Q. I can’t stand the smell of most deodorants, so I tried a hand sanitizer. It works very well. I had no odor at all, even by the end of the day.
The main ingredient is ethyl alcohol. Do you know of any reason I should not use it?
A. Many other readers have found that alcohol in one form or another can control underarm odor. One person wrote: “I’ve tried rubbing alcohol under my arms. It kills bacteria and works well but I was not sure using it daily would be good for my skin. I now am trying vodka! It also kills bacteria. The smell is milder than the rubbing alcohol and is gone by the time it has dried, which is very quickly.”
Our only concern about people using hand-sanitizing gels on their armpits is the other ingredients that might be included. Fragrances and benzophenones may have hormonal activity. Tocopherol (vitamin E) can sometimes be irritating to the skin.
Some readers also report that milk of magnesia makes a good low-cost underarm deodorant without any aroma. While liquid laxative from the drugstore is inexpensive, we offer a roll-on form that is convenient and easy to use. You can choose from The People’s Pharmacy Aluminum-Free scented for women or The People’s Pharmacy Aluminum-Free unscented.
Here are some comments from other readers:
“I have used milk of magnesia for about 18 years with great results.
“The way I use it is diluting it with water at 50% then pouring 2 to 3 ml in to the bottle cup to apply it under my arm. Works great.
“It was recommended by my Dermatologist in 1995.” Joaquin
“My family has used Milk of Magnesia as a deodorant for 60 years since Cuba. That is what everyone used, even before the revolution.
“My family still uses it today in the US, since it’s better than any other deodorant.” MH
“For the person who had recommended milk of magnesia, thank you sooooo much. You’ve saved me from embarrassment.
“I never had a problem with sweat and body odor before, but lately I noticed that I sweat a lot and that my underarm smells sour. Deodorant that I usually used, don’t work anymore.
“I tried milk of magnesia, and the sour scent was GONE. I’ve been using it for a week now. Thank you. :-)” EDL
