With the heat and humidity of summer, it can be difficult to keep your sweating under control. And while it's completely natural to perspire, it's also embarrassing to lift your arms and reveal dark, wet pit stains. So what's a guy to do? Deodorant only works on the smell (caused not by your sweat directly, but the bacteria on your skin that feeds on it). Antiperspirants combat wetness, but any effective antiperspirant contains aluminum salt. And that's the chemical that causes the gunky, yellow stains on your light-colored shirts. The only thing worse than wet pit stains are those yellow stains which make your shirts look ratty and dirty. The key to dry, fresh underarms is simple and something we've mentioned in the past, but we've been using this system for a few weeks and can confirm it's a foolproof two-step game plan.

Step

1

Apply an Antiperspirant Before Going to Bed

The reason some guys feel antiperspirants don't work is because when it's applied in the morning, when your sweat volume is higher than it is at night, your sweat actually washes off the antiperspirant before it can work. But when it's applied before bed, you give the active ingredient, aluminum chloride, ample time to work its way into the skin and down to your sweat ducts. By the time you wake up, it's fully absorbed and you can rinse off any leftover residue in the shower, keeping your shirts clean and your pits dry. Since you're not using this as a deodorant, look for the unscented variety.

Step

2

In the Morning, Apply a Standard Deodorant

Because your underarms will remain relatively dry, you don't need a heavy duty deodorant, but we still recommend swiping something on before leaving the house to keep your pits as fresh as possible. You should also switch up your brands now and again when choosing deodorant. Just like with shampoo, your body adjusts to various chemical formulas, so over time, they become less effective. Swap your standard choice for a new formulation. Then in a few months, switch back to your old standby and it should work even better.