As with all treatment programs, the key to achieving maximum benefit is compliance. Antiperspirant products can require up to 10 consecutive days to reach maximum efficacy and benefits can be completely eliminated within 14 days of treatment termination. Barriers to compliance are typically associated with products’ aesthetics rather than skin irritation. Refer to Table 3 for details on formulation and compliance. Erythema and
Table 3 Formulation and Compliance
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stinging can still be common for products containing Aluminum Chloride and/or high levels of glycol or fragrance but are not common on most commercial antiperspirants. Unscented products based on the emollients cyclopentasiloxane and dimethicone have very good skin compatibility.
Most common barriers to compliance are associated with the skin feel of product, product appearance on skin, product transfer to clothes, and fragrance. Typically, consumers view antiperspirant application as part of their total grooming process and often create application behaviors that reduce product efficacy. Behaviors such as removing the product shortly after application, not applying the dose of product recommended by the manufacturer, or only applying it to a portion of the axilla will reduce efficacy. Encouraging consumers to identify a product form that allows them to comply with a daily application routine will maximize their observed benefit. Efficacy can further be improved by placing the user on a nighttime application to remove issues with the user’s morning grooming routine. Night time application allows the active to enter the duct during a time of low sweating rates and allows for more efficient plug formation.