Drysol Deodorant: Reviews, Side Effects and Alternatives

If you sweat severely in your underarms, you've probably spent a good portion of your nights (and paycheck) searching for heavy-duty solutions. Some people go the Drysol deodorant route when over-the-counter options don't work.

After a long, brutal battle with hyperhidrosis, I was also prescribed Drysol. In this post, I share my Drysol review, common side effects and some ugly truths your doctor might not disclose.

What Is Drysol?

Drysol is a prescription-strength antiperspirant that consists of aluminum chloride hexahydrate, an ingredient that affects the cells producing sweat.

Most over-the-counter antiperspirants contain aluminum-based active ingredients. While regular antiperspirants usually have 12-25 percent aluminum concentration, Drysol contains up to 30 percent. It’s much stronger than anything you’ll find in the drugstore deodorant aisle.

Drysol deodorant/antiperspirant penetrates sweat glands and blocks them from producing sweat. You apply it overnight because you sweat less while sleeping. You’re supposed to notice an improvement after several nightly treatments. But my experience was not so positive.

Using Drysol for Hyperhidrosis

At the age of 12, I first experienced cranial hyperhidrosis (excessive head sweating). This affected my self-confidence for years until a doctor finally diagnosed me with hyperhidrosis in my 20s.

I underwent endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) surgery to treat my cranial hyperhidrosis. Unfortunately, I wasn't fully aware of the side effects prior to my surgery. Although the procedure stopped my head sweats, I started sweating profusely on my chest and torso.

It turned out I was suffering from compensatory sweating – the most common side effect of ETS surgery. Your body compensates for not sweating in the area treated with ETS by sweating excessively from other areas.

Now, I was sweating worse than before. I was back to the drawing board, looking for another solution. 

A doctor prescribed Ditropan XL, an oral medication for hyperhidrosis that works by drying up your whole body. But when that failed as well, I was then prescribed a much stronger hyperhidrosis medication – Drysol.

Drysol Side Effects

The doctor instructed me to rub a dosage of Drysol all over my torso before bed and wrap myself in plastic wrap. The next morning, I had to unwrap myself and rub baking soda on the affected area to neutralize the drug so it wouldn’t harm my skin.

Sleeping was difficult, to say the least. It was uncomfortable to sleep in plastic wrap, and the aluminum chloride smelled like metal.

On the second night, I suddenly woke up with a painful, bright red rash across my chest and torso. At that point, I knew Drysol wasn't right for me.

Should You Try Drysol?

Drysol reviews are mixed. Lots of people report experiencing severe skin irritations like I did. Itchy, painful rashes and dry skin are common Drysol side effects. Others say Drysol didn’t solve their sweating problem at all.

If you have sensitive skin, you need to be extra careful when using Drysol. If you shave regularly, you’ll need to wait 24 to 48 hours after shaving before applying Drysol to decrease irritation. Plus, your skin has to be completely dry before applying. Water causes irritating hydrochloric acid to form on your skin, causing pain and burning.

If you’ve tried every other sweat medication on the market and nothing seems to work, Drysol might be worth a try. But if you have sensitive skin or prefer natural remedies, you may want to exhaust other options first.

Check out our complete list of axillary hyperhidrosis treatments.

An Alternative to Drysol Deodorant

For people with hyperhidrosis, medications like Drysol just aren’t enough to stop the sweat. They usually cause more discomfort and irritation than relief. 

Although there's no permanent cure for hyperhidrosis, there are solutions that can improve your life and confidence.

I partnered with Billy Thompson to create the Thompson Tee for men and women, a natural, non-irritating solution for those with axillary hyperhidrosis. 

Billy and I both relate to the struggles of excessive sweating and the pain of many treatments on the market. We've dealt with hyperhidrosis for most of our lives, so we set out to create a safe, affordable and convenient solution to help others stay dry and confident.

Thompson Tee is the only patented sweat proof undershirt guaranteed to block underarm sweat from soaking through your outer layer. Our Hydro-Shield sweat proof technology completely absorbs armpit sweat and allows it to evaporate, keeping you sweat mark-free all day long.

I hope you found my Drysol review helpful. If you need a safer solution for hyperhidrosis, try a Thompson Tee risk free today.