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?!

I’m very surprised you’re getting away with using this instead of an anti-perspirant or deodorant.
I’m not a sweaty or smelly person but I’d still have BO if I didn’t use a proper deodorant every day.
Impulse is essentially very cheap perfume, nothing more.

I've just started using wild refillable deodorant and I quite like it! Then wear a light scented perfume.

But if it ain't broke..... then carry on

But it's not a deodorant it's a body spray. If I used just a body spray, I'd smell like a pasty shop by the end of the day. I would use an anti persp (deodorant) and a body spray just for scent. But if it works for you, then stick with it.

I've always thought of impulse as a body spray and have never used it as deodrant? Xx

Why would you think that? I have no idea what you are on about or why you think it's acceptable to throw some random accusation at people. Be better.

I prefer a roll on for underarms as I have memories of school friends using it as a deodorant and smelling of BO+ Impulse, but would use a squirt of body spray like Impulse on my chest in place of a perfume. If you're not a smelly teenager I can see a problem using it underarms on sedentary days. Thanks for starting this thread, I hadn't realised they'd brought back O2, so I've just added some to my next Morrisons delivery, hopefully it smells the same!

I'm amazed you've been able to use it as a deodorant all these years- I would be honking.

I like Fussy, I'm a sweaty betty and it works well for me.

The stuff about deodorant being carcinogenic is absolute bollocks. There's no evidence at all that it is true and, in fact I happen to know there is unpublished data that disproves it completely.

It was never spray deodorants anyway, but roll ons and the chemicals were a group called parabens. Where oestrogenjc activity was detected, it was at really high concentrations that never get reached in a human body. I've had to reassure women so many times over the years that they did not get breast cancer because they used deodorants. It's really dangerous science.

I still wear Charlie (Red) from time to time 😂

Yeah I could imagine it might sting? Hmm I can’t remember either but don’t think I ever thought of it as a deodorant. Just something to coat myself in 🤣

I don't get how people are saying it smells gross as if it's only one smell. There were loads of different ones last time I looked. They are quite different some of them. I haven't bought any for years but I know some of them were ok.

OP- You clearly have friends/family who are too polite to tell you that you stink, or they are so used to your 'natural' smell, they know nothing different! Its not a deodorant nor anti-perspirant as you said. Not even a perfume- its alcohol and mostly synthetic fragrances!
Buy a fragrance free anti-perspirant and use the impulse as a 'fragrance'.

You are describing antiperspirant not deodorant - they are not the same thing.
Impulse is a scented body spray otherwise known as deodorant.

I finished a bottle of the Charlie Red perfume just yesterday The perfume not the body spray. I bought it for nostalgia reasons. It lasts longer on my skin than some more expensive stuff has done. £4.99 in Savers

OP, YANBU and thank you for this thread because I’ve found out that O2 is back! I used to love that scent.

Trust me, I have people in my life who would tell me.

I would still wear it if they hadn't discontinued my favourite scent. Excited to hear they might be introducing some again...

This takes me back to the BEST girls holiday ever in Ayia Napa! Happy days

You are me - a year ago.
Now 55, I've graduated to the red one.
Am lying in bed & not getting up to see what it's called though 😂

If you are using Impulse alone without a proper deodorant, then I'm afraid you will stink unless you are biologically abnormal. Impulse is simply a perfumed spray, it has neither deodorising nor anti perspirant properties. Please use a proper deodorant. Of course, also spray with Impulse if you like the smell. But Impulse does not minimise or even mask the stench of BO.

I’m sorry that you have the stench of BO and stink unless you wear deodorant. Maybe try washing regularly and putting on clean clothes?

If you like Impulse you should stick with it! If you want to try an alternative…Mitchum is amazing. Smells nice and I don’t stink 😂

Just bought each ‘flavour’ for my daughter who has just turned 10. The stuff stinks and is so powerful! Did it smell that bad 30 years ago?!

No, I didn't. I described two types of deodorant product.

One type attempts to neutralise a smell, usually by targeting bacteria. This doesn't have a name other than "deodorant" - For example, this is how crystal deodorant works. It won't prevent you from sweating, it just tries to stop the sweat from smelling bad.

The other type tries to block sweat, this is an "antiperspirant" or "antiperspirant deodorant".

I'm not sure whether there are types which do both - probably.

Something that just adds a smell without neutralising smell or blocking sweat is not a deodorant. You wouldn't call a perfume deodorant. Body spray is essentially a very weak perfume.

Maybe OP doesn't need deodorant - not everyone does. (I definitely do!)

BO is caused when you sweat and the sweat contains bacteria which produce the BO smell. It gets worse the more sweat there is, the longer you leave the sweat before washing it off, and if there is dirt/dead skin in your armpits for the bacteria to feed on. Also, if sweat bacteria soaks into your clothes, they aren't always removed by washing at 30-40 degrees, so it can make the clothing smell when your body heat warms them up.

If you don't sweat very much, and your sweat doesn't have much of the smelly bacteria, then fresh sweat on clean skin might not make much if any smell and so you might be able to keep on top of it just by washing your armpits and your clothing regularly, and not need deodorant. Therefore body spray is fine.

For most people though, washing is not enough. Either they have smellier sweat due to diet/hormones/random genetics, or they are very active and produce more sweat, or their normal sweat amount during the day is enough that you'll notice a smell before the end of the day.

I use either boots simple deodorant, or Nivea pearl