Grooming: Sure for Men

It is often proclaimed that in life “you get what you pay for”, the implication being that there is a positive correlation between price and quality. A lot of the time, this rings true; take perfume, for instance. As a general rule, the more money you pay for your scent, the lower the concentration of alcohol and the higher the concentration of other ingredients – “more bang for your buck” (another over used adage). There is one product upon which you don’t need to fritter away your life savings however, and that is anti-perspirant.



Sure (also known as Rexona in other parts of the world) is a brand that has been around for years – created in 1908 by an Australian pharmacist and his wife, it is the anti-perspirant that your grandfather would have used. So they should know a thing or two about the job in hand.

Two of their newest products are Adventure Dry (left) and XtraCool (right) and both promise 48 hour protection from sweat.

I first tested the Adventure Dry and instead of engaging in heart pounding exercise, I did something guaranteed to raise a sweat in half the time, namely that daily pursuit which we Londoners call “travelling by Tube”. And, somewhat surprisingly, it did do as it promised. My forehead was dripping with sweat (yuck), but the rest of me was dry and I felt, for a change, comfortable. I didn’t notice any scent from it during use, which is ideal as I wouldn’t want it to interfere with my scent (on that day, Eau San Pareil by Penhaligons).

Next up was the XtraCool, which along with 48 hours dryness, also promises a Cooling Menthol fragrance. The scent is really rather nice, refreshing and cool but not so strong as to overpower my perfume. Again, it worked in the same way as the Adventure Dry. XtraCool, I’m delighted to say, did its job.

I can’t verify whether either anti-perspirant will last the full 48 hours that it claims, I like to shower at least once (and usually twice) a day and didn’t fancy skipping my routine in order to put Sure for Men’s claims to the test. However, if you’re looking for an anti-perspirant that does stop you sweating and keeps you presentable, you won’t go far wrong here.

The icing on the cake though, is the price. Full price, they’re £3 each which is very reasonable – you use the product every day and want something reliable. At the moment, they’re on offer in Tesco for £1.45 each and Asda at £1.50 each. Bargain.