Hailey's HAVE TO HAVE

I grew up in a household where my father never wore deodorant. He sweat very little and he never ever smelled. Humph. Wouldn't that be nice?! For many years because my dad didn't wear it and my brother was too young, I thought deodorant was strictly a feminine product. So I used it - thinking it was part of being female.

I'll never forget how shocked I was to see an entire aisle of men's deodorant. No joke. You would have thought I lived in the mountains completely isolated from any type of civilization. Between the rows of choices - deodorant or antiperspirant, gel or solid, spray or stick, white or clear - the selection of sticks on the market is enough to make you break out into a sweat just trying to decide.

Where am I going with this?? I honestly don't know except for that it's a relevant story to this MUST HAVE post on deodorant. The last time I was at my mom's I was reminded how much I love MY deodorant. In a mad rush out the door, I rolled her gel stick under my arms (is that gross?) and ran out the door. The entire night I was a wet mess. I swear the gel makes you sweat MORE. Had I been asked to raise my hand, I would have been "that" girl - you know the one that everyone feels bad for because she's pittin' out?!? Yeah that was me. Poor thing. But hey, it's like having a huge chunk of food stuck in your teeth - it happens to each and everyone of us. Even Fergie.

So why am I blogging about sweaty, stinky underarms you might be thinking? According to Dr. Han Lee, an assistant Professor of Dermatology at the University of Southern California, that you should switch up your deodorant every 6 months. But do you really know what's the best for you amongst the hundreds of sticks and cans? Keep reading...

If you want to eliminate odor, use a deodorant. Wow, that's profound. The alcohol turns your skin acidic which fights off bacteria. Odor comes from bacteria reacting with sweat. Keep in mind that just as bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics, your skin can become immune to the ingredients in your deodorant. Hence why you should switch it up frequently.

If you want to prevent wetness, use an antiperspirant. Chose one that contains at least 10% aluminum chloride which produces salts that clog your sweat ducts.

Better yet, fight odor AND sweat with an antiperspirant/deodorant. My personal all time fave - ARRID Extra Extra Dry in the Ultra Fresh Scent. Ironically, it's a MEN'S stick which I personally find works better than any other women's antiperspirant/deodorant I've ever used. Like I said, the gels made me sweat more. The spray cans never seems to last as long. That powdery women's scent was never strong enough. So if you're in the market for a new scent, I highly recommend the Arrid Extra Dry. And don't worry ladies, this scent is light and won't have you smelling musky like men's cologne.

You can usually find a 2 pack of the Arrid Extra Extra Dry in the Men's grooming aisle at most any Target for less than $3.75. Again one of the best bargains you'll find.