Perspirex is the antiperspirant people graduate to when a normal deodorant stops being enough — and the one many step back to when Driclor proves too harsh. Made in Denmark and sold in a three-strength ladder, it promises up to 5 days of protection from underarm sweat and odour from one application. This Perspirex review looks at the documented evidence and aggregated user experience: what is actually in it, how the official routine works, what the stinging is really like, and whether you should buy it over its 20% aluminium chloride rivals.
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What Is Perspirex?
Perspirex is made by Riemann A/S of Hillerød, Denmark — the company founded in 1979 by Claus Riemann that also makes P20 sun care. Since June 2017 Riemann has been part of Orkla, the Nordic consumer goods group, which is why the brand's official videos now appear under the Orkla Health name.
Two things set it apart from the pharmacy products it competes with:
- It is a cosmetic, not a licensed medicine. Driclor and Anhydrol Forte are Pharmacy (P) medicines with a fixed 20% aluminium chloride hexahydrate formula. Perspirex sits on the shelf next to ordinary deodorant, with no questionnaire required.
- It is built around comfort as much as strength. The formula pairs its active ingredient with a skin-conditioning buffer specifically to tame the notorious sting of aluminium-based antiperspirants.
That positioning — clinical results without the clinical harshness — is the whole pitch, and it is marketed as clinically proven to deliver days of protection per application.
The Perspirex Range: Comfort, Original and Strong
The core range is a strength ladder of three 20ml roll-ons:
- Perspirex Comfort — the gentlest tier, aimed at sensitive skin and first-time users
- Perspirex Original — the mid-point, and the version most people mean by "Perspirex"
- Perspirex Strong — specifically developed for severe perspiration problems, and the closest rival to pharmacy-strength products
Alongside the ladder there is a For Men line (Regular and Maximum) and — unusually for this category — dedicated Hand Lotion and Foot Lotion formats in 100ml tubes. For anyone whose main battle is with their hands or feet instead of their underarms, that matters: most rival roll-ons are underarm-only by design, and lotions spread far better across hands and soles. You may also see "Perspirex Plus" in older overseas reviews — the naming varies by market, but the UK ladder is Comfort, Original, Strong.
How Perspirex Works
The active ingredient is aluminium chloride (labelled aluminum chloride in some markets), in an alcohol denat base. Like every product in this class, it dissolves into the moisture in your sweat ducts and forms temporary gel-like plugs, so sweat glands keep working but the sweat never reaches the surface. The plugs sit below skin level, which is why the protection survives washing.
The differentiator is aluminium lactate, a buffering ingredient that conditions the skin and reduces the acid irritation that makes plain aluminium chloride products sting so much.
One honest caveat: Riemann does not publish the concentrations behind the Comfort–Original–Strong ladder. The official FAQ says even the strongest variant uses less than half the EU's 7.73% regulatory limit for this ingredient class; the specific percentages you will see quoted on retailer sites are uncited. Treat the ladder as relative — Strong is the strongest, Comfort the mildest — and note that all of them sit well below Driclor's 20%.
How to Apply Perspirex
The official routine is precise, and following it is most of the difference between "this works brilliantly" and "this stings and does nothing":
- Apply at night, when sweat glands are least active
- Skin must be completely dry before applying — moisture plus aluminium chloride is what creates the sting
- Use two strokes up, two strokes down per armpit — more is not better
- Repeat for 5 consecutive nights when starting out
- Wash off in the morning and use your normal deodorant during the day if you like
- Drop to maintenance: reapply roughly every 5th night, or whenever you notice sweating return
For the Hand and Foot Lotion the loading phase is 7 nights, then every 3rd night. Only ever apply to unbroken skin, and avoid freshly shaved underarms.
Two practical notes. First, read the instruction booklet that comes in the box — the maintenance schedule differs by variant, and skipping the loading phase is the most common reason people decide it "doesn't work". Second, do not reapply daily out of habit: over-application is what drives irritation, and the whole point of a 5 day antiperspirant is that you should not need to.
Because technique makes or breaks this product, the brand's own demonstration is worth two minutes of your time:
Side Effects: The First-Week Sting
Every aluminium chloride antiperspirant can cause stinging, itching and skin irritation, and Perspirex is no exception — expect the first few nights to be the worst while your skin adjusts. The aluminium lactate buffer means user reports of irritation are consistently milder than for 20% products, but "milder than Driclor" is not "none".
To keep it manageable: apply only to completely dry, unbroken skin, never within a day of shaving, and give your skin a rest night at the first sign of soreness. If irritation is persistent, a pharmacist can advise on soothing options; if sweating or skin reactions are severe, speak to your GP — excessive sweating is a recognised medical condition with NHS treatment pathways beyond over-the-counter products.
Perspirex vs Driclor
This is the comparison most buyers are actually weighing, so we have written a full head-to-head: Driclor vs Perspirex.
The short version:
- Driclor is a licensed pharmacy medicine: fixed 20% aluminium chloride hexahydrate, cheaper per ml, and the stronger blocker — but noticeably harsher on skin
- Perspirex is a cosmetic: lower undisclosed strength, lactate-buffered, gentler, with a claimed 3-5 days of protection and the only hand and foot lotion formats among the big UK names
If you have severe hyperhidrosis and tough skin, Driclor (or Anhydrol Forte, its cheaper generic-equivalent) is the more potent tool. If Driclor made your armpits burn, or you sweat a lot but want something you can actually stick with, Perspirex is the sensible trade. There is also Odaban if you prefer a spray format.
Where to Buy Perspirex in the UK
Honest availability note: UK pharmacy stock is patchy. When we checked, AYP Healthcare listed Original at £10.75 and Remedime listed Strong and Comfort at £9.99 — all three out of stock. Boots and Superdrug list Perspirex online, but do not count on walking into a branch and finding the Strong variant.
Amazon UK is the reliable route, and the review counts are a useful proxy for how well each tier lands:
| Variant | Amazon UK rating | |---|---| | Perspirex Original (20ml) | 4.6★ from 5,400+ ratings | | Perspirex Strong Antiperspirant (20ml) | 4.5★ from 2,700+ ratings | | Perspirex Comfort (20ml) | 4.4★ from 730+ ratings |
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Our Verdict
Perspirex earns its shelf space. The lactate-buffered formula genuinely addresses the biggest reason people abandon clinical antiperspirants — irritation — and the three-tier ladder plus hand and foot lotions make it the most flexible range of the big UK names. The long-lasting, wash-proof protection means you apply a few nights a week, not every morning, and thousands of Amazon UK reviews back up the sweat protection claims.
The trade-offs are real: undisclosed concentrations make it impossible to compare strength on paper, it costs more per ml than pharmacy 20% products, and UK stock is annoyingly inconsistent. For severe excessive sweat, a fixed-strength medicine is still the harder-hitting choice.
Rating: 7.5/10 — the best-tolerated of the strong UK antiperspirants, and the right starting point for most people.
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This is an educational review, not medical advice. If sweating is affecting your daily life, talk to your GP or pharmacist. See our disclaimer.