To not 'get' anti-perspirants

[bakeroony]

I think this is going to be a controversial one

The thought of using an anti-perspirant gives me the creeps. To me, it's like using a product to cut down on your saliva, or other secretions, and it just seems unnatural and wrong. I haven't used it since I was a teenager and got fed up of all the white marks, not to mention the scaremongering about products containing aluminium.

I'm slightly more comfortable with the idea of deodorants but again, I hate the thought of slicking my armpits with a sticky product just to smell a bit more like a toilet freshener. I'm 'lucky' to have the dry earwax gene and everyone I've asked (I did a study as part of this at Uni too) says they can't detect an odour, but I think I'd feel this way even if I did produce BO.

I usually just spritz a bit of perfume and get on with it. To me, sweating is a beneficial thing for the body.

Does anyone else feel the same or am I completely on my own here?

[Limara]

OMG you're SO not alone! Hang on......

[Pollydon]

Its personal preference, I do use it , a strong one ( Mitchum) & would feel strange without it.
But, by your own logic , do you use sanitary wear ?

[VoyageDeVerity]

Honestly? I think it's a bit off....

How does this work in summer for you? I don't think acquaintances would tell you if you smell - maybe ask your family?

[harticus]

No I am with you.
I use Bionsen as a deodorant - and if it is very hot and sweaty I just wash my armpits.

[bakeroony]

I do use sanitary wear, but that's just like putting a tissue in your armpits isn't it? It's not shoving a chemical up my vag to stop the blood flow.

[StickEmUpBigStyle]

I don't use deodorant in the winter much either I don't like the idea of it.
In the summer though I do think you need a bit of extra help.

Unless of course you have the opportunity to wash a little bit more often in the daytime

[bakeroony]

I don't really sweat in summer either. If I feel a bit sticky I just have a shower, it's no biggy.

I've asked my family and they don't really sweat much either, nor see much use in deodorants. We must just stink away in ignorant bliss

[ISeeYouShiverWithAntici]

I don't like smelling of BO. People smell really quickly and they don't realise. And those around them would rather chew off their own foot than be honest about it, so they go round thinking they don't smell.

without deodorant, by the end of the day, I do not smell fresh. Even though I shower in the morning.

what is the dry earwax gene?

[specialsubject]

plenty of unperfumed ones around, I agree that all fragrance is revolting. That includes your perfume.

but unless you go round naked and wash four times a day, if you do anything at all you'll sweat, and stale sweat smells. So you will smell like a sweaty person who tried to cover it with perfume instead of washing.

when I was at uni, girls wearing smellable perfume were greeted with 'didn't you wash this morning?' It's a line that isn't used enough.

sorry. Please stay downwind of people if you work up any sweat at all and won't use deodorant/antiperspirant.

[phantomnamechanger]

please explain dry ear wax gene

[Thetallesttower]

The thing is- you may be someone who doesn't sweat that much I don't but others do. Having said that my husband doesn't wear anti-perspirants either as he doesn't like the idea of them for the reasons you mentioned, but he does shower at least once a day, twice in summer and changes his top several times as well. If he didn't, random strangers would be fainting as he passed.

[tak1ngchances]

If you do have the dry earwax gene, then you will genuinely not smell and so do not need an antiperspirant or deodorant. Lucky!

[Pollydon]

Ooh, just looked up the dry earwax gene, and I now understand why the op doesn't need anti perspirant.
I otoh have the sticky earwax ( & smelly sweat) gene

[Birdsgottafly]

What has delays puzzled me is that Men are supposed to sweat more than W

[expatinscotland]

Have you gone through the menopause yet?

[Bogeyface]

Given that you dont need it, I dont see why you are making a big deal out of not using it.

Seems rather pointless to post that you dont need something so dont use it! I dont need a walking stick so I dont use one, should I post about that?

[moonsquirters]

Well if you don't sweat and smell of course you don't need them. My DH is like this.

Otoh by the end of the day even with deodorant I smell. My clothes smell so I can't imagine what it would be like without it.

[expatinscotland]

Exactly, Bogey.

[Limara]

I've been using anti-perspirants for as long as I remember but recently, I've become really concerned about the 'stuff' I'm using and eating. For instance, apparently fluoride in toothpaste isn't good for us. Fluoride is a by-product of fertiliser manufacturing and because they had large quantities to dispose of, they dumped it in the water supply then spun us this story that its good for our teeth!

This got me thinking and started me to mistrust things. If 'they', whoever 'they' are, were prepared to risk my health, then why do I assume aluminium under my armpit is safe? This got me thinking some more and I thought who said that BO is not acceptable? Deodorant manufacturers?

Sure stale BO is pretty horrible but why do I not want to sweat? Sweating is normal. If I can stop the stale BO smell then this is surely better than sticking aluminium under my arms!

[Morgause]

I wonder if the dry earwax gene also means a reduced sense of smell. Sweat more than an hour old stinks.

[DoJo]

If you are lucky enough not to sweat much or suffer from body odour then that's all well and good, but to say that you 'don't get' antiperspirant suggests that you think others who aren't so lucky should also choose not to use it.
I'm guessing that if you did smell, you would appreciate its benefits quickly enough, regardless of whether it felt 'unnatural'. After all, I'm sure you use plenty of other products designed to improve on what nature alone offers, such as toothpaste and shampoo.
As an aside, I would rather someone used antiperspirant or deodorant than perfume - a 'spritz' of perfume is often the most cloyingly noxious smell I will experience all day, whereas it's very unusual to actually be able to smell someone else's deodorant more than a few minutes after application.

[Birdsgottafly]

Sorry more than Women.

But they use a Deo rather than Anti Perspirant, yet don't smell any more than Women do.

But the men that I know, wash under their arms a couple of times a day, instead.

So I wonder if Anti Perspirants are gimmicks.

They do work, I use Mitchem, but we don't need them.

[DisappointedHorse]

DH has the dry earwax gene! He doesn't wear anti-perspirant or deodorant and never smells. Believe me, I would not tolerate that and I'm always mortified when he tells people that, they must just assume he usually stinks.

I on the other hand am not so lucky. If I forget to put it it on I do smell by lunchtime and I wear clean clothes every day and shower every morning.

So YABU. If you don't need it, fabulous, lucky you but to not 'get' it is rather silly.

[moonsquirters]

Yy disappointedhorse are you me?

[moonsquirters]

Now I've read about the genes perhaps the future would be a pill to switch off my wet earwax gene. I'd definitely try that.