To still be wearing Impulse body spray

[Harara]

Started wearing it as a teen, as an underarm deodorant (I do one spray for each armpit, I’m not dousing myself in the stuff). Have just stuck with it and never really thought about it until recently. At a certain point there were news stories about antiperspirants potentially being carcinogenic (Impulse isn’t an antiperspirant), so I guess that discouraged me from switching. I did actually try a couple of natural deodorants recently, one with baking soda and one without, but they both gave me quite bad underarm rashes.

When I googled ‘Mumsnet’ and ‘Impulse’ just now a forest of posts came up talking about how vile cheap and sweet-stinky it is! I know some of them can be but I honestly don’t think the one I use is bad. However it did make me think that perhaps it’s weird to have stuck with it past my teenage years. I also honestly don’t know if it potentially has carcinogenic or unsafe qualities. I try not to spray it on newly broken skin but I will sometimes put it on the day after I have shaved my armpits, when it still stings a bit, so maybe there are risks of it going into the bloodstream?

Would love recommendations for things that are more ‘grownup’ and maybe a bit more subtle in smell, but also aren’t reputed carcinogenic or otherwise harmful, and also aren’t Native or Tom of Maine ‘natural’ ones given that both of those (even without baking soda) gave me severe underarm rashes. It seems quite hard to find something good! What do adult women use?!

My eldest and her friends love it . Seems like it’s never gone out of style! It’s so nostalgic for me when she sprays it! I might buy some after reading this!

Oh - but I never used it as deodorant, just a body spray. Not sure how good it would be for your under arms?

Oh - but I never used it as deodorant, just a body spray. Not sure how good it would be for your under arms?

Yeah I have been wondering about this. I swear there used to be a point where it had the word ‘deodorant’ on it, but I did notice it’s now only described as a body spray and ‘fine fragrance’ (lol). The instructions don’t say anything about whether it can go on your armpits or not, just that you shouldn’t use it on broken skin.

Goodness I had no idea it was still going! So popular when I was a teen. Not sure if it's like Lynx though - which IMO shouldn't be worn by anyone over 15. Horrible stuff.

I used to keep a cheap superdrug body spray in my car for the times when I'd been doing horses and needed to pop in a shop just to cover the potential horse smell.
I was complimented on it at least 3 times and asked what perfume I was wearing, but had to pretend i couldnt remember what I'd put on because i felt it would be embarassing for both me and the person asking 😅

About 10 years I asked a woman behind the till in a shoe shop what perfume she was wearing because I really liked it and it was impulse 😆
If you don't sweat/smell so much you need anything harsher than a body spray then I wouldn't bother moving on. I needed proper anti perspirant as a teen (mitchum was best for me) but if I am not exercising and it's not boiling hot I don't really need anything/sometimes use coconut oil and a bit of wild or other naturalish deodorant.
Might go for something a bit more eco personally like a nice refillable spray.

The new Ted Baker body sprays are rank. I had the new Peony and Camellia one. Smelled like rotting foliage Luckily i only bought the travel size.

Impulse do some nice body MISTS now as well.

I love impulse, I am 56, I wore Temptation until they discontinued it and now use "Love". I do wear Perfume but it's great as a quick refresh when at home pottering or an emergency spray in my work rucksack. I like Arm & Hammer "fresh" stick natural deodorant but it's really hard to buy in the UK so I tend to buy a pack on Amazon, last ages and is effective.

Back in the early 80s I used to use a lovely one but I don't think it was Impulse though. Knowing me (at the time) it would have been a cheapo "own brand". It was definitely in a metal aerosol can that looked more like a deodorant than a perfume.

It smelled of blackberries - anyone have any idea what it might have been?

I've started wearing So...? bodysprays. I have a Candy Floss one, vanilla and a Pinacolada one. The other day my colleague was like Mmmm you smell life waffles 😄
I like it and don't care if other people don't.

Perfume is certainly not all marketing. The sky high prices are of course in part marketing but high quality perfumes are balanced and contain natural essences that have been distilled. Cheap fragrances are predominantly synthetic and can give many people bad reactions.

But didn't mature enough to learn not to be snide and patronising huh?

If you like it, then it's not unreasonable to use it. I have to ask, though, why are you spraying it under your armpits ?

@craxy People buy what they can afford. And you would probably be the first to moan if people were spending their UC on expensive perfumes.

Scents can come out sightly differently on different people, so they can be lovely on one person and a bit off on another

There's a well-known expensive scent that smells just like rim block on me.

And then there's Impulse Musk that I think is just gorgeous

it's a lovely, nostalgic smell

@hamsterchump yes, exactly this!

It was a very happy time in my life and I would love to relive that feeling.

Weirdly I used to get a similar "happy" feeling in any Hollister shop. It drives me mad to not remember why the smell in their shops evokes such feelings of happiness and calm, but it does. If anyone was serving in the Hollister shop in Westfield when it first opened and wondered about the strange lady who came in often, never bought anything but just sniffed and smiled - that was probably me :-)

Use it! My mom loves it ! Every year I get her around twenty bottles, all flavours, her favourite one is the musk . She has other perfumes , but for everyday it’s impulse.

Got this for £2 recently just because Boots is discontinuing selling it. Longevity on the skin isnt great but cant complain for £2

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aoura-Pretty-Woman-Parfum-100ml/dp/B08XY82BXN

Because I’m using it as a deodorant.

Does it actually work as a deodorant though?

I’m 46 and I still use Impulse (Tease is my go to).

I use it daily if I’m not really going anywhere or only popping out to the shops.
I switch to perfume if I’m going out to see friends, my DP etc.

If you’re happy using it, then I don’t see the issue.

My mom is 79 and she uses Impulse too!

We don’t use it as deodorant though. Just as it’s intended use as a body spray.

Meh, I like it. I have never used it under my armpits, though. It's not a deodorant, it's a body spray.

Deodorants are products which either look to neutralise the smell of underarm sweat bacteria, or block the pores to reduce the amount of sweat in the first place. Impulse does neither of these things, it doesn't neutralise a smell, it adds its own smell over the top.

@JenniferBooth not tried the new ones, think I'll give them a miss then 😬

I think so? I only use it for sedentary days though - if I’m doing exercise that makes me sweaty I would wash with soap and water, towel dry and then apply it afterwards. I haven’t had any complaints!

Interestingly it is described on e.g. Amazon as a deodorant but the bottle itself no longer uses that word. As I said above, I do believe that it used to, and that’s why I started using it in that way, but I couldn’t say for sure.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Impulse-True-Love-Spray-Deodorant/dp/B0B2X2BQ62#:~:text=Impulse%20True%20Love%20Body%20Spray%20Deodorant%20150%20ml%20is%20part,or%20just%20on%20the%20go.

I've started using my teenage self favourite spray! I'm so happy! It reminds me of clubbing and holidays and fun :)

It's the lime green one by the way called O2

YY They are awful Ted Baker did some lovely ones a few years ago like Floral Bliss and Opulent Crush. The latter smelled like an expensive perfume. And they were in nicer containers then too.