Why Are So Many People Convinced They Stink?

"The implication of the ads is clear: You stink. Not just your armpits-your entire body, head to toe, absolutely reeks. In your default state, you're basically a gallon of milk accidentally left in a hot car. Never mind that an overwhelming percentage of the sweat glands on the human body don't actually produce body odor. According to the now-ubiquitous advertisements, whole-body deodorant is meant to be sprayed everywhere:"

"The message, apparently, has resonated with many Americans. Last year, the president of Unilever U.S.A. told The Wall Street Journal that whole-body deodorant was "a breakout innovation of the year." Lume, a whole-body deodorant launched in 2017, reported more than $320 million in sales in 2023. The product's popularity is in line with the rise in the fragrance market overall; perfumes and their ilk are the fastest-growing category in the beauty sector, according to the market-research firm Circana."

"This newfound olfactory anxiety could be, in part, a delayed effect of the coronavirus pandemic. Cari Casteel, a University of Buffalo professor who is working on a history of deodorant, told me that humans quickly become accustomed to routine scents-but that after a smell disappears, we regain sensitivity to it. She theorized that lockdown deacclimated some people to the normal odor of their fellow human, and that when we came back together, what had previously been inconspicuous background odor suddenly seemed very prominent."

Deodorant advertising implies that entire bodies emit overwhelming odor and promotes whole-body sprays applied from neck to calves, sometimes suggesting application in pants. Most sweat glands do not produce body odor. Whole-body deodorants have become mainstream products, with Lume reporting over $320 million in 2023 and industry leaders calling whole-body deodorant a breakout innovation. Fragrance products are the fastest-growing category in beauty according to market research. Pandemic-related re-acclimation to smells made people more sensitive to others' odors, increasing concern about personal odor. Surveys indicate U.S. adults have become steadily more anxious in recent years.

Read at The Atlantic