The Chemical Composition of Deodorants and Antiperspirants

1274 Words3 Pages

As humans, after a long day of activity in our busy lives, we tend to sweat. From going to the gym, walking around, and just weather in general, we all have a habit of sweating. Applying deodorant after a morning shower or when we begin to get sweaty or clammy has become second nature for to of us. Coming in many forms such as roll ons, bars, and sprays, deodorant is used to control the production of sweat and underarm odor. As human nature has evolved we have become more conscious about our body odor. In the past when humans lived in caves, they were less concerned with their body odor then we are today. It is theorized by anthropologists that the human stench kept many people from becoming the dinner of some predator’s, because the animals would find something with a less horrific stench to eat. When the ancient Egyptian’s had leisure time away from constructing pyramids, they worked diligently at masking their own stench. Due to the fact that the ancient Egyptians were conscious about their body odor, they invented the perfumed bath and started to apply a generous amount of perfume to their underarms. The ancient Egyptians also used carob, incense, and porridge as their deodorant; while the women applied large globs of scented wax on their heads which would melt throughout the day to help mask the smell. The ancient Greeks bathed and drenched themselves, their clothes, their horses,and even their household pets in perfume. In the Middle Ages, those who were wealthy used perfume to mask their odor while those who were not wealthy enough to afford perfume basked in their own natural fragrance.
Created by an unknown Philadelphia inventor, “Mum,” was the first trademarked deodorant to hit the shelves in 1888. Mum was a wax-like...

... middle of paper ...

...14. .
"Antiperspirants and Deodorants." Antiperspirant. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2014. .
"Body Odor Through the Ages: A Brief History of Deodorant." Mental Floss. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2014. .
Feature, Jeannette MoningerWebMD. "What's in Your Antiperspirant: Antiperspirant Ingredients." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 12 May 2014. .
"What Is Deodorant?" Chemistry of Beauty. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2014. .

More about The Chemical Composition of Deodorants and Antiperspirants

Open Document