Sweat Busters Jennifer Campbell and Opal Leung David Thompson Secondary Floor Location : J 58 H

Our experiment determines the brand of antiperspirant that is the most effective in reducing the "dampness factor",
the amount of sweat produced by the body. Our topic, to test the effectiveness of specific brands of antiperspirants, connects to our daily life because there is an increased emphasis on personal hygiene in today's world. When seen with sweat marks or have a strong odour waft from underarms, people tend to have the impression that one fails to maintain their personal hygiene, and antiperspirants are used to combat this stereotype. With an increase in people utilizing antiperspirants, it is vital to know which brands are the most effective.

We conducted the experiment by testing 5 brands of antiperspirants, consisting of Gillette, Dove, Lady Speed Stick, Secret, and Adidas with identical procedures. First, on a paper towel, we drew a circle with a diameter of 15 centimeters. Then we smeared two layers of the antiperspirant being tested within the circle. Making sure that the side with the antiperspirant is facing down, we taped both sides of the paper towel to a container. Next, with the spray bottle lifted 20 centimeters above the paper towel, we sprayed the circled area every 1 second. We stopped spraying the moment a drip of water leaked through. Finally, we recorded the number of drips, and measured the amount of water that dripped through with a graduated cylinder.

After carrying out our experiment, we found out that Secret and Gillette were ranked the top two most effective brands. To determine why these results came out as they did, we did some research on how antiperspirant works and the main ingredients in them. After gathering this information, we compared the brands that resisted the most water with the brands that resisted less. We noticed that both Gillette and Secret contain an ingredient named silica. We think that this is the ingredient that has made a difference in the results, since silica is a chemical ingredient that has the ability to absorb large amounts of water, which is highly recommended. However, after reading more about silica, we found out that silica is also considered a skin irritant. Consequently, some consumers may choose to avoid antiperspirants with this ingredient.

In conclusion, our experiment creates a big impact to our daily life. With a large amount of consumers trying to find the most suitable brand of antiperspirant, our results help accomplish this task.