Certain Dri Review – An effective treatment for excessive underarm sweat

By Cynthia Gale, Updated 12th of June 2021

Everyone sweats. It’s a natural and necessary bodily function. But excessive underarm sweating – well it’s embarrassing. It affects your emotional state, social interactions, and functional movement. It forces you to wear certain styles and colors of clothes – and even ruins your clothes. It destroys your self-confidence.

Don’t worry – you are not alone. Excessive sweating is far more common that you may realize. In fact, it’s estimated excessive sweating affects 15.3 million people in the United States (4.8% of the population).

You have probably tried multiple antiperspirants in search of something that works. But supermarkets, and (even some chemists) don’t stock the product you need for excessive underarm sweat - Certain Dri Prescription Strength Clinical antiperspirant. What makes Certain Dri so effective? Aluminium chloride.

Certain Dri is for treatment of excessive sweating – which also goes by the clinical name hyperhidrosis. If you have hyperhidrosis, Certain Dri may very well be a life changing product for you. It is realistic to imagine NO sweat from your underarms after using Certain Dri. Certain Dri claims it offers 72 hours of protection from excessive sweating. And yes, we are all used to antiperspirant claims of day’s protection, but 72 hours is actually understatement. With long term use, it’s not uncommon to reach a point where you may only need to apply Certain Dri once a week – and still be completely free from underarm sweat. With Certain Dri, you could go for a run, and be dripping with sweat everywhere besides your underarms. It’s that effective.

Quick product guide

	Certain Dri Prescription Strength Clinical anitiperspirant • Strongest over the counter antiperspirant available • Free postage with Amazon Prime
	Certain Dri Prescription Strength Clinical anitiperspirant - 3 pack • Bulk discount

What is an antiperspirant, and how does it differ from deodorant?

If you are a wanting a natural deodorant alternative, it’s useful to understand some terminology used in the industry.

What makes Certain Dri so effective?

Certain Dri (prescription strength clinical) contains 12% aluminium chloride. Look at any antiperspirant, and it will contain some form of aluminium. It’s this active ingredient that results in sweat reduction through blocked sweat glands. But not all aluminium variants are the same. You will not find aluminium chloride present in most antiperspirants. It is designed specifically for patients with hyperhidrosis – although this is an over the counter product. This is the strongest antiperspirant you can buy without a doctor’s prescription.

How to use Certain Dri

Certain Dri can sting or burn – particularly if you don’t follow the instructions. Be warned! This is especially the case when you first start using the product. But don’t worry - once you have used Certain Dri for a period of time, you can expect zero sting or burn.

Certain Dri recommend application at night just before bed. This is for two reasons. Firstly if you apply it during the day when you are sweating, it can lessen its effectiveness. Secondly, any dampness amplifies the burn! As such, make sure your underarms are completely dry before application. If you have just showered, wait until completely dry before application. You can even use a fan (or hair dryer on cool setting) to make sure your armpits are dry. The ideal time to start using Certain Dri is in the cooler months of the year. Don’t apply Certain Dri after shaving, or to irritated skin. It will hurt!

Finally, you need to go easy on the application. Real easy. Start with just one roll on each armpit. Gradually increase this over time.

What is hyperhidrosis?

Put simply, it’s a medical condition where a person sweats excessively. Hidrosis is defined as ‘the action of sweating’. We all sweat to cool our bodies. A person with hyperhidrosis will sweat excessively when their body does not require cooling. Not just during heat or exercise. It can even occur when resting in a comfortable cool environment (but not during sleep). It is not uncommon for a person with hyperhidrosis soak their clothes, or drip with sweat. While Certain Dri is for underarms, hyperhidrosis can affect other body areas as well – commonly hands, feet, or head.

Living with Excessive Sweating

Looking for some motivation to persevere? We reached out to Greg* (a Certain Dri user) with a series of questions to understand Certain Dri from a user perspective.

Q: When did excessive sweating begin to impact on your life?

A: My first experience of excessive sweating was at high school. I don’t recall how it happened, but sitting in class I realized my school shirt was completely soaked under my arms. The school shirts were grey, and it really stood out that I was sweaty. I put on my jacket to hide it. It was a hot day, and my teacher actually insisted I take my jacket off so I didn’t overheat. I was so embarrassed, sitting there in class with massive wet patches under my arms. But I wouldn’t call that the start of my problem. It was an isolated occurrence. My real problems seemed to begin in my early 20’s. I flagged it as a problem when I started to struggle to hide my sweatiness in public situations. Outdoors with a breeze I was fine. Even in hot weather. It was public places that got me. I didn’t only get small patches of dampness. It would wick through the shirt material, and cover a big patch under my arms, and extend around half way down to my waist. So I began to carry antiperspirant with me, and apply it multiple times a day (even though it never seemed to help much…). If I had the opportunity, I would go the bathroom and use toilet paper, or napkins to try and dry my underarms and shirt off. If a hand drier was available, I would try and discreetly use it to dry my shirt. If I knew I was going to have a bad day, I would bring a fresh shirt.

Q: How did excessive sweating affect your choice of clothing?

A: My shirts wouldn’t last. I used to get so much staining under my armpits. The material would get stiff and yellow over time. Yuck! And no matter what cleaning product I used, I could not remove the stains. So each shirt would only last me a few months or so before it needed replacement. I always selected shirts that were loose fitting. Anything tight fitting and I would be in trouble straight away. The color was important too. I found the shirts that hid sweat the most were white with a light pattern. So my style choices were limited…

Q: Did excessive sweating affect your employment?

A: It didn’t directly, but I sure had a hard time trying to look presentable. As an office worker in an air-conditioned building I would always try and wear a jumper or jacket. It made things uncomfortable sometimes when I was too warm. And the layers also made me sweat so much more – but at least the dampness wasn’t visible.

Q: Did excessive sweating affect your mental state?

A: I would get frustrated and embarrassed. I would always be worried how bad it looked. I also worried about body odor. I don’t think I smelt much, but it was a concern. I did dread some social situations where I know I would be in a confined space without fresh air – when my sweating was the worst. I spend a lot of time worrying about my sweating rather than being able to focus on my work or social interactions.

Q: Did excessive sweating affect you friendships?

A: I think people close to me knew I had a problem with sweating. But no one ever mentioned. The impact in social situations was that I was not prepared to interact with others when I was sweating too much. I would hide away and try not to be noticed.

Q: How did you find out about Certain Dri?

A: I used so many different antiperspirants in my time, hoping to find one that worked for me. None did – before Certain Dri. I lived with excessive sweating for probably around 5 years before I figured what was happening to me was not normal. I then asked at my local chemist for an effective solution, and they pointed me to stronger antiperspirant (don’t remember the brand, but it was labelled ‘clinical’). It stung on application, and it did work a little better than every other deodorant I had tried. But not good enough. This led me to do some research, and I found the term hyperhidrosis. And from there, I found and read many positive reviews about Certain Dri. I ordered it online, and I’m not exaggerating to say that from the first use it changed my life.

Q: Does Certain Dri hurt?

A: Not really hurt. When I first started using it, a couple of times I had a burning sensation that would be enough to result in a poor night of sleep after application. But as soon as I used it, and it stopped the sweating I didn’t care! I was elated to be sweat free for the first time in years. After I had used it for a few weeks, I no longer felt any pain or burning.

Q: How do you apply Certain Dri?

A: I apply it at night, just before bed. When I first started using Certain Dri, I would apply it every two days. And it kept me sweat free. Occasionally I would forget to apply it, and I began to notice that even without application I remained sweat free. After a few years use, it’s now at the point where I only apply it around once a week, and I am sweat free in my armpits. Any longer than that, and in a stressful situation I sense I am sweating a little in my armpits. But not sweating enough to dampen my shirt. That’s a sign for me to reapply that night. For a while there, I did think that I actually no longer needed to use Certain Dri. But after approximately 2 weeks, the problem was returning. So I apply once a week – and imagine I will for the rest of my life.

Q: How has Certain Dri changed your life?

A: It has improved my life in so many ways. I can choose any clothes I like. I don’t have to avoid close fitting shirts. I don’t have to avoid colors. I can focus on social interactions and work rather than worrying about how awful my sweat looks. I can wear appropriate clothing for the climate. For example, I no longer need to wear multiple layers to hide the sweat. If it’s hot, I can just wear a t-shirt. And I can raise my arms! I can’t believe how many years I went without being able to raise my arms for fear of showing a massive sweat patch. I now have confidence.

Q: What advice would you give to new users of Certain Dri?

A: Follow the instructions! Particularly around applying when your skin is dry. Don’t apply it like normal antiperspirant when you first use it. Just use a very small amount, and build it up over time. If you get past this first few weeks, I’m confident it will work for you.