This, of course, is hotly debated—with some swearing by it, while others deem it unnecessary. Here’s what you need to know. Regardless, it is simply a personal hygiene choice that individuals can make for themselves. If you want to make the switch to natural deodorant, great, and if you don’t, it’s also your call. As for how long it takes you to get used to using deodorant? Ultimately, your body will adjust to your new product in time and on its own schedule. This is unsurprising: Every new skin care product you introduce will take time to get used to, and your pits are no different. If you choose to use a mask during this transition, it may help aid the microbiome and skin itself, but it will do little to help “purge” the area as your body does that naturally regardless. And what do experts say about using a mask? More or less the same: “Many people use clay products to absorb the moisture and odor, but, again, it doesn’t offer any major benefit,” says Rachel Nazarian, M.D., of Schweiger Dermatology Group in NYC. “Antiperspirants are absorbed by sweat glands, and the sweat glands do not return to normal levels of sweat production after 24 hours of non-use. It may take several days for the sweat glands to produce their baseline amount of sweating after even one application of antiperspiration,” says Nazarian. “As you move further away from use of antiperspirants, during the ‘switch,’ your body slowly regains the ability to activate sweat glands. Essentially, nothing drastic happens when you stop using conventional antiperspirants; it just takes time for your sweat glands to learn to sweat fully again.” So what we’ve anecdotally deemed as “purging” or “detoxing” is actually just our body doing what it’s supposed to do. “The weeks and days following cessation of these products are when you’ll notice sweating increasing and then normalizing to baseline levels—while the natural deodorant aides in masking scent,” says Nazarian. “There is no real ‘purge’ other than this basic adjustment. Just let your body get used to the change or the new product.” But there’s also the skin microbiome aspect. The microbiome is what we call the collective of bacteria, yeast, fungi, and other microorganisms that live on our skin. “The skin microbiome changes depending on the ’eco-niche3,’ or location. The critters also vary depending on the amount of light and whether the area is moist, dry, hairy, or oily. And the microbiome differs with age and gender4. For instance, a hormonal, sweaty teenage boy sports a very different microbiome than a sedentary, postmenopausal woman,” says physician Kara Fitzgerald, N.D. Your armpits, we know, have a very specific micro niche, which is why the area smells in the first place. Essentially, there are certain strains of bacteria that live in the area, and when you perspire, they consume the sweat and sebum in the area and produce what we know as B.O. And the microbiome is a very delicate thing that can be influenced by what we put on it. Some theorize that when we go through this transition phase, the excess odor is on account of your skin’s microbiome5 readjusting. But again, this is a completely normal thing that happens—your microbiome may be delicate, but it’s also resilient. And when you use microbiome-supporting products, it’s able to bounce back fairly quickly. If you decide to use an armpit mask, there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence suggesting it works, but it’s not confirmed by research or expert opinion.
