# "Made for a woman"? Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 6, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-for-a-woman-why/186495 "2003-07-06T02:52:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zen101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c68b51/32.png) [@zen101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zen101)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-for-a-woman-why/186495/1 "2003-07-06T02:52:38Z")
I have a confession to make. I wear Secret brand deoderant. I have had to, on occasion, work in close quarters with other men. In several instances they have smelled my baby powder scent and usually made a semi-jesting derisive remark. I’m not really offended, but It makes me wonder two things. How many other men wear “women’s” scents. Not just deoderant, but perfume, and whatnot. And Why is baby powder scent considered a female scent? We all wore it as babys. And a “P.S.” question to women and and gay men: Do you want a man you are attracted to to wear more conventional male scents? Most of them seem overpowering to me and often smell one step away from cheap liquor. Not to mention they all remind me of being stuck in the international terminal at the airport. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-for-a-woman-why/186495/2 "2003-07-06T02:55:55Z")
My cologne _is_ cheap liquor. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-for-a-woman-why/186495/3 "2003-07-06T03:02:43Z")
My liquor is cheap cologne. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-for-a-woman-why/186495/4 "2003-07-06T03:10:38Z")
Baby powder is for women because they are basically just weak and defenceless babies that have grown up and become fun to look at. ---
**Author:** ![Mith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Mith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mith)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-for-a-woman-why/186495/5 "2003-07-06T03:30:53Z")
CatFight, I woulda said because women are considered more nuturerers. And, I prefer men to smell more ‘manly’ than a babypowderscent if he decides to wear a scent. However, I like no scent at all… and I really really like being able to smell a man’s fabric softner or detergent. something about a single man who does his own laundry… i guess… appeals to my senses. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-for-a-woman-why/186495/6 "2003-07-06T03:36:45Z")
The scent of my man is…er…manly. No baby powder for him! Why would you choose baby powder scent over the other (and frankly better smelling) choices? Secret even has an unscented version. hmmmmm. Methinks ye must _like_ to smell like a woman? ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-for-a-woman-why/186495/7 "2003-07-06T03:44:09Z")
Actually there are a few mens’ scents that have a powdery smell that I like - Mont Blanc Presence is a bit powdery, as is Rochas. Pi by Givenchy is fairly sweet with a bit of powder. I don’t mind it at all - my beau wears Presence and smells _gooooooood_. In my experience, white, North-American men have a preference towards fresher, more citrusy scents. Perhaps that’s why you’re getting bugged a bit. So - does the Secret do the job? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-for-a-woman-why/186495/8 "2003-07-06T04:52:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by alice\_in\_wonderland \* > \*\*Actually there are a few mens’ scents that have a powdery smell that I like - Mont Blanc Presence is a bit powdery, as is Rochas. Pi by Givenchy is fairly sweet with a bit of powder. > \*\* I would have expected the Mont Blanc stuff to smell like ink. 😛 But seriously, why is a maker of fine writing instruments marketing cologne? ---
**Author:** ![zen101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c68b51/32.png) [@zen101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zen101)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-for-a-woman-why/186495/9 "2003-07-06T10:28:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by alice\_in\_wonderland \* > \*\* > > So - does the Secret do the job? \*\* Actually Secret works really well as a deoderant. I have tried a number of gels and they seldom work at all. ---
**Author:** ![zen101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c68b51/32.png) [@zen101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zen101)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-for-a-woman-why/186495/10 "2003-07-06T10:31:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ruby \* > \*\*The scent of my man is…er…manly. No baby powder for him! > > Why would you choose baby powder scent over the other (and frankly better smelling) choices? Secret even has an unscented version. > > hmmmmm. Methinks ye must _like_ to smell like a woman? \*\* Possibly, but I also have yet to come across a deoderant I like other than secret. As for non-scented ones, those are anti-perperants as far as I know and anti persperants are unhealthy. You are supposed to sweat as a route to lose toxins and regulate to some degree body temperature. I use a scented deoderant precisely because it covers my manly aroma, which despite some people’s claim of enjoing masculine fragrance, on me is usually just plain stinky. Probably because I smoke too damn much. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-for-a-woman-why/186495/11 "2003-07-06T11:18:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zen101 \* > those are anti-perperants as far as I know and anti persperants are unhealthy. You are supposed to sweat as a route to lose toxins and regulate to some degree body temperature. Maybe that would be a problem if you coated _your entire body_ with antipersperant but the underarm area is just a small fraction of the total. Covering that few square inches is not going to play havoc with temperature control. Also, it’s your liver and kidneys that are the main toxin excreters, not your skin (ubran legands and old wives’ tales aside). Again, it’s not going to cause you a problem to reduce the sweating in your pits. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-for-a-woman-why/186495/12 "2003-07-06T12:36:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Broomstick \* > \*\*Maybe that would be a problem if you coated _your entire body_ with antipersperant but the underarm area is just a small fraction of the total. Covering that few square inches is not going to play havoc with temperature control. > > Also, it’s your liver and kidneys that are the main toxin excreters, not your skin (ubran legands and old wives’ tales aside). Again, it’s not going to cause you a problem to reduce the sweating in your pits. \*\* True 'dat, but personally, wearing anti-perspirant clogs the pores and makes me itch. Not to mention the aluminium sulfide (or whatever that one chemical is) that turns my shirts yellow. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zen101 \* > \*\*I use a scented deoderant precisely because it covers my manly aroma, which despite some people’s claim of enjoing masculine fragrance, on me is usually just plain stinky. Probably because I smoke too damn much. \*\* Perhaps, but I’m a smoker and find that if I’m not drinking enough fluids, I smell stronger. I’ve always thought it was due to some dilution factor (with absolutely _no_ evidence to back it up). Kramer ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-for-a-woman-why/186495/13 "2003-07-06T14:56:37Z")
Um, correct me if I’m wrong, but even the scented ones are anti-perspirant, at least Secret is. I have to use an anti-perspirant. I tried a deodorant-didn’t do a damn thing except make me sweat baby-powder and BO scented sweat. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-for-a-woman-why/186495/14 "2003-07-06T15:22:55Z")
You can get Secret in a “deodorant” only formula. I actually really like Elizabeth Arden’s Green Tea Cream Deodorant (although the green tea is a _REALLY_ girly scent). I’ve noticed that the clear sticks actually make me smell **WORSE** than using nothing, regardless of weather they are anti-persperants or deodorants. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-for-a-woman-why/186495/15 "2003-07-06T16:03:09Z")
Funny. I wore my EGF’s Secret for a while and found that it lasted a lot longer than traditional “men’s” antiperspirant/deodorants with the same chalky texture. Secret is marketed as made specifically for the ph of a woman. Is there any substance to that at all or is it just a marketing gimmick? ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-for-a-woman-why/186495/16 "2003-07-06T16:06:04Z")
It also makes more sense that it would be called “Secret” if it was made for women but used by men. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-for-a-woman-why/186495/17 "2003-07-06T20:35:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jkramer3 \* > \*\*True 'dat, but personally, wearing anti-perspirant clogs the pores and makes me itch. Not to mention the aluminium sulfide (or whatever that one chemical is) that turns my shirts yellow. > > Kramer \*\* That’s what that is??? I always assumed it was sweat that dried on shirts that turned them yellow… If that’s what that is (BTW, my deodorant lists aluminum zirconium trichlorohydrex gly), can’t they just find something else? ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-for-a-woman-why/186495/18 "2003-07-06T21:38:29Z")
It’s funny that people have said that the gels don’t work very well on them; personally, the clear gel deodorants/anti-perspirants are the only ones that are really effective on me. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-for-a-woman-why/186495/19 "2003-07-06T23:03:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zen101 \* > **As for non-scented ones, those are anti-perperants as far as I know and anti persperants are unhealthy. You are supposed to sweat as a route to lose toxins and regulate to some degree body temperature.** [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/toxins/breast.htm) agrees with **Broomstick** on this. > [@](#): > > First off, there is no medical research that postulates a link between breast cancer and anti-perspirant use, much less any studies that demonstrate a link between the two. Moreover, the claims that “nicks in the skin . . . give the [anti-perspirant] chemicals entrance into the body from the armpit area” and that anti-perspirants inhibit “the body from purging toxins from below the armpits” don’t even make sense from a physiological standpoint. Any chemicals that might enter the circulatory system aren’t necessarily going to end up stored in breast tissue or the lymph nodes, any more than chocolates will make your face (rather than some other part of your body) fat because you take them into your system through your mouth. As well, the primary purpose of perspiration is as a cooling mechanism: your liver and your kidneys play a far more important role in eliminating substances from your system, and far more “toxins” are purged through urination than through perspiration. (We also perspire from places other than our armpits, such as behind the knees and around the pubic area. Any “toxins” that couldn’t get out through the armpits wouldn’t simply settle down in the breasts because they found the door closed when they reached the armpits, so to speak.) There’s also a link to an American Cancer Society [article](http://www.cancer.org/docroot/nws/content/nws_1_1x_email_rumors.asp) on the subject. > [@](#): > > **Fact** : Lymph nodes clear some toxins from the body. But, they are not released through sweating. The American Cancer Society is not aware of any evidence that shows substances in deodorants or antiperspirants to be toxic or that cause DNA damage that could lead to cancer. Such products are rigorously tested before they can be marketed.