While it is not uncommon to have perspiration rings under the arms of your shirt, it IS uncommon to have those rings bleed down to your belt. Doctor's call it Axillary Hyperhidrosis -- chatchi calls it "Swamp Pits". My perspiration was becoming so unmanageable, I would wear four (4) undershirts to prevent the stains from bleeding through to my dress shirts. The idea worked, but the extra layers only caused chatchi to sweat even more.

The average adult perspires a little more than one quart of fluid per day. chatchi perspired more than SEVEN quarts of fluid per day. After failing numerous job interviews, and scaring away an immeasurable amount of potential romantic companions because of my mind-boggling sweat production, it was time for me to get help.

My search ended with Certain Dri. This remarkable, non-prescription product is applied to the underarm area before you go to bed. While the concept might seem unusual, you wouldn't be reading this review unless you were used to going to unusual lengths to prevent underarm perspiration.

Certain Dri is applied in place of your regular anti-perspirant/deodorant, but I'd advise still using a scented deodorant every day, since Certain Dri does a less than adequate job of masking the stench. The first time you use the product, don't be surprised if you experience a slight irritation to the underarms (comparable to bathing in gasoline, then setting yourself on fire) -- that's the 12% aluminum chloride going to work. Don't worry, the irritation will go away after a couple of days. The roll-on applicator is less than desirable -- ripping out armpit hairs during application -- but I suppose it's better than those nasty aerosol brands.

Just how good is Certain Dri? Well, the directions say that, when used "sparingly", Certain Dri can prevent perspiration for up to 84 hours after application. I've found that I can literally go weeks without applying Certain Dri, and my pits remain dry as a desert. My confidence has been restored in interviews, and women are no longer turned off by extreme underarm moisture.

Thanks to Certain Dri, chatchi had the last laugh.

42 of 43 found the following review helpful:

a miracle product  May 29, 2004

For the last several years, I've tried every antiperspirant available, and pretty much given up. I was paranoid about raising my arms, and my wardrobe slowly became one of black and navy blue shirts, so that the wetness would be less visible. If I had to wear a dress shirt, I'd look everywhere to find a shirt that I could wear underneath, no matter how hot it was outside, so that there wouldn't be marks.

Then I tried Certain Dri, and it's amazing. Although it does cause some itching and discomfort if you use it to quickly after shaving, as well as the first week or so of use, it's well worth it to be able to wear colors for the first time in YEARS. I don't have to worry at all about wearing anything.

My only criticism is that you probably need to wear a deodorant anyway, since the product seems to aggravate underarm odor, with which I'd never before had a problem.

Beyond that minor annoyance, it's an amazing product, and I recommend it to anyone for whom Secret Platinum, Arm & Hammer, Sure, Degree, Dove, Lady Speedstick, Arrid and any other antiperspirant on the market have done nothing!

178 of 210 found the following review helpful:

Be Realistic  Oct 19, 2008
By KJB
The reason I gave Certain Dri one star is to get your (the skeptic's) attention. I wouldn't actually give Certain Dri 1 star; honestly, I would give it 5. For those of you who are looking for a reason not to use or buy Certain Dri, I will give you all the reasons I know here:
1) It stings if you use it when your pits are wet--so let them dry or dry them with a fan/blow dryer before applying the product (this is especially helpful if you would rather apply in the morning as opposed to at night).
2) It stings if you use too much. "Too much" depends on your skin. I would not use more than a couple strokes. Some people don't get any irritation, and some people are very sensitive to it. I have very sensitive skin, and I get irritated and very dry under my arms when I apply 3 strokes or more.
3) It stings if you don't let it dry completely and just keep your arms down. So make sure it dries completely (if you rub it in and fan your pits, it dries in about two minutes).
4) It does not cover odor; it only stops wetness (and it does this extremely well). You can use a deoderant for any odor, but I have found since I stopped sweating under my arms, I can hardly detect any odor.
5) If you're a guy, the roll-on application may pull on your pit hairs.

Those are the only drawbacks I can think of. Here are the pros:

1)The stinging is temporary, if you experience any.
2)The stinging is not extreme--it's bearable.
3)It does work, there's no question about it: it is a very strange feeling to have arm pits that don't sweat while working out and the rest of your body sweating like usual. It is also very exciting to give a presentation and be able to choose any clothing you want and not have to worry about people seeing wet armpits.
4)The cost: I would pay fifty dollars for this product considering how long it lasts and that it works so well. It only costs about 4-6 dollars depending on where you buy it, and it lasts several months.
5)No more yellow pit stains. I have bought new white blouses just because I know I will not be wearing my stained ones anymore, and I know I don't have to worry about staining these ones (but they are not safe from coffee stains unfortunately-- I spill coffee on myself almost every time I drink it)!
6)For people who have really sweaty feet, this product has been proven to work for excessive foot sweat. Athletes: take heart!

I could think of a few more pros, but at this point, I have spent 20 minutes of my own time (I am a pharmacy student and have two exams tomorrow that I need to finish studying for) writing this review. I never write product reviews, but I am writing one for Certain Dri because it is a truly effective, valuable find.

If you are hesitant about buying this product, I wouldn't buy it if you know you have an allergy to aluminum chloride. Otherwise, it is definitely worth the 4-6 dollars to just try it. It's even worth the temporary stinging, if you experience any. If it doesn't work for you (I doubt this would be the problem) or if you are too sensitive to it (this would probably be more likely--but make sure you try using it less often like every few days, and don't apply as much as you did previously, before you give up on it), you can always return it to the store.

I am one of those people who believes more means more effective, but trust me, they are serious when they say you only need a couple strokes. It seems like your arm pit is a big area and needs several strokes, but use only one or two--and then rub it around with your palm to cover the whole area. This will also help it dry faster and reduce the possibility of stinging.

I have tried everything from Secret Clinical Strength to Mitchum to you-name-it. This is the last product I will use because I will never change to anything else. I sweat when it's cold out, when it's hot out, when I'm working out, when I'm just sitting in class, or giving a presentation, and we all know how embarassing the wet dark puddles under our arms are. I wish I would have found this product sooner. I wish there was a product as effective for coffee stains.

25 of 26 found the following review helpful:

Use cautiously and you'll see that it works.  May 06, 2005
By M. Thompson
The key is not to overdo and follow the directions. A little bit of Certain Dri goes a long way. It worked for me. I don't have a severe persperation problem but enough that I wanted something stronger and OTC. This was the ticket. I did have problems with stinging and burning but I used hydrocortisone cream which helped immensely. This is so worth the money because it takes such a small amount to work.

19 of 19 found the following review helpful:

My experience with Certain Dri  Feb 09, 2007
By Melanie A. Stein
Well, this product has been reviewed to death, so I'll just add to what everyone else has said.

First of all, the results aren't instant for everyone. It took about a week and a half of use every night for me to see the amazing results that everyone talks about. Now, after about 3 weeks of use, I am entirely sweat-free, but I still need to use it every other night to stay that way.

Second, not everyone feels intense burning or itching when they use it. I didn't feel anything when I applied it, and I actually wondered if I had done it wrong. So the second night I put on about 5-6 strokes instead of 1-2, and I felt a little tingling, but nothing more. So don't let that affect whether or not you try this!

Sweating was a moderate problem for me, enough to be annoying and slightly embarassing. It definitely affected the type of clothing that I bought. Now I have to train myself to look at whatever clothes I want, instead of thinking, "Too bad I can't wear that, I'd have 3" pit stains by 4th period."

I think for people like me, this is a great solution. You might think it's too good to be true, but it isn't! So give it a try!

Edit March 2008: Still on my first bottle, I only use it about once every other week now, and I still don't sweat AT ALL, even during my track workouts. I don't know how this stuff works, but it was without a doubt the best 6 bucks I've ever spent in my life.

Edit December 2010: I haven't used Certain Dri in about two years, and I still do not sweat. I think my sweat glands have been permanently altered, or perhaps it was a phase that I would have grown out of anyway. (I was 17 when I first wrote the review.) Either way, I still have to recommend it!

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