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this post was submitted on 18 Feb 2025
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My understanding is that our armpits wouldn't stink (as much) if we did the same thing as our ancestors - that is, not wash them with soap and use deodorants. I think there are supposed to be naturally occurring bacteria that will keep the stinky bacteria in check if we didn't kill them with that stuff. I haven't read anything in depth about this though.
As for sweating under the armpits, sweating in general helps us cool down our temperature. I wouldn't be surprised if armpit sweat also helps lubricate an area that would otherwise be prone to chafing when you're active.
I mean, here's another thought...
A lot of animals in the wild stink. Seriously. Check out a farm or a zoo. It's quite possible that people just used to generally smell bad before the modern age.
But I guess a positive to this is, you know how you get used to a smell if you're around it all the time? Like say you eat McDonald's in your car on a long car journey. Nothing is out of the ordinary smell wise to you. But then you get to your destination and leave your car for a few days. You come back and notice it smells like shitty old McDonald's because you had been away from it for a bit. What I'm getting at is if we were around stinky people all day we maybe weren't bothered by it as much because you can go "nose blind" to that sort of thing after being exposed to it often.
That's definitely something to consider, but when I really think about it I'm not sure I completely agree with this. I am sure that some animals smell more than others, but also that a lot of the smell you notice especially in zoos is because you're smelling their poop nearby. I think if you take most animals away from their bathroom area you may notice much less odor on their bodies.
I think of cats as an example, since I'm most familiar with having them at home. Cats are typically nearly odorless unless they have some health issue. They may not be the best example though, since they do clean themselves all the time unlike most other animals. Another thing to consider is how would those animals smell if they ate their natural diet that they would eat in the wild. I think that would also have an effect on their smell.
In short, I don't think there's much evidence that humans stunk to high heaven before the invention of soap and deodorant. I would gladly consider the evidence though.
I encourage you to stop washing your armpits and not use deodorant. I’m sure the people around you will appreciate your decision and the special bacteria involved.
I do use soap but not anti bacterial soap, just dr bronners. But I really scratch with my finger nails. Anyway I don’t wear deodorant. I don’t smell until 2-3 days without a shower.
Lucky!