There's a reason your basic white tee has landed so many cameos in big ticket movies, music videos, and your everyday life. The staple is just easy — and goes with just about anything. But the moment it's introduced to the kiss of death, also known as Big Bird-coloured pit stains? Well, we all know that's code for: Your go-to T-shirt has officially hopped on the Hot Mess Express, and it's changing tracks from casual to cringe-worthy, fast.
Why this happens in the first place, however, is not so cut-and-dry. You might assume those yellow marks are courtesy of the sweat and oil that accumulate after wearing the same T-shirt four days in a row. (Oh come on, don't act like you've never done that.) And while that does play a minor role, the research and development team over at Degree tells us there's way more to it than that. Even if you're sole exercise consists of thrice-daily walks from your bedroom to your bathroom, you're still not safe — because it's actually from the mixture of chemicals in your laundry detergent and your anti-perspirant deodorant.
Now, a little oil we can combat. (This body wash would do the trick, as does changing your damn T-shirt.) And laundry? The market is flooded with some gentler iterations you could try. But deodorant, well, that's tough. You could switch to an all-natural formula — after all, they don't stain, but they don't always work, either. But Degree (which is owned by Unilever, who recently introduced a Dove product with similar technology) has discovered a better solution with its UltraClear Black + White Dry Spray. How? It features a finer-milled version of the active antiperspirant ingredient that creates a protective layer over skin. "The masking oil helps prevent the formation of yellow stains on white clothing," a rep for the brand says. And after testing it for a two straight weeks, we can attest that the stuff works.
So there you have it. You'll never to toss out your favourite Everlane tee again. (Which, you've gotta admit, is the real pits.)