Customer Reviews

Degree Clinical Protection, Men's Anti-perspirant and Deodorant, Clean, 1.7-Ounce Stick (Pack of 2)

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I've been using Degree Clinical Protection for Men for just under a week. My opinion: Very impressive thus far. The deodorant is "clean" flavored, and lives up to its name. It's not a very strong smell (good in my book), but has sufficient aroma to make it pleasant to use and to remind you that you're wearing it. It's non sticky, goes on easily and there is no clumping. I notice no staining of clothes (light or dark).

Unilever claims that Degree Clinical Protection "Continues to be effective even after a shower". I was dubious; however I found this claim to be true. How did I verify? I skipped an application after my morning shower (It was a Saturday so I wasn't too concerned about the potential impact to my workmates). Checking throughout the day I found I could safely confirm that both the anti-perspirant and deodorant both worked effectively and as advertised. I did return to normal application schedule on Sunday morning (not wanting to push my luck too far....).

Pro's:

- Smells good
- Goes on smoothly - no clumping
- No skin irritation
- Continues to work even after skipping an application

Con's:

- Took me a few moments to figure out that there was a plastic film over the end of the stick. Note: Don't forget to peel it off otherwise (a) product is ineffective, (b) product tends to "erupt" when you finally do peel off the film(!) (I consider this as much personal `con' as a product challenge).
- "Degree Clinical Protection" is not a super memorable name. "Hey honey, pick me up some Degree Clinical Protection next time you're at the store" - really doesn't roll off the tongue very well.

Let me first say that this product works exactly as described, and it has been working quite well for me for years. Years? Didn't this product just hit the market? Not exactly.

Several months ago, or maybe even a year ago, upon nearing the last of my current dispenser of Degree Ultra Dry soft solid, I realized that one of my more oft-visited retailers had ceased to carry it. I soon thereafter learned that it had been taken off the market, and bought the last few dispensers from a local grocery store which remarkably still had a few. I was a bit up in arms that upon exhausting this meager final supply, my favorite brand and style of deodorant -- the only one I've tried that has actually worked 100% to my satisfaction -- would likely never be found again. I had heard the rumors about anti-perspirants being linked to breast cancer, and mistakenly just assumed that this must have been the reason for its sudden departure.

Fast forward to the present, October 2007. My stocked supply of Degree Ultra Dry is dwindling rapidly, and I make an effort to track more down, coming first to Amazon to begin my search, because hey.. if Amazon doesn't have it, it probably doesn't exist. I search. I pore over the results. "They still make it for women? There goes the 'breast cancer link' idea. Did it just not sell well? Maybe I'll just buy some of the women's Degree Ultra Dry and smell like baby powder. Hey, what's this? A new Degree? Clinical Protection, eh? This.. sounds intriguing. It's a soft solid, like the Ultra Dry, but now clinical strength! Awesome! Wow, that's expensive. It MUST be better." So, I went scouting around town today, and tracked down a box.

"This smells familiar" was my first thought upon removing the tape covering the dispenser's holes. The scent of my hoarded out-of-production Degree Ultra Dry soft solid, "Ionic", is indiscernable from the "Clean" scent of this new Degree Clinical Protection product. Still having probably a week's worth of my final dispenser left, I decided to do an active ingredient comparison between the old and new. Aluminum Zirconium Trichlorohydrex GLY: 18.5%. On both. "There's gotta be a difference somewhere. This was almost twice the price of the 2.7oz dispenser of the old stuff." So, I checked the rest of the ingredients. There was no difference. None. The exact same ingredients, in the exact same order. IS this the exact same product?

I'm quite glad Unilever has returned my favorite anti-perspirant to the market, but seriously, why the price increase of such a large magnitude? Comparing the prices based on their MSRP's, what was once available in a 2.7oz dispenser for either $4.49 and $4.99 (it's been a while, and I can't seem to find any product pages cached anywhere for the original men's Degree Ultra Dry soft solid product) is now $7.99 in a 1.7oz size. Per ounce, that works out to between a 2.5X and 2.9X price increase. What gives?

Product performance: Five stars.
Product value: Two stars.
Overall rating: Three and a half stars, rounded up to four.

Degree Clinical Protection is a mouthful to say, and I don't expect the name is memorable enough to sell to consumers who like short, catchy product names. But the important question is whether or not it works.

It does. Sort of.

It goes on gooey, which is a little unpleasant. And I've experienced some unusual itchiness since I've begun using it. Also, I may be too traditional, but I like to apply deoderant/antiperspirant after a shower in the morning, and this product's instructions to use it the night before played havoc with my nice, comfortable schedule. Besides, does that mean I have to take an evening shower as well? Or are you supposed to put it on at the end of a sweaty day without showering first? The instructions don't say.

Contrary to some reports, I've found this product will leave white streaks on dark clothes. That's a big negative, in my book.

It did seem to keep me fairly dry, however, although I still found myself sweating normally on hot days, with normal levels of activity. Overall, I'd say it's not worth the extra cost, although with some adjustments it could turn into a better, more cost-effective product.

- Tom Knapp

I recommend taking this review with a grain of salt, so to speak. I realized, belatedly, that I was not the targeted user for this product. It's hard to type this without "over-sharing", but let's just say my sweat production is about average. For me, there was no real difference between this and a standard deodorant/antiperspirant. So, with the issue of a premium price, combined with the need to put this on before bedtime the night before, I did not even finish one bottle. It's not that it doesn't work; it's just that it was overkill.

Have any of you guys out there had trouble with stick deodorants like me? Most of them make my skin break out in a rash. That's too bad, because believe me, I love the convenience of a stick, especially when I travel. Well, with Degree Clinical Protection Stick, I used it for months and my skin never once developed a rash! Imagine!!! Of course, Degree's legendary protection from odor and wetness still works wonders too. It's body heat activated, you know. Try Degree Clinical Protection Stick, and like we used to say back in the day, Stick It To The Man!!!

The instructions provided with the product were very difficult for me to read, as the printing is light on thin paper ! After deciphering the instructions, it took a while to get the benefits of the item, as there is a thin paper covering over the top of the mechanism that I did not previously see. It seems to do a good job as a men's deodorant should, although it is a somewhat pricey.

As a guy who gets warm easily and sweats heavily when I do, I was intrigued by this product's claim of effectiveness, so jumped at the opportunity to try it.

While I haven't tried any prescription-strength antiperspirants for comparison, this product worked better than any other I have tried. Its mild fragrance didn't irritate my skin the way other brands have, it applied easily and dried quickly, and the modest quantity the vendor recommends using means the product will last for a while under normal usage. It doesn't have the weird scent/feel of other "extreme" antiperspirants I've used, although it will come off on your hands if you touch the treated area. And yes, it stopped both sweat and odors, even when I put it to the ultimate tests of international travel and a hard-core aerobic/cardio workout.

The only outright flaw is that the delivery mechanism must be primed. Although the directions call for "two clicks" of product to be applied, you need to turn the dial on new product for 20-30 clicks to get it primed (fill the top) sufficiently to apply. After that, 2 clicks is plenty, maybe even a bit more than needed.

My other tangential complaint is the lack of description of how the product works and what makes it unique. The directions are a bit unusual, in instructing the user to apply it BEFORE going to bed and saying it survives showering. Convenient maybe, but in an era of nano-particles and other poorly understood substances that may be health risks, I'm a bit leery of regularly using something inexplicably and mysteriously effective. I did email the company to ask about this and was directed to call the parent company's (Unilever) customer service which I have not yet done.

I was tempted to mark down my rating of this product based on the lack of documentation, but it really does work well, so 5 stars it is. Recommended!

I was tempted to try this. Found it at my local pharmacy. On a lark, checked the ingredients and saw that the active ingredient here is the exact same active ingredient, in the exact same dosage (20 percent) as the Mitchum antiperspirant I already use. Difference: This one is more than twice the price. No thanks! BTW: The Mitchum works very well. It's not what I'd consider "clinical" strength, however. Hence my search for something a bit stronger.

They say a brand has success once someone becomes "loyal". That's what I am for Degree Clinical. I tried the women's and loved it...bought this for my husband. The best thing about it is, the more you use it, the better it seems to protect. After daily use, I never noticed a wetness problem again, even at night after a shower. I suggested my husband try it and he'll never go back to 'regular' antiperspirant again. Nice, clean scent as well and not irritating at all.

I have been using this product for about 3 months off and on. I say that because it's stronger than your normal anti-perspirant. I say off and on because I wear tight shirts, tee's, fairly often and like to use Certain Dri. This is even stronger and keeps wetness away for 72 hours. Degree Clinical is stronger and better than the average.