Deodorant: Because People Stink

As long as there has been mankind, there has been the smell of mankind. Anthropologists believe there are multiple reasons for our "aroma". It is believed that the really disgusting smell emanating from the human body deterred some predators from a defenseless meal. At the same time, current research connects the selection of a mate to the particular odor he/she emits. Think about it: the masculine scent of a sweaty locker room can be a powerful aphrodisiac for many women.

The link between sweat and odour was to be more clearly understood in the 19th century. Scientists learnt that two glands produce human sweat. The first, apocrine, exist over the entire body at birth, giving babies their distinctive scent. Most of these gradually disappear, except for those around the armpit, anus and nipples. The glands are usually inactive during childhood, functioning in puberty, spurred on by hormones. In old age, they may wither.

The second type of gland, the eccrine, however produces most of the body's sweat. All over the body, eccrine sweat is cooling. In extreme heat and with high water intake, humans sweat to cool the body. These glands can also function in response to nervousness, fear, stress and the eating of spicy foods. Stress sweat is particularly armpit based, and on the soles of the feet and palms of the hands.

It is because the armpits retain warmth that make them a hospitable environment for bacteria. Scientists discovered that the removal of underarm hair diminished body odour. Centuries later scientists would discover why - hair increases the surface area on which bacteria, odourless themselves, can live, populate, die and decompose in a smelly fashion.

How the ancients did it
Ancient EgyptiansWhen they weren't building pyramids, the ancient Egyptians were working hard at masking their own stench. They invented the perfumed bath and would follow it up by applying a liberal amount of perfume to their underarms. Egyptians also tried using carob, incense, and even porridge as deodorant. Women would place globs of scented wax on their heads that would slowly melt throughout the day, spreading the pleasing scent as well as masking the not so pleasant. Messy, but effective.The ancient Greeks took a page from the Egyptians, constantly bathing and dousing themselves in perfume. Greek poet Homer once said that good hosts offered their guests baths and aromatic oils. Romans were so fanatical about smelling good that they not only took baths in perfume, they soaked their clothes in it, doused their horses in it, and even perfumed their household pets. During the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church discouraged bathing, as it was a "pagan" custom and many times involved communal baths and public nudity. Over the centuries, being clean was associated with catching diseases, as body filth was associated with providing a protective layer against "vapours". Most Europeans at that time bathed only once or twice a year. Those with the money for it tried to cover the stink by using perfume, a practice that continued well into the 19th century.

The first trademarked deodorant - Mum - came out in 1888. Created by an unknown Philadelphia inventor, it was a waxy cream that was difficult to apply and extremely messy. It was soon followed by Everdry, the first effective antiperspirant. Everdry was an aluminum chloride solution that was dabbed on with a cotton swab. It took forever to dry, was messy, and had a nasty habit of stinging the user and eating through clothes. Soon a variety of products were marketed in a number of different forms including creams, solids, pads, dabbers, and powders. In the mid 1950s, inspired by the ball point pen, the first roll on (Ban) was released. Ten years later, the first aerosol (Right Guard) launched a multi-billion dollar industry. Aerosols became a popular way to dispense antiperspirants because they allowed the user to apply without having to touch the underarm area. Soon, however, two technical issues arose which greatly impacted the popularity of these products. First, in 1977, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the primary active ingredient used in aerosols, aluminum zirconium complexes,due to concerns about long term inhalation safety. Next, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) strictly limited the use of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) propellants used in aerosols due to growing concerns that these gases may contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer. While some brands still offer antiperspirants in aerosol form, today these account for a very small percentage of the total market. As the popularity of aerosols waned, antiperspirants in stick form became increasingly popular. Today, sticks are the single most popular antiperspirant form.

Are you smelling when you should be selling? Just in time for the dog days of summer, Aoki of Japan has introduced a new line of deodorant suits, shirts, socks and even underwear that prevents body odor from doing what B.O. tends to do - smell up the place. See how it works.

Solid antiperspirants are made with several ingredients, including wax, a liquid emollient and an active-ingredient compound. It's the active ingredient that gives antiperspirants their sweat-blocking power. All antiperspirants have an aluminum-based compound as their main ingredient. If you look at the back of an antiperspirant container, the aluminum-based compound is always the first ingredient listed. Here are a few of the common active ingredients:

Aluminum chloride
Aluminum zirconium tricholorohydrex glycine
Aluminum chlorohydrate
Aluminum hydroxybromide
The aluminum ions are taken into the cells that line the eccrine-gland ducts at the opening of the epidermis, the top layer of the skin, says dermatologist Dr. Eric Hanson of the University of North Carolina's Department of Dermatology. When the aluminum ions are drawn into the cells, water passes in with them. As more water flows in, the cells begin to swell, squeezing the ducts closed so that sweat can't get out.

Each cell can only draw in a certain amount of water, so eventually, the concentrations of water -- outside and inside the cells -- reach equilibrium. When this happens, the water inside the cell begins to pass back out of the cell through osmosis, and the cell's swelling goes down. This is why people have to re-apply antiperspirant. For those who suffer from excessive sweating, hyperhydrosis, aluminum chloride in high concentrations can prolong the swelling and may ultimately shrink the sweat gland, decreasing the amount of sweat it can produce.

An average over-the-counter antiperspirant might have an active-ingredient concentration of anywhere from 10 to 25 percent. The FDA requires that over-the-counter antiperspirants contain no more than 15 to 25 percent of the active ingredient, depending on what it is. The FDA also requires that all antiperspirants must decrease the average person's sweat by at least 20 percent. For those who have excessive underarm sweating, there are prescription products that contain concentrations higher than those of over-the-counter antiperspirants.

There was an interesting take on the scents of deodorants in the Philadelphia Inquirer a while back called Deodorants Scents Make Little Sense. Where DO they get those wonderful aromas?

There are two primary types of products used to control body odor. The first, deodorants, work by masking, suppressing or neutralizing body odor. These products do not affect the amount of perspiration the body produces. Antiperspirants, on the other hand, inhibit the activity of sweat glands so less moisture is produced. While deodorants are considered to be a cosmetic product because they only control odor, antiperspirants are actually drugs because they affect the physiology of the body.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) controls the active ingredients used in antiperspirants because they are legally classified as drugs. Although the exact mechanism of this physiological interaction is not fully understood, theory has it that antiperspirant salts form temporary plugs in some of the sweat gland openings so that moisture is not secreted.