UrbanUpdate

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Beauty Tested, Beast Approved is a grooming blog by Grady Laird. His wife, Amy (the beauty director of Allure magazine) has tried thousands of products over the years—mostly on herself, but often on the human guinea pig who sleeps next to her. For every Beast Approved entry, head here.

You might not pay attention to the labels most of the time, but there are actually some major differences between antiperspirants and deodorants.

Bear with me while I explain the science of stank-fighting: Deodorants mask odor; antiperspirants actually block sweat. They work by temporarily plugging your sweat ducts with aluminum-based compounds; several years ago, however, these compounds were linked to breast cancer. And while the research does not back up the hysteria, there are some other valid reasons to avoid antiperspirants...namely, pit stains. The same aluminum that is so effective at blocking sweat can also cause your expensive new button-down to yellow. Wearing an undershirt is one option—another is trying an aluminum-free deodorant like Arm Hammer’s Essentials Natural Deodorant in Fresh Scent ($1.93 at amazon.com).

Turns out, the classic AH baking soda—used in this deodorant—is just as good at controlling odors under your arms as it is odors in your fridge. I spent a couple of weeks testing this product by trudging through piles of snow in Brooklyn with my 19-month-old son, Mack, in a pack strapped to my back (the Mack-Pack, if you will). With this additional 30 pounds plus multiple layers of winter clothing, I was expecting to smell like a dirty hippie—but when I peeled everything off, I had barely broken a sweat and there was nothing funky going on. Plus, this stuff’s dirt-cheap and has a clean, masculine smell (though not minty like the bad packaging may lead you to believe).

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