Fun trivia about deodorant


(Mental Floss) -- Although you probably use it every day, here's some interesting trivia you may not know about deodorant.




1. Be thankful for your foul body odor. According to anthropologist Louis Leakey, it might be responsible for early man's survival. Leakey's theory claims that most predators avoided feasting on humans because our body odor was "too repugnant."

2. Not only did the ancient Egyptians give us pyramids and flush toilets, they also pioneered the field of deodorants. Egyptians were the first to popularize the idea of applying scents to armpits, usually using cinnamon and other spices that wouldn't turn rancid in the heat.

3. The Roman poet Ovid preferred a more proactive solution. In Book III of the Art of Love, he cautions women against carrying goats under their arms.

4. Antiperspirants are classified as drugs by the FDA. Technically, they affect and/or alter your body's natural functions.

5. The first modern brand of antiperspirant, EverDry, hit drugstores in 1903. The original formula was so acidic that it regularly ate through clothing.


6. Of course, modern antiperspirants can also ruin your clothing. Aluminum chloride, the ingredient that blocks glandular openings and prevents sweating, is notorious for turning T-shirts yellow. So, blame your antiperspirant for your pit stains, not your body.

7. Offensive body odor is actually illegal in libraries in San Luis Obispo County, California. Mental Floss: Weird wedding laws still on the books

8. One thing modern antiperspirants don't do is cause degenerative diseases. Medical science has found no conclusive evidence that absorbing aluminum chloride through the skin can lead to memory loss or slurred speech.

9. Aoki, a Japanese company known for its menswear, has developed a deodorant suit that supposedly absorbs sweat and neutralizes odors all over the body.

10. But that's nothing! The greatest Japanese innovation in the fight against B.O. is Fuwarinka scented gum. The so-called "functional candy" contains aromatic compounds that cause your skin to release "Fresh Citrus" or "Fruity Rose" aromas for up to 6 hours after chewing.

11. When Kurt Cobain wrote the lyrics for Nirvana's breakout song "Smells Like Teen Spirit," he didn't know Teen Spirit was a popular deodorant brand. The Mennen Company, which produced the deodorant, wouldn't say whether the song caused sales to spike, but six months after the single debuted, Colgate bought the company for $670 million. Mental Floss: 7 food promotions gone horribly wrong

12. In May 2008, actor Matthew McConaughey revealed that he never uses deodorant or antiperspirant. The next day, he received a year's supply of deodorant body spray from the Axe Company, along with a note on why he might want to start

yeah, i use this stuff...don't know why i even bother though.




Also, your diet plays the biggest part in BO.

I have used 100% natural, mostly homemade ones, for 20 or so yrs

Graycap23 said:

"Fun trivia about deodorant" Best line this morning...



And fine. I'll start carrying my goats on my back.

Yeah, I'd love to be able to use something "natural" or nothing at all, but that aint happening.
It's not an issue of smell. I didn't use something strong, I'd have wet pit marks all the time .
Even if I'm not even hot, my pits will sometimes sweat.
I use:


2 clicks every night before bed. Problem solved.

I might grow an extra head out my armpit in 5 years, but it won't be sweaty.

wow

nice to know.

DanceWme said:

i've been telling you to stop carrying goats underneath your arms for years.

sinisterpentatonic said:

so this is why u never called me back???

DanceWme said:

i just figured it wouldn't help thing having a goat in between your legs.

sinisterpentatonic said:

whatever

imago likes it!

Cool trivia.

I swear by this stuff in this scent...

It's organic, safe and smells like paradise

MarySharon said:

I like this one a lot too

lol darn stinky goats!


my brother in law credits this with getting ahead in business. no more wet pits.

FYI - shave ur pits and pubes and you won't stink so much. hair carries bacteria.

DesireeNevermind said:

Lol.....is seems that every single by product of the human body is unpleasent 2 the smell.

My dad has never worn deodorant. Ever. And he does not have body odor. When he was about 70 yrs old, he asked my mom how much deodorant cost, and how many sticks of deodorant an average person goes through in a year. He did the math, figured out how much he'd inadvertantly saved himself over the years, and went and bought a pinball machine. I kid you not.
[Edited 5/7/09 13:40pm]

emm said:

Haven't seen that one, or haven't noticed it on the shelf before?

i think body odor has a lot to do with diet and how much fresh water we drink. a lot of people are chronically underhydrated

johnart said:

And that head (with a nose I hope) will be greatful.

I have to admit I like my natural funk but I still use anti-perspirant.

...only sayin'....

DesireeNevermind said:

I wax

MarySharon said:

successful but painful. i like the creams.

I like the smell you get after using regular gel stick and and walking all day in the sun, sweating.

Nothing like mildly sweaty pits.

DesireeNevermind said:

Even on your delicate parts?

hokie said:

They have special creams for the bikini area. Sensitive skin and all.

now, i'm just gonna toss this one out there. if you have an acquaintance, someone you mildly know, say a co-worker, with really noticeable body odor, so much so that it actually affects the people around them, do you tell them?

DesireeNevermind said:

OK, so it's not like you're attempting to get the same effect as you would with a Brazilian? I was thinking that creams might not be the answer for that kind of hair removal. Or maybe I'm wrong and you can?

XxAxX said:

That's tough! There's got to be a way to do it. Look it up on the Miss Manners blog.

DesireeNevermind said:

It's been so many years doing it that I don't feel the pain anymore, I'm having my privates waxed by a professional though...