ANTIPERSPIRANTS

& DEODORANTS
• Deodorants are topically applied products designed to reduce or mask
unpleasant body odors by reodorization and/or antibacterial action.

• Antiperspirants are topically applied products designed to reduce underarm

wetness by limiting body transpiration.

• Deodorants and antiperspirants are available in various dosage forms; the

most common delivery systems include roll-ons, solid sticks, extrudable clear
gels extrudable soft solids, and aerosols.

• The typical quality-related issues of deodorants and antiperspirants, which

include shrinkage of extrudable gels, caking of aerosols, valve clogging,
staining and fabric damage, poor pay-off, separation of emulsions,
microbiological contamination, clumping, and rancidification.
• Parameters frequently tested by cosmetic companies to evaluate the
quality of their deodorant and antiperspirant products include pay-off
and glide testing for sticks; drying time; spreadability, firmness, and
texture of gels and creams; hardness of sticks; actuation force for
aerosols; aerosol can leakage; pressure test for aerosols; spray
characteristics for aerosols; preservative efficacy; pH; and viscosity.
• The most commonly performed performance tests include in vitro
microbiological testing, sniff test, and sweat reduction test for
antiperspirants.
• Ingredients that caused safety concerns regarding the use of deodorants
and antiperspirants include aluminum salts, zirconium used to complex
the aluminum salts, as well as VOCs used as propellants in aerosols
Anatomy and Physiology of Human Sweat Glands

✓ Sweat glands found in the human skin are classified into two different types:
ECCRINE GLANDS AND APOCRINE GLANDS.
✓ Sweat by itself is odorless. A characteristic odor develops by the activity of
bacterial flora on the skin surface. Bacteria break down various chemicals in
sweat, resulting in volatile by-products, which have an unpleasant odor.
✓ The microorganisms present in the underarm area include bacteria, such as
Corynebacterium, Streptococcus, Propionibacterium spp., and Micrococcus,
as well as yeast, Malassezia.
✓ The microorganisms primarily responsible for the production of body odor
include Corynebacterium, Streptococcus, and Propionibacteria

Sweat glands are widely distributed in the skin, and

according to Gray’s Anatomy, most people have several
million sweat glands distributed over their bodies,
providing plenty of opportunity for underarm odors to
develop
ECCRINE GLANDS are simple, coiled tubular glands.
✓ Their secretory portion is found deep in the dermis, from which a duct leads directly onto the skin surface.

✓ These glands function continuously and are known as the “true” sweat glands since their main function is to control body
temperature and electrolyte balance through the evaporation of water from sweat on the body surface.

✓ Eccrine glands exist and start function from birth. These glands are found all over the body, especially on the palms, soles,
axillae (underarms), and forehead.

✓ They are under psychological and thermal control. Their secretion consists mainly of water with various salts, primarily sodium
chloride and potassium chloride; amino acids, peptides, and proteins; and various electrolytic components, such as ammonia,
calcium, uric acid, urea, copper, lactic acid, potassium, and phosphorus.
APOCRINE GLANDS are primarily limited to certain body parts, such as the axilla, anus, and breast.
✓ These are also found in the dermis; however, these are larger than eccrine glands and their ducts open into the hair follicle duct.

✓ Apocrine glands also exist at birth; however, they become functional at puberty when the sex hormones are produced. They are
usually triggered by emotions, such as excitement, anger, and fear.

✓ Apocrine glands produce an odorless viscous secretion, which acquires a distinct and unpleasant odor after bacterial
decomposition. This secretion primarily consists of lipids, cholesterol, proteins, sulfur-containing amino acids, volatile short-
chain fatty acids, and various steroids.
How Deodorants and Antiperspirants May Affect the Human Skin and Body?
✓ Sweating is a natural process to cool the body temperature. However, the odor
developing via degradation of sweat by bacteria can be embarrassing, can affect
self-esteem, and can have psychological consequences.
✓ Therefore, deodorants and antiperspirants are an essential part of most
consumers’ daily personal care routine.
✓ There is a condition called hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating. The profusion
of sweat may be in the axillary sites, palms, feet, face, trunk, or a combination of
any or all of these.
✓ The treatment of HYPERHIDROSIS usually starts with OTC antiperspirants.
However, none of today’s OTC antiperspirants are specifically designed or
claimed to have a beneficial effect on excessive sweating.
✓ Additional treatment options, depending on the site of excessive sweating,
include prescription antiperspirants, oral medications, topical injections, and
surgery.
✓ Prescription antiperspirants contain higher doses of aluminum chloride, which,
however, can cause irritation and damage clothing.
Some minor negative effects may occur like skin irritation, allergies, overheating, stain the clothes.
Required Qualities and Characteristics and Consumer Needs:
From a consumer perspective, a quality deodorant and/or antiperspirant should possess the following characteristics:
• ◾ Neutral or pleasant odor
• ◾ Easy to spread
• ◾ Pleasant feeling during application
• ◾ Well-tolerated and non-allergenic
• ◾ Long-term deodorization
• ◾ Quick drying properties
• ◾ Non-staining properties
Popular methods for a deodorant and/or antiperspirant action include using the following types of
ingredients:
❑ Odor masking ingredients reduce the perception of odor through blending with underarm odor and
masking it. Examples for such ingredients are fragrances.
❑ Odor neutralizing ingredients chemically neutralize odorous compounds yielding odorless
components. Examples for ingredients acting as odor neutralizer include sodium and potassium
bicarbonate and zinc carbonate.
❑ Odor quenching ingredients bind to the odorous chemicals and form complexes with these materials.
Examples for such ingredients include zinc ricinoleate as well as certain metal oxides, such as zinc
oxide. Hydroxyapatite has also been found to be effective at binding to odorous chemicals.
❑ ◾ Odor absorbing/adsorbing ingredients physically neutralize odorous molecules formed in the axilla via absorption or
adsorption. This results in the immobilization of those molecules, decreasing their volatility and thus decreasing the perceived
odor. Attempts have been made to incorporate various resins into formulations with the aim of odor absorption. Additionally, a
range of silicones and silicates are claimed to offer odor absorption benefits.
❑ ◾ Esterase inhibitors act by directly inhibiting certain enzymes of the underarm bacteria, which results in odor reduction. An
example for such ingredients is zinc glycinate. Another option to inhibit enzymes is to shift the pH optimal for the development
of underarm odor (pH 6) to the acidic range. Lipophilic derivatives of citric acid are examples for such ingredients.
❑ Antimicrobial ingredients are commonly used in today’s deodorants to prevent underarm odor formation by inhibiting or
deactivating the bacteria responsible for bad odor formation. As a result, there is no or only slight metabolism of sweat
components, thus preventing/reducing the occurrence of body odor. Examples for such ingredients include ethanol; triclosan;
quaternary ammonium salts; glyceryl fatty acid esters, such as diglyceryl monolaurate; and sucrose fatty acid esters, such as
sucrose monostearate among others.
❑ Essential oils, such as thyme and clove oil, can also have antimicrobial benefits
❑ Antiperspirants reversibly block sweat gland excretion by forming a temporary, gelatinous plug in the eccrine
duct that reduces, but do not stop, the flow of axillary perspiration.
❑ These blockages prevent sweat from reaching the skin surface in the axilla. They can remain within the sweat duct
for 7–14 days, depending on the rate of skin desquamation, user’s hygiene regimen, activity type, and quality.
❑ The final OTC monograph for antiperspirants lists the active ingredients, their concentrations allowed, dosage
forms in which they can be formulated, as well as claims that can be made for them.

The active ingredients used in today’s formulations can be broadly divided into two groups:
◾ Aluminum-based agents, such as aluminum chloride, aluminum chlorohydrate, aluminum sesquichlorohydrate, aluminum
dichlorohydrate, and aluminum sulfate. Aluminum chlorohydrates can be complexed with polyethylene glycol or propylene
glycol as alcohol-solubilizing adjuncts.
◾ Aluminum–zirconium-based agents, such as aluminum zirconium tri-, tetra-, penta-, and octachlorohydrate. These
complexes can be buffered with glycine, an amino acid, to stabilize them and mitigate the acidic harshness, which could
result when applied to underarm axilla.
WORKING PRINCIPLE OF ANTIPERSPIRANT STICK
Most Common Dosage Forms for Deodorants and Antiperspirants

A. Roll-Ons Roll-on deodorants and/or antiperspirants are very versatile and popular product types. Their popularity is due
to the nonoily feel and the good spreadability of the product on the underarm skin. There are several various types of roll-ons
differing in their vehicle:

✓ Water-based roll-ons are usually opaque O/W emulsions. The active ingredient is typically formulated into the external phase
to provide better efficacy. These systems are usually based on nonionic surfactants, such as polyethylene glycol or propylene
glycol ethoxylated alcohols, as well as emollients, humectants, hydrophilic thickeners, antioxidants, chelating agents, texturizers
(such as talc or corn starch for a soft skin feel), preservatives, and fragrances.

✓ Hydroalcoholic roll-ons have a shorter drying time and offer a refreshing feeling upon application. An important factor that
should be taken into consideration is that only alcohol-soluble actives can be used in this system. These products are usually
thickened with a hydrophilic polymer, such as cellulose derivatives or carrageenan. Emollients and silicones can also be
incorporated using proper emulsifiers.
✓ Silicone-based roll-ons can be formulated as anhydrous products where the actives are suspended in volatile silicone oils, such
as cyclomethicone. To prevent sedimentation of the powder as well as thicken the silicone-based formulation, usually non-
surfactant suspending agents, such as quaternium-18 hectorite, are used. An important factor to consider is the particle size of
the active ingredient in order to prevent sedimentation. The smaller the particle size, the slower the settling rate and the more
stable the product. Silicone-based roll-ons can also be formulated as W/Si emulsions, which are very popular due to the dry,
non-tacky feel they provide.

B. Solid Sticks Solid sticks are the most popular product types today.
✓ Deodorant sticks are typically based on sodium stearate as the gelling agent. The deodorizing agents and fragrances are usually
dissolved in the hydrophilic vehicle, which is primarily a mixture of water and propylene glycol and/or dipropylene glycol.
Products with alcohol are also available; however, they are not as popular as glycol-based formulations. Nonionic surfactants
can be employed to provide transparency to the formulations; examples include PPG-3 myristyl ether and isosteareth-20.
Sodium stearate can also contribute to the clarity of the formulas. Additionally, solid deodorant sticks usually also contain
preservatives, antioxidants, and chelating agents to improve the stability and extend the shelf-life. Additionally, neutralizing
agents may be needed to adjust the product’s pH, and colors can also be added to these formulations.
✓ Antiperspirant sticks are usually anhydrous suspensions containing the suspended antiperspirant actives in a silicone-based
vehicle. Examples for such silicones include cyclopentasiloxane and cyclomethicone, which provide quick drying and dry skin
feel without being tacky or oily. In addition, sticks usually contain various waxy and liquid emollients for a soft skin feel and
glideability, such as myristyl myristate (solid) and octyldodecanol (liquid). Nonionic surfactants, such as PPG-4 butyl ether, are
often employed as dispersing agents for the antiperspirant actives. Hardening agents are generally white waxy solids, such as
stearyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, and hydrogenated castor oil, which give structure to the stick, help keep ingredients intact in a
formulation, and act as lubricants. Thickeners commonly used include quaternium-18 hectorite, and waxy solids can also be
used to thicken formulations. These ingredients help keep the suspended particles in a suspended state and slow down settling.
Talc and silica can also be used since they are effective suspending agents and can also provide lubricity for the formulation.
Additional ingredients can include colorants, titanium dioxide (as an opacifying agent), fragrance, buffers (if needed), and
antioxidants, such as BHT. Antiperspirant sticks are solid white formulations.
C. Extrudable Clear Gels Extrudable gel sticks are transparent formulations, which are often associated by
consumers with a lack of white residue on the skin. Therefore, they are also quite popular. These formulations are usually W/Si
emulsions, in which the refractive indices of the water and silicone phase are identically matched. They are similar to silicone-
based roll-ons with a higher viscosity. They generally contain the antiperspirants actives dissolved in water in the internal phase.
The internal phase may also contain alcohol and humectants, such as propylene glycol. Commonly used silicones include
cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone, cyclomethicone, and trisiloxane. A commonly used surfactant in extrudable clear gels is the
blend of cyclopentasiloxane and PEG/PPG-18/18 dimethicone copolymer.They may also contain thickeners, electrolytes for
stability, and fragrances.

D. Extrudable Soft Solids Extrudable soft solids are usually white anhydrous silicone suspension pastes. In these
formulations, the powder active ingredient is suspended in the silicone (such as cyclopentasiloxane) and/or hydrocarbon (such as
isohexadecane) vehicle. The paste is thickened to the desired viscosity with waxes, such as C18–36 acid triglyceride and
tribehenin. The products may also contain additional ingredients, such as preservatives, chelating agents, antioxidants, color
additives, and fragrances. These products rub in quickly, are non-tacky, leave little or no visible residue on skin, and deliver high
levels of antiperspirant protection. Similar to the anhydrous, silicone-based sticks, the particle size of the powdered active
ingredient should be taken into consideration. Ideally, an active with a particle size below 45 μm ensures a good skin feel. Again,
the smaller the particle size, the slower the sedimentation and the greater the stability of the system.
E. Aerosols Aerosols are popular delivery systems for consumers who prefer a hygienic and easy-to-use product
form. Generally, there are some critical factors that should be taken into consideration when formulating aerosol sprays. These
include the spray rate, spray shape, particle size, product concentrate and propellant product ratio, fragrance concentration, and the
pressure in the aerosol can. All these factors have to be optimized in order to have a product with a dry skin feel that does not clog
the valve upon application.

✓ Deodorant aerosols typically contain a solution of a deodorant ingredient, such as an antimicrobial active in an ethanol and/or a
propylene glycol, which is blended with a liquefied propellant. In these systems, the deodorizer ingredient is solubilized in the
vehicle. Propane, butane, and isobutane are the most commonly used propellants. They condense to form a clear, colorless, and
odorless liquid. Deodorant sprays provide a dry skin feeling as they are anhydrously formulated.
✓ Antiperspirant aerosols are also anhydrous formulations, similar to deodorant aerosols. However, there is a huge difference
between an antiperspirant aerosol and a deodorant aerosol: antiperspirant actives are suspended in the product concentrate and
are not solubilized. The vehicle usually consists of volatile silicone oils, such as cyclomethicone, or a mixture of ester oils and
silicones. Agglomeration of solid particles and settling of actives can be minimized by using suspending agents, such as
amorphous silicon dioxide or clays, such as stearalkonium bentonite and hectorite. These systems generally contain the same
propellants as deodorant aerosols. In addition, they can contain emollients, such as dimethicone and isopropyl palmitate;
fragrances; and preservatives. As these systems are suspensions, sedimentation is a potential concern for them, despite the
application of thickeners. Therefore, most antiperspirant aerosol sprays have directions on shaking the can before use in order to
homogenize the product.