The LuLac Edition #5, 069, February 20th, 2024

 

MAYBE I’M AMAZED

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DEODORANT EDITION

Editor’s Note:  You might wonder why this has become a M.I.A. edition but we are writing this because of the influx of advertising done for full body deodorants.  The messages tend to be very blunt and it is 50-50 as to whether they are helpful or in bad taste. To that end, we decided to investigate the history of the product.

First, a definition. A deodorant is a substance applied to the body to prevent or mask body odor caused by bacterial breakdown of perspiration, for example in the armpits, groin, or feet. A subclass of deodorants, called antiperspirants, prevents sweating itself, typically by blocking sweat glands. Antiperspirants are used on a wider range of body parts, at any place where sweat would be inconvenient or unsafe, since unwanted sweating can interfere with comfort, vision, and grip (due to slipping). Other types of deodorant allow sweating but prevent bacterial action on sweat, since human sweat only has a noticeable smell when it is decomposed by bacteria.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..that here in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration classifies and regulates most deodorants as cosmetics, but classifies antiperspirants as over-the-counter drugs. An Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines sold directly to a consumer without a requirement for a prescription from a healthcare professional, as opposed to prescription drugs, which may be supplied only to consumers possessing a valid prescription.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED……that the first commercial deodorant, Mum, was introduced and patented in the late nineteenth century by an inventor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Edna Murphey. The product was briefly withdrawn from the market in the U.S.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED….that  was the creator of the Odorono brand of deodorant and originator of modern-day deodorant marketing strategies (1912).  Murphey's father, Dr. Abraham D. Murphey, a physician, developed the liquid antiperspirant to help surgeons with sweaty hands.Edna subsequently found this antiperspirant useful on underarms and began marketing the product to women.

MAYBE  I’M AMAZED…..that Murphy first took the product to Atlantic City in 1912 for a Summer long exposition.[5] Subsequently, Murphey began advertising the product in newspapers in major cities. In 1918, Murphey took out at US$50,000 bank loan, and hired James Webb Young of the J. Walter Thompson (JWT) agency to create a national advertising campaign for Odorono.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…….that deodorants and antiperspirants come in many forms. What is commonly used varies in different countries. In Europe, aerosol sprays are popular, as are cream and roll-on forms. In North America, solid or gel forms are dominant.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED……that many deodorants and antiperspirants contain aluminium in the form of aluminium salts such as aluminium chlorohydrate.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..that the claim that breast cancer is believed to be linked with deodorant use has been widely circulated and appears to originate from a spam email sent in 1999;[ however, there is no evidence to support the existence of such a link.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED……that he global deodorant market size was valued at USD 24.36 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow from USD 25.16 billion in 2023 to USD 37.44 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.57% during the forecast period.  That’s a lot of growth.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..that whether it’s the old stand bys like Right Guard or the new ones like Axe or the all body types now being hawked, people just want to smell good.(wikipedia, LuLac)