Thousands of Women Don't Need Deodorant, Use It Just to Fit In

A team of researchers working with the University of Bristol now claims that one in fifty people do not really need deodorant, yet most of them keep using it for the sole purpose of better fitting in socially-wise.

As the scientists explain, these no-smellers are the proud owners of a “broken” gene which keeps their armpits from producing any unpleasant odors. More precisely, their ABCC11 gene is for one reason or another inactive.

Despite their being well aware of the fact that, as active as they might be during the day, nobody who must interact with them would ever have any reason to complain about their nostrils being disturbed in any way, these people continue to use deodorants.

What worries the researchers is the fact that, besides their spending a significant amount of money on personal care products they don't really need, those who possess this altered gene and still use deodorants also expose themselves to chemical compounds they could easily avoid.

EurekAlert! quotes Professor Ian Day, who commented on the findings of this research as follows:

“Three-quarters of those who do not produce an odor regularly use deodorants. We believe these people simply follow socio-cultural norms.”

Professor Ian Day and his colleagues wished to draw attention to the fact that a simple gene test is more than enough for a person to figure out whether or not said personal care products are of any use to them.

As researcher Dr. Santiago Rodriguez puts it, “These findings have some potential for using genetics in the choice of personal hygiene products. A simple gene test might strengthen self awareness and save some unnecessary purchases and chemical exposures for non odor producers.”

This study took into consideration a total of 6,495 women who volunteered to take part in it, and its findings were published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology on January 17.