I was an athlete in high school and had track or cheerleading practice at least once a day. No matter how much I ran, lifted or exercised, I would rarely sweat. But things were different inside the classroom.
I would excessively sweat under my arms even when there was adequate air conditioning. During my vulnerable teen years, this took a toll on my self-confidence and my ability to focus on assignments. I started wearing heavier and darker clothing to cover up the issue but eventually realized I needed to get to the bottom of my problem.
Though I never visited a doctor to discuss my concerns, I did some research and realized my symptoms aligned with a condition called hyperhidrosis. According to Mayo Clinic, it's described as excessive sweating not necessarily related to heat or exercise.
In most cases, a doctor may suggest a strong antiperspirant but luckily, I found one at the drugstore.
Certain Dri Prescription Strength Clinical Antiperspirant
Certain Dri is a prescription-strength roll-on antiperspirant that aims to offer up to 72 hours of protection from excessive sweating. It's made with 12% Aluminum Chloride, which deeply penetrates sweat glands to combat perspiration from the source.
Unlike a deodorant that masks odors that arise from sweating, an antiperspirant like this one "plugs" the sweat glands to prevent sweating in the first place.
Certain Dri isn't necessarily formulated to help you smell good, so the brand recommends putting it on before going to bed. The water-based formula is lightweight and doesn't feel sticky on my skin or while I'm sleeping.
To increase the effectiveness of the product, I make sure my underarms are completely dry before applying. I find that this helps the formula really hit all my sweat glands and limit the chances of irritation.
It took about three consecutive nights of applying Certain Dri for me to recognize a difference. However, with continued use, I noticed that my underarms were nearly dry while sitting in class.
Though my experience with the product has been primarily positive, I encountered irritation when I used it after waxing. Now I wait a couple of days after shaving or waxing before applying it to avoid redness and itchiness.
To this day I still use Certain Dri to combat issues with sweating. In the beginning, I would apply it every night — now I use it two times a week and find it just as effective. Plus, it only takes a couple of strokes under each armpit to work, so the 1.2-ounce bottle lasts a surprisingly long time.
If you're worried that excessive perspiration is affecting your behavior or interfering with your daily life, you may want to see a doctor. However, I was extremely grateful to find a product that tackled my sweating problem while boosting my self-confidence.
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