Driclor and Perspirex are the two names that come up whenever a regular deodorant stops being enough in the UK. Both are night-applied roll-ons that use aluminium chloride to block sweat glands, and both are stocked (with varying reliability) by Boots and online pharmacies. But they sit in different categories: Driclor is a licensed pharmacy medicine with a fixed 20% concentration, while Perspirex is a cosmetic built around a gentler, buffered formula.
This comparison covers strength, irritation, routines, formats, verified prices and availability — so you can pick the right one first time.
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Quick Verdict
Choose Driclor if you want maximum strength per pound. Its 20% w/w aluminium chloride hexahydrate is the highest concentration you can buy in a UK pharmacy without a prescription, and at £6.99 for 20ml it is the cheapest route to it. The trade-off: it is the harsher of the two, with stinging and itching common in week one.
Choose Perspirex if your skin is the limiting factor. Its aluminium lactate buffer is specifically there to reduce irritation, it comes in a Comfort → Original → Strong ladder so you can start gentle, and it is the only one of the pair with dedicated hand and foot lotions. The trade-offs: the exact concentration is undisclosed, it costs more per ml, and UK pharmacy stock is patchy.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Category | Driclor | Perspirex | |---|---|---| | Active | Aluminium chloride hexahydrate 20% w/w | Aluminium chloride + aluminium lactate buffer (concentration undisclosed) | | Regulatory status | Licensed pharmacy medicine | Cosmetic | | Formats | Roll-on: 20ml, 75ml | Roll-ons: Comfort, Original, Strong, For Men (20ml); Hand & Foot Lotions (100ml) | | Routine | Nightly until controlled, then 1–2 times a week | 5 consecutive nights, then every 5th night | | Claimed protection | Ongoing with maintenance use | 3–5 days per application | | Irritation risk | Higher | Lower (buffered) | | Verified price | £6.99 / 20ml; £12.50 / 75ml | £9.99–£10.75 / 20ml listed, frequently out of stock | | Amazon UK rating | 4.5★ (8,390 ratings, 20ml) | 4.6★ (5,402 ratings, Original) |
Strength and Formulation
Driclor's formula has not changed materially since Stiefel Laboratories created it: aluminium chloride hexahydrate at 20% w/w, now marketed by Haleon UK Trading Ltd. That 20% figure is the ceiling for over-the-counter products in the UK — the same concentration found in Anhydrol Forte and Odaban — and it is regulated as a medicine, so the strength on the label is the strength in the bottle.
Perspirex takes a different approach. Riemann, its Danish maker, does not publish concentrations; its official FAQ says only that even the strongest variant uses less than half the EU's 7.73% aluminium chloride limit for cosmetics of this type. You will see third-party sites quoting a 10/20/25% ladder for Comfort, Original and Strong — those figures are uncited, so treat them as marketing folklore. What is confirmed is the strength ladder itself and the second ingredient: aluminium lactate, a skin-conditioning buffer that is the real differentiator between the two brands.
On raw strength, then, Driclor wins on paper. In practice, clinically proven sweat reduction depends on the plug of aluminium salts forming in the sweat duct — and a formula you can tolerate nightly often beats a stronger one you abandon after three uncomfortable evenings.
Irritation and Skin Feel
This is where the two products genuinely diverge.
Driclor stings. Aggregated user experience and pharmacy guidance agree that stinging, burning and itching are worst in the first week, then settle as application frequency drops. The chemistry explains why: aluminium chloride reacting with moisture produces small amounts of hydrochloric acid, so any dampness — sweat, shower humidity, applying too soon after washing — makes the sting dramatically worse. Overuse irritation is usually managed by spacing out applications; a pharmacist can advise on whether a mild hydrocortisone cream is appropriate. Never apply it to broken or freshly shaved skin (leave 12 hours after shaving).
Perspirex is engineered around exactly this problem. The aluminium lactate buffer moderates that acid reaction, and the three-tier range lets sensitive skin start on Comfort before moving up. It is not sting-free — it is still an alcohol-based aluminium chloride product applied to armpit skin — but itchy, burning reactions are less common and less severe than with Driclor.
If you have sensitive skin, eczema-prone underarms, or you have already tried Driclor and found the irritation intolerable, Perspirex is the rational second attempt before giving up on topical treatment altogether.
Application Routines Compared
Both products only work if you apply them at night to completely dry skin — sweat glands are near-dormant while you sleep, which lets the plugs form undisturbed. Dry the area thoroughly before applying; a hair dryer on cool is the classic trick.
Driclor routine:
- Apply to bone-dry underarms at night before bed
- Wash off with soap and water in the morning
- Use your regular deodorant during the day if you like
- Repeat nightly until sweating is controlled, then taper to once or twice a week
Perspirex routine (official):
- Apply at night — "two strokes up, two strokes down" per underarm
- Wash off in the morning; protection survives washing
- Repeat for 5 consecutive nights initially
- Then reapply every 5th night; hand/foot lotion runs 7 nights, then every 3rd night
Perspirex's claimed 3–5 days of protection per application makes its maintenance phase lighter-touch. Driclor asks for more discipline up front but settles into a similar once-or-twice-weekly rhythm.
Formats and Body Areas
Driclor is a roll-on, full stop — 20ml and 75ml since the 60ml pack was discontinued in June 2026. It is aimed at underarms; the roll-on head is workable on palms and soles but awkward.
Perspirex has the broader system: four 20ml roll-ons (Comfort, Original, Strong, plus a For Men line) and dedicated 100ml Hand and Foot Lotions — a genuinely useful format if your problem is sweaty palms or feet rather than armpits, and something Driclor simply does not offer. If you want a spray for feet or larger areas instead, Odaban is the spray option among the strong UK products.
Price and Value
Verified UK prices at the time of writing:
- Driclor 20ml — £6.99 (Hightown Pharmacy, in stock)
- Driclor 75ml — £12.50 (Remedime, in stock)
- Perspirex Original 20ml — £10.75 listed (AYP Healthcare, out of stock)
- Perspirex Strong / Comfort 20ml — £9.99 listed (Remedime, out of stock)
Boots stocks both brands, but its prices could not be verified for this comparison.
Per millilitre, Driclor's 75ml bottle is the runaway value winner — roughly 17p/ml versus around 50p/ml for Perspirex's 20ml roll-ons. Because both products taper to once- or twice-weekly use, a single large Driclor bottle can last many months of maintenance. Perspirex costs more per ml, and its 3–5 day protection claim only partly closes the gap.
If budget is the deciding factor outright, there is a third option: Anhydrol Forte — the same 20% aluminium chloride as Driclor at £4.69 for 60ml from Express Chemist and other UK pharmacies, and since June 2026 the NHS reference product for generic 20% prescriptions.
UK Availability
Driclor's "discontinued" reputation needs debunking: it was withdrawn from the Australian market, and UK stock gaps during the Stiefel → GSK → Haleon handovers fed the rumour, but it has never been withdrawn brand-wide in the UK. As of 2026 the 20ml and 75ml packs remain available under Haleon; only the 60ml was discontinued.
Perspirex is the one with the current stock problem. At the time of writing, two of the three UK online pharmacy listings we checked were out of stock, and pharmacy availability is patchy generally — Amazon UK is often the most reliable route. Factor that in if you are choosing a product you will need to rebuy on a schedule.
Which Should You Choose?
Pick Driclor if:
- You have moderate to severe underarm sweating and want the strongest OTC option
- You have tried Driclor before and tolerated it — or never tried a 20% product
- Cost per ml matters; you want one bottle to last months
- You want a licensed medicine with a declared concentration
Pick Perspirex if:
- You have sensitive skin, or Driclor's sting drove you to give up
- You want a strength ladder to climb gradually (Comfort → Original → Strong)
- Your main problem is hands or feet — the 100ml lotions are purpose-built
- You value fewer maintenance applications (every 5th night)
Pick neither if high-street antiperspirants like Mitchum have failed and 20% aluminium chloride has also failed, or your sweating is sudden, night-time, or accompanied by other symptoms — that is GP territory. Excessive sweating has treatable causes (including menopause and medication side effects), and NHS options such as iontophoresis and Botox exist beyond the pharmacy shelf. Start with our NHS treatment guide and the when to see a doctor guide.
The Bottom Line
Driclor and Perspirex both outperform anything on the supermarket deodorant aisle — the lists of best deodorants for odour simply are not built for hyperhidrosis-level perspiration or visible sweat patches. Between the two: Driclor is the stronger, cheaper, harsher licensed medicine; Perspirex is the gentler, better-buffered cosmetic with more formats and a softer landing for sensitive skin. Most people with significant underarm sweating should try Driclor first for value and strength, and move to Perspirex if irritation wins. For the wider strength landscape, see our clinical antiperspirants guide and strongest antiperspirants ranking.