness, it might be a good product for you. For serious sweaters, Certain Dri is a proven and reliable product. It has consistently garnered high reviews on MakeupAlley.com. Click here to read what others have to say about Certain Dri. Click here to read what others have to say about Secret Clinical Strength.
~tcb
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5 responses so far ↓
1 Frankie // May 6, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Do you ever worry about the aluminum in these.. or is that just being paranoid? I know that the “natural” deodorants don’t seem to work on me. Another strange thing I worry about, I heard your armpits can sag when you get older, so it’s better to use a roll on or something that does not pull the skin.
2 thatcoolbroad // May 6, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Frankie,
That’s a good question. I haven’t found any definitive information about long-term use of aluminum chloride, though it can be toxic if swallowed and can also be a skin irritant. The makers of Certain Dri tout the fact that doctors have recommended their product for 30 years…but does that mean it’s completely safe?
I guess it’s just what your comfortable with. I find that I only have to use it for a few days a few times a year and it elminiates sweat stains…so I’m ok with that.
I’ve never heard about my armpits sagging (something else to worry about), but Certain Dri does come in a roll-on as well as a solid.
xoxo
tcb
3 Joyce Jarrard // May 7, 2008 at 4:26 pm
I never heard of Certain Dri until now - it sounds like a useful product, especially if you only have to use it once in a while. When I was in high school and college, I always felt my antiperspirant was not as effective as I needed it to be. After college, a co-worker told me she had the best luck with Mitchum antiperspirant, that Mitchum was the strongest thing available over the counter, at that time. I use Mitchum for Women antiperspirant and deodorant combination, now in a clear gel. I’ve used the stick and the roll on, too. I am usually too warm, while others are comfortable. With Mitchum, my armpits don’t perspire, even when the rest of me does.
Saggy armpits! Now that’s a new one, LOL. I think saggy upper arms would be much more noticeable.
4 Corinne // May 16, 2008 at 7:02 pm
I’m a sweater too. I want to try the Secret CS. Had I known that Certain Dri worked, I would have been using that too. I’ve just been ’sweating it out’ until now. Great post! Love your blog!
5 Carmina // Aug 9, 2008 at 12:18 am
Thank god for Certain Dri. My problem is not the underarm sweating, but the groin area! I’d always start out fresh in the morning and by the end of the long, hot humid day, or if I was in nervous situation, I’d sweat and have an odor. With certain dri, I stay dry down there and dont have any odor. I had never heard of it until I heard some friends talking about it. I no longer worry about awkward situations or long humid days. What a lifesaver.
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