All-day dryness needn’t leave you with dry underarms. Does the new anti-perspirant formula from Dove leave skin both soft and sweat-free? We put it through its paces
When it comes to skincare for your underarms, should you care? After all, they’re hardly ever on display. However, considering the amount of punishment we put them through on a daily basis, perhaps it’s high time that we did.
Our underarms are among the most sensitive areas of our bodies due to our endeavours to keep them stubble and sweat-free - yet they’re also among the most neglected according to new findings from Dove. Leaving skin dry and damaged (the studies also highlight that up to 36% of what we shave off is actually skin!), our choice of post-shave or shower products often don’t meet their distinct needs, with many of us prioritising perspiration-prevention over skincare. Is it possible to have soft skin and sweat-control at the same time? According to Dove’s latest anti-perspirant formula, you no longer have to choose.
What’s new?
Having reformulated its entire anti-perspirant range (sprays, roll ons, the lot), the 29-product, eight-range collection is designed to be the brand’s most skin-friendly yet. A culmination of four years of research and development, the new line-up boasts the same skincare ingredients used in luxury face creams (alongside its signature ¼ moisturising cream formula), 48 hour sweat protection and a scent developed by global fragrance house, Givaudan, known for its world-renowned Perfumery School and expertise within the field.
Does it deliver though? I put the newest additions to the Dove Go Fresh range, the Go Fresh Pear and Aloe Vera anti-perspirant spray , from £2.99, and roll on , £2.30, through their paces to see if they could provide skin softness without compromising on sweat-control.
Do they work?
As the brand’s new #RealUnderarms campaign emphasises, underarms come in all shapes and sizes, and the amount that each of us sweats can vary hugely between us. In the interests of full disclosure, I’m not embarrassed to say that I sweat quite a lot and find it hard to find an anti-perspirant that withstands both commute and gym class. Condition-wise, would I say that I was aware of the softness of my underarms before this? Not really - out of sight, out of mind and all that, but upon examining them in preparation for this review I was surprised to see how dry they actually were and how badly they were showing the effects of neglect. I shave around two or three times a week and use a pretty strong anti-perspirant at the moment, with the result being that they’re more prone to irritation and discomfort and they don’t look as smooth or feel as hydrated as other parts of my body.
Dove Go Fresh Pear and Aloe Vera seemed like the ideal choice for me, sounding both soothing and refreshing, providing up to 48 hours protection against sweat and odour and containing 0% alcohol to keep chances of irritation to a minimum. To test them out, I booked in for a Meta-row class at Metabolic London - a HIIT, circuit and rowing triple threat. The fast-drying anti-perspirant spray proved itself a particular favourite of mine for keeping sweat at bay in more extreme conditions - it’s gone straight into my gym bag, so while my face might look like I’ve run through a car wash post-workout, my underarms will hopefully now tell another tale. For non-gym days, I favoured the roll-on as its hydrating fluid felt really lovely to apply when out of a hot shower and wonderfully cooling after shaving. The fresh and uplifting scent of both proved a real winner with me - it lasted all day, keeping me dry no matter what I was doing and catching accents of it while at work acted as a subtle pick-me-up. A standout feature.
Finally, were my underarms left smoother and softer? Within a week of using them, yes they were. Well moisturised while also being well protected against sweat, they offered the best of both worlds - dryness without the dry skin. Brilliant.
Buy Dove Go Fresh Pear and Aloe Vera anti-perspirant spray (150ml) here , 250ml antiperspirant spray here and the roll on here .
Written in partnership with Dove .