A Case For Deodorant Layering

A few years ago, I started caring a lot about my scent. Growing up, my mom's nose was extra sensitive, so I was never allowed to wear anything too heavily fragranced. That included hair products, lip products, and most definitely perfumes. I lived most of my life without really giving a shit about scents — until suddenly, that changed.

These days, I layer perfumes like I'm paid to do it, and my favorite compliment to receive is someone asking me what fragrance I'm wearing. I use regular perfume, hair perfume, scented body oils, and body lotions. TBH, anything that will make me smell good gets an immediate "add to cart."

To that end, I recently started doing something that has only added to my bomb-ass smell: deodorant layering.

A few years ago, I switched over to natural deodorants, and for the most part, things were great. I found a brand I really liked, and the products carried me through quite a few wild nights, including some late-night music festivals. However, I found that even though I smelled good, I never truly stopped sweating.

At the time, I was totally clueless when it came to armpit products, but after doing a little research, I learned deodorants get rid of underarm odor, while antiperspirants stop your pits from sweating. Most natural deodorants don't include aluminum-based compounds, which is what makes many antiperspirants work, keeping sweat at bay. (For the record, I'm not here to argue the health benefits of one or the other; I'm just here to talk about my secret to smelling really, really good.)

I decided to switch back to antiperspirants, but I couldn't find a product that had a scent I liked. Sure, baby powder and melon smell good in theory, but in general, nothing stood out. I wanted something juicy and delicious, and the only way I was going to get it was with one of my old tried-and-true natural deodorants. (Let's face it: natural deodorants just smell better — there's a reason why so many have gone viral.) Enter: deodorant layers.

So, how do you deodorant layer, you ask? Well, the entire concept is pretty simple. I start out with an antiperspirant, like the Dove Dry Spray Invisible ($6). After the formula dries, I go in with a deodorant, like the Nez Workout Sesh ($20 for three). (I always keep an extra travel-size Nez on me for easy reapplication on the go, too.) The first layer keeps me from sweating, and the second layer makes me smell delicious.

Dove Dry Spray Invisible

From

$6

$6 at Amazon

Nez Workout Sesh

From

$20

$20 at Nez

On the occasions when I don't foresee myself sweating a lot, or if I'm planning on wearing a tank top, I'm fine sticking with a natural deodorant like Nez. The brand's formula includes zinc and bamboo, which help absorb sweat, so it's perfect for those lighter-lift moments. However, if I'm going out on a date or planning on hitting the bars with my girlfriends, I deodorant layer, just to be safe — and to ensure I'm the best-smelling person in the room.

Yes, this does add a few extra minutes to my getting-ready routine and it does include purchasing multiple products, but if I can purchase a shit-load of products for my face, body, and hair, I can do the same thing for my armpits.