WHAT IS IT IN DEODORANTS THAT CAUSES THE WHITE MARKS OFTEN FOUND ON DARK FABRICS AROUND THE UNDERARM AREA?
The white residues in the underarm left by deodorants are mainly caused by the anti-perspirant active ingredients – the aluminum salts. These active ingredients are powdery substances which are water-soluble. In water-free formulations, such as most aerosol sprays, they are present as a powder and therefore become easily visible on skin and dark clothes. Even when the aluminum salts are dissolved in water, as e.g. in most roll-ons, white residues can appear on dark clothes after the water has dried off.
WHAT IS IT THAT CAUSES YELLOWING STAINS IN THE UNDERARM AREA OF LIGHT-COLOURED CLOTHING?
Yellow stains gradually build up from wash to wash. Various factors contribute to the formation of these stains: Anti-perspirant actives, the skin’s sebum and sweat absorbed in the textile interact with water and the detergent. This chemical reaction produces yellow-coloured deposits that remain stuck in the fibers. With every washing the fabric becomes more and more yellowish and inflexible.
WHY DOESN’T EVERYONE GET THESE YELLOW MARKS IN THE ARMPITS OF THEIR CLOTHES?
Actually, everyone will eventually get yellow stains, if he/she uses anti-perspirant products. The extent to which someone develops yellow stains can, however, differ a lot from individual to individual depending on the composition of perspiration and oil on the skin and how much one perspires. For some people the stains build up very slowly, so that it takes very long until they finally become visible to the naked eye. These people might have impression that they do not get yellow stains at all. Another reason for having this impression could be that someone uses a deodorant which is free of anti-perspirant actives.