I'm sure this SURE is poor! (Sure 24h Intensive Anti-Perspirant Roll-On Oxygen)

Member Name: collingwood21

Product:	Sure 24h Intensive Anti-Perspirant Roll-On Oxygen
Date:	15/06/02 (368 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Smells nice and fresh, cheap

Disadvantages: Stings, ineffective, stains clothes

OK, deodorant may not be the prettiest of subjects to write an opinion on, but after recent experiences, I feel I have some useful information to offer to you.

Picture the scene if you will. It was a couple of months ago, and I was meeting my blokie in town on a Saturday afternoon to go back and spend the evening at his place (as you do). I had a few overnight things with me, but had that strange feeling of having forgotten something that had been nagging at me since I left home. As I was walking past Boots, I suddenly realised I had no deodorant with me, so I popped inside to see what I could find. Well, it was a small branch and late in the day, so my usual brand was unavailable - I did however notice that a new product by SURE was highlighted on the display, their Oxygen Roll-On 24 Hour Intensive antiperspirant. At only £1.49 it seemed a good deal, so I bought it.


- The Science bit
Right, I am SURE (sorry!) that you are all anxious to know how this stuff works. Well, antiperspirants contain aluminium salts that block or constrict the pores of the skin to reduce the amount of sweat produced by up to 50%, thus keeping you drier in the underarm region during the day. Deodorants, on the other hand, have perfumes in them that are designed to mask any nasty sweaty smells and keep you smelling nice. SURE Oxygen contains both of these actions, so in theory this should be effective in keeping you fresh, dry and comfortable all day. The manufacturers (Lever Faberge) claim that using SURE will keep you dry and smell-free for a full 24 hours.


- Problem #1
This is something I found out the second time that I used SURE Oxygen, after shaving. Now, my skin is not especially sensitive, and over the course of time I have used many types of deodorants in different forms with at most a mild tingling sensation after shaving (although normally I don't notice any adverse effect). After rolling on the Oxygen stuff though, I foun
d myself having to re-check the bottle to see whether I had inadvertently applied hydrochloric acid to my skin. My goodness did it sting - it really brought tears to my eyes! I found this to be quite a shock, as I have never had such a reaction from any skincare product before and certainly did not expect it now.


- Problem #2
I have never known a deodorant take so darn long to dry - who has time to stand around with their arms in the arm for a full 10 minutes in morning? For that matter, who has arms strong enough to do this? The feel of SURE Oxygen is very sticky, and it felt quite uncomfortable on my skin as it was drying, and stuck to my clothes if I got dressed to soon after applying it (which was most days as I always seem to be in a rush to get to work on time). Other roll-ons manage to dry quickly, so what is the matter with this one?


- Problem #3
The first time I wore this deodorant on a work day, I noticed another failing of it. You see, I have a 30 minute walk into university and am often carrying quite a few things in my bag; despite this though, I don't normally have a problem arriving dry and comfortable, especially on a cool spring day such as this one. I don't wish to be terribly graphic about this, but shall we just say that I arrived in a state that made me think I was not wearing any antiperspirant at all. If it wasn't for the slight burning sensation under my arms I would have believed that quite easily. I'm sorry Lever, but this product does not seem to have any antiperspirant qualities at all, and the perfume (although smelling nice and fresh in the bottle) is not that strong in reality.


- Problem #4
After leaving work (and the ensuing social embarrassment caused by the above situation) I got home and changed out my t-shirt. Just as I was about to drop it in the washing basket though, I happened to notice two large white stains that had not been there previously, one
under each arm. Now, being wet and uncomfortable all day was one thing, having one of my favourite tops damaged like this is another - I was really angry, especially when the stains refused to come out in the wash.

By this point, I was well and truly p*ssed off at Lever Faberge, and wrote a letter to them complaining of the useless nature of their SURE Oxygen deodorant, and the fact that my top was marked from using it. I didn't really ever expect a reply from the company, but to be fair I received a letter from them a week later apologising, and suggesting that I soak the top in biological powder and hot water for a few hours before washing it again (which did actually work I might add). And they sent me a £5 Lever voucher to "purchase a replacement product" and suggesting that I might like to try Dove deodorant. Hmmmm, I wonder why?...


- Any redeeming features?
In the name of balanced opinion writing, I have sat here and tried my best to think of something good to say about SURE Oxygen. All I can manage is that it is cheap, smells nice and would work perfectly well if you were an Eskimo, and that Lever Faberge at least have a good customer service department. Brief I know, but believe me it has taken ages for me to grudgingly come up with those good points!


- The overall verdict
Well, after carefully weighing up the pros and cons of this product, I think I can say that I would not dream of using it again and would recommend people to stay well clear of it, however cheap it may be. I hear that other products in the SURE range work well, and have indeed got the thumbs-up from dooyoo reviewers, but they have failed to impress with this new product. Stick to what you normally use!

Summary: