Inducing Liquid Evaporation with Hygroscopic Gels

Mammals secrete fluids from the sweat glands known as perspiration which helps in thermoregulation. However, sweat can interfere with vision, comfort, grip, and results in malodor due to bacterial action. To combat the aforementioned issues, antiperspirants are widely used personal hygiene products to stop the sweat by blocking the sweat glands. Typically, aluminum salts present in the antiperspirants dissolve in the sweat and create a temporary plug to cut the flow of sweat. However, there has been a long debate going on the safety concerns of aluminum-based antiperspirants. Although there is no concrete evidence to prove the carcinogenicity of aluminum, various studies have also shown that long exposure to aluminum can lead to breast cancer in women. Hence there is a potential need to find aluminum-free alternatives for antiperspirants. Consumers are also showing an increased demand for more natural cosmetic products. The current study presents a novel aluminum-free the hygroscopic gel which can potentially serve as an antiperspirant. A synthetic sweat duct has been developed to mimic the sweating behavior of humans and to test the synthesized gels. Hygroscopic materials readily absorb and/or adsorb water from a humid environment. The hygroscopic gel can cause long-range evaporation of water from the sweat leading tocrystallization of minerals which can ultimately clog the sweat duct and prevent sweating.