Scents and sensibility
No sweat. We’ve sniffed out eight readily available roll-on brands and applied them to fresh, sweetly clean armpits — one shaved, one furry — to find out which keep that rich palette of odours at bay and which ones are the pits.
Aluminium content? Yes.
Application: Rolls on with just the right amount and dries quickly.
Effectiveness: Put through the rigours of an hour-long tango lesson, this product did not let the wearer down, and lived up to its 24-hour protection claim. Post-shave sting: None whatsoever. Scent: Citrus.
Value for money: €1.50. A very good price for such an effective product, but the presence of aluminium may be of concern to users.
Score: 9
Aluminium content? No.
Application: Needs to be dampened or rolled onto already-damp armpits, and it dried in seconds.
Effectiveness: Exactly what it claims, keeping pits fresh and odour-free without the need for re-application.
Post-shave sting: None.
Scent: Unscented.
Value for money: €7.25. The most expensive of the products tested, but, like rock-crystal deodorants in general, will last a long time.
Score: 9.5
Aluminium content? Yes.
Application: An excessive amount was produced during the initial roll-on, but dried quickly.
Effectiveness: Performed well, keeping pits dry during an hour-long session of moderate exercise.
Post-shave sting: Strong.
Scent: Distinctive.
Value for money: At €1, it’s very affordable but this has to be weighed against effectiveness, and if aluminium content is of concern to the user.
Score: 5
Aluminium content? No.
Application: A sufficient, but not excessive, amount and dried quickly.
Effectiveness: Day-long freshness, if engaged only in routine activities, but requires re-application.
Post-shave sting: Disappointingly strong.
Scent: A delightful and subtle lemon-and-rose combination.
Value for money: €6.95. It’s at the pricier end of the scale, but the absence of aluminium offers some compensation.
Score: 6.5
Aluminium content? Yes.
Application: A slightly watery product that took several minutes to dry.
Effectiveness: It provided day-long dryness and fragrance and didn’t require re-application.
Post-shave sting: Strong, and required immediate removal of the product.
Scent: A pleasant combination of patchouli and lavender.
Value for money: €1.39. A good price for an effective product, if you’re not concerned about the aluminium content.
Score: 5.50
Aluminium content? No.
Application: It glided on, leaving a slight tackiness that took a couple of minutes to dry.
Effectiveness: It prevented unpleasant odours and did not require re-application in a 24-hour period, living up to its claims of being long-lasting.
Post-shave sting: Strong.
Scent: Fragrance-free, so nothing to interfere with perfumes and lotions.
Value for money: €6.05. Like all the aluminium-free versions, it is considerably more expensive.
Score: 7.5
Aluminium content? Yes.
Application: An excessive amount and does not dry satisfactorily.
Effectiveness: An overpowering chemical smell induced a headache in this reviewer. Two attempts at removal were insufficient and it also lingered for days in the bathroom and car.
Post-shave sting? Very strong and required immediate removal.
Scent: Extremely strong.
Value for money: An affordable product at €1.79.
Score: 2
Aluminium content? No.
Application: Easy to apply and dried immediately.
Effectiveness: It ensured odour-free pits all day, while engaged in routine activities, but requires re-application for moderate exercise sessions.
Post-shave sting? Strong.
Scent: Free of scent, so doesn’t interfere with perfumes or lotions.
Value for money: €4.25 for a travel size, which is high compared with full-size versions, but nice and light in hand luggage.
Score: 5.5
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