Deodorant

A deodorant is a product used to minimize body odor. The product iteself is available in a variety of forms including a spray, liquid or solid stick that can be applied dry. There are also numerous brands of deodorant for sale. It is most commonly applied to armpits, but there are products sold for other parts of the body including the feet. Deodorant for the armpits is commonly paired with anti-perspirants to minimize body odor and sweat.

During the early 1990's, rumors began spreading via email stating that the use of deodorant/antiperspirant can cause breast cancer because the body cannot "sweat out" toxins. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) have released statements that these rumors are untrue due to scientific research showing there is no relation between breast cancer and deodorant.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18829420 However, a study from a previous year suggested otherwise.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17629949 Aluminum, the commonly used active ingredient in anti-perspirants, is implicated. A 1997 study also showed some association between the use of anti-perspirants and a higher prevalence of Alzheimer's Disease.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9575492

Deodorant was first sold in the United States in the year 1888, under the brand name Mum. It is unknown precisely who created this product, but it is said that he was an inventor from the city of Philadelphia. After trademarking his product, he sold it to the public via his nurse. Later on in the year 1940, a woman named Helen Barnett Diserens began working for Mum, and she invented the first roll-on deodorant, This product was modeled after the ball point pen. Disiren's creation was sold under the name Ban.http://inventors.about.com/od/dstartinventions/a/deodorants.htm