# Selling Deodorant - Men vs Women **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 30, 2022, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847 "2022-07-30T22:22:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847/21 "2022-07-31T02:25:16Z")
As a woman who prefers her deodorant unscented, that is not easy to find, at least the last time I shopped for it. For me, a stick lasts about a year. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847/22 "2022-07-31T02:44:35Z")
Other ones for men include _Rugged Coast_ and _Arctic Edge_. Female ones do seem to emphasize mint, eucalyptus, lavender, rose, honey, vanilla and other things which might make tasty desserts or vodka infusions. _Patchouli Platoon_ might give you the confidence to raise your dress shirted arms. Is there really no product that smells like gridiron and grilled sausage or a selection of barbecue sauce? (No doubt it exists, but not in stores near me). _Smells Like Freedom!_ and _Trump Clumps_ might appeal to some people you know. I’m good with unscented. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847/23 "2022-07-31T07:47:57Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > The reason why there weren’t (and aren’t, today) more deodorant-only products for women was simply that they didn’t sell well (and didn’t test well in market research), as the large majority of women wanted to reduce sweating as well as odor. In the U.S., yes. But here in Switzerland, it’s the opposite. When we first moved here, I always stocked up in the U.S. Some brands, such as Dove, offer more deodorants than anti-persperants. I just want a refillable applicator. The product/applicator ratio is crazy. I can choose from Flower Fresh, Pure Fresh, Protection Fresh and Shower Fresh, but then there’s also Active Morning, Cotton Dry, Waterlily & Lime, Confidence, Summer Moves, Aqua, Tropical and Stress Control. Same company has 26 products for women and only 14 for men. I just try to find the most neutral. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847/24 "2022-07-31T15:17:49Z")
Is it tough to reapply deodorant? The one I buy is crammed with metallic salts that used to offer 24 hours of effort. It still seems the same, but then it offered 48 hours of service. Without much changing, it now offers a full three days of value. Though progress is wonderful, with a whole platoon of **armhair warriors** , isn’t there one you can just apply once a decade, or on civic holidays? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847/25 "2022-07-31T15:34:18Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Is it tough to reapply deodorant? The one I buy is crammed with metallic salts that used to offer 24 hours of effort. It still seems the same, but then it offered 48 hours of service. Without much changing, it now offers a full three days of value. Antiperspirant manufacturers use those claims to suggest that they are extremely effective – that you _could_ skip applying it for a day or two. That goes back to Mitchum, in the '80s, which had the tagline, “So effective, you can skip a day.” They make these “puffery” claims, knowing that (a) the vast majority of their users will apply it every day regardless, and (b) there is little functional difference between the brands, because, in the U.S., anti-perspirancy is an OTC drug claim, and the active ingredients are strictly regulated. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847/26 "2022-07-31T15:46:15Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > For fifteen bucks I expect it to use a live baby otter as an applicator! The only-slightly-less-terrifying version of ferret-legging. ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847/27 "2022-07-31T16:41:06Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > there is little functional difference between the brands, because, in the U.S., anti-perspirancy is an OTC drug claim I’ve seen the aluminum (active ingredient) content ranging from 12% to 20% on OTC antiperspirants. It’s not consistent across brands, i.e. Secret makes both the weak stuff and the strong stuff, so you have to check the ingredients in on the back. But there’s definitely a difference in efficacy. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847/28 "2022-07-31T17:05:02Z")
I shower or bathe almost every day. Although this may void the implied warranty, I am grateful if it continues to provide service to those of greater rank, who may thus be less humid. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847/29 "2022-07-31T17:19:29Z")
Deodorant companies should offer scents that people _really_ like best: [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/6TjX2tV.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/6TjX2tV) ---
**Author:** ![Tarataratara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Tarataratara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarataratara)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2022, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847/30 "2022-07-31T19:11:25Z")
I saw Mam Baking first and I can’t unsee it. My brain will not read this as Mamba King. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2022, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847/31 "2022-08-07T01:27:58Z")
Speaking of Degree, they have a deodorant only line called Degree 0% Aluminum Free. Secret does, too. I saw them both on Amazon. One is $20 for four: > **[Amazon.com: DEGREE 0% Aluminum Free Deodorant 48H Odor Protection Deodorant for...](https://www.amazon.com/DEGREE-Aluminum-Deodorant-Protection-Uplifting/dp/B08MGLYRRR)** > > Amazon.com: DEGREE 0% Aluminum Free Deodorant 48H Odor Protection Deodorant for Women, Uplifting citrus, 2.6 Ounce (Pack of 4) ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2022, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847/32 "2022-08-07T01:57:21Z")
I won’t ever use anti-perspirant either. Sweat is good. My deodorant is Axe Phoenix. Now that’s bad ass And $19 for a six pac on Amazon ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2022, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847/33 "2022-08-07T02:41:59Z")
Yeah, I suspect that antiperspirant is the devil, and will give me cancer. But I HATE to sweat. I don’t like it when my face sweats, or when my arms sweat. I hate when my underarms sweat. So I guess I’m helping to drive the antiperspirant market. (and no, I don’t care for hot weather, either. Even as a kid I hated to sweat, and found summers in New England unpleasant. It hasn’t gotten any better as I age.) > [@nearwildheaven](#): > > As a woman who prefers her deodorant unscented I also prefer an unscented product. Or at least a product with an inconspicuous scent. I don’t want to smell of flowers, or musk, or arctic ice. I just don’t want to produce offensive odors. But honestly, mostly I don’t want to sweat. Since “unscented” isn’t gendered, I shop on both sides of the aisle, and buy whatever seems to be cheapest per unit in “not overly scented”. It’s not as if anyone is watching me apply antiperspirant and judging me based on the color of the package. That means I mostly buy men’s products, but not always. Sometimes a women’s product is on-sale, or is the only thing I can find in unscented, or is what’s available in a travel size, or whatever. I feel like Secret, Arm&Hammer, Sure, and SpeedStick are what I usually end up with. As best as I can tell, they all work exactly the same. I sometimes wonder if they are all made in the same factory, and then distributed to be shoved into different packages. Except one – my MIL gave me “Tom’s of Maine” once, and I used it and promptly broke out into a nasty rash. I have no idea what’s in it, but I think I’m allergic. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2022, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847/34 "2022-08-07T03:07:46Z")
Not just deodorants. I bought my shampoo because the container was so funny. _Old Spice Swagger._ > Old Spice Swagger 2in1 Shampoo and Conditional will leave your hair so cocky you’ll need to buy it a pair of expensive mirrored sunglasses. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2022, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847/35 "2022-08-07T04:16:49Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > (…) > I also prefer an unscented product. Or at least a product with an inconspicuous scent. I don’t want to smell of flowers, or musk, or arctic ice. I just don’t want to produce offensive odors. But honestly, mostly I don’t want to sweat. > > Since “unscented” isn’t gendered, I shop on both sides of the aisle, and buy whatever seems to be cheapest per unit in “not overly scented”.(…) The unscenteds are my preference, and I don’t care about gender targeting, but do lean toward liquid gels. It’s a small market slice, so when I saw a couple brands on sale at Amazon last year I ordered 3 or 4 of each. **Mitchum** says MEN right at the top. The colors are dark green and metallic gold. The design features some strong diagonals. From _Revlon_. **Almay** features minimalist design with pastels and translucent plastic. Their website hits heavy on “cruelty-free”, and on Almay’s history dating back to the 1930s, and how it was named for the inventor and his wife (“May”), who had very sensitive skin. The website makes no mention of any parent corporation, just **Almay, Inc** , until you click on investor info – which takes you directly to the _Revlon_ site. The ingredient lists are precisely identical until the 8th item, where Unscented Mitchum lists Parfum (Fragrance), which is not on the Almay. And yeah, there seems to be a tiny hint of some odor which the Almay doesn’t share. I prefer the Almay’s packaging, but the Mitchum is usually cheaper per oz. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2022, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847/36 "2022-08-07T04:23:13Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I feel like Secret, Arm&Hammer, Sure, and SpeedStick are what I usually end up with. As best as I can tell, they all work exactly the same. I sometimes wonder if they are all made in the same factory, and then distributed to be shoved into different packages. When I worked in the industry, Secret and Sure both were made by Procter & Gamble, and probably in the same plant, 30 years ago. Sure has changed hand several times since then, and now is owned by a company called Helen of Troy. Arm & Hammer is made by Church & Dwight, and Speed Stick (which has also changed hands several times) is owned by Colgate-Palmolive. So, probably not in the same plant, at least not anymore. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2022, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847/37 "2022-08-07T04:37:00Z")
I use deodorant, unscented Arm & Hammer Essentials when I can get it. Otherwise Desert Essence Lemon Tea Tree, which is innocuous. Tom’s doesn’t work well for me, nor do some of the other natural products. I’ve tried two Native scents, both of which worked but Eucalyptus and Mint just smells unpleasatly medicinal whereas some coconut and something or other was all right. I picked it up because it was the tiniest trial size ever and thus excellent for backpacking. Eventually I’ll try their unscented. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2022, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847/38 "2022-08-07T04:53:57Z")
If bacon isn’t manly enough for you, jump straight into whiskey. [![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2167/1627/products/PitLiquorDeodorant_WhiskeyCedarWoodWEB_50mlRollOn_1.jpg) ](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2167/1627/products/PitLiquorDeodorant_WhiskeyCedarWoodWEB_50mlRollOn_1.jpg) Because you’re just not being accused of drinking on the job enough. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2022, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847/39 "2022-08-07T10:33:37Z")
In the last 10 years, there has been a defineite trend to “manify” toiletries. Head and Shoulders is a great example: it was gender neutral for decades, no worries, and the they decided that they would sell more if they could make more men anxious that they mught be usibg lady shampoo. So now there is regular Head and Shoulders, and 15 flavors of Head and Shoulders for MEN, with the word “men” being by far the largest on the package. Basically, toiletries have become one of those rare cases where the unmarked state is seen as more female than male. This wasn’t always the case: introducing Secret, a deodorant “ph balanced for a woman” was a big deal. The implication was that the old gender neutral option was default male and a risk to your feminie skin, and maybe youe femininity as a whole. But now its men who have to be careful to only buy labelled “male” products, lest they become feminized. I feel like its a whole new expression of toxic masculinity, pushed by marketing who know anxious people pay more. Its crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2022, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847/40 "2022-08-07T14:56:33Z")
I prefer unscented and feel my requirements are normal. I do not need a whole platoon with reinforcements to tackle my modest sweating. I am okay with applying deodorant and shaving at modest speeds. I do not usually require 96 hours between showers and applications. But I doubt most men pay much conscious attention to the names and marketing. I do think the Old Spice packaging is funny, but it’s no castile soap. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-deodorant-men-vs-women/968847.md?page=3)