Gender-Neutral Deodorant?

There’s a lot to sift through when you’re shopping for a new deodorant. It needs to be effective, first and foremost, because, well, that’s the whole point. You’re also looking for a scent that you like and that feels like “you.” One thing that shouldn’t limit you in your deodorant selection? Your gender.

Men’s vs. Women’s Deodorant

Stroll down the deodorant aisle at your favorite store and you’ll notice the deodorant bottles are clearly divided. On one side you’ve got pink and light blue with flowers, sweet smells, and powdery freshness. On the other side you’ll see strong AF bottles of fresh mountain air and old spicy goodness. It’s like the 1950s called and wants you to pick your gender. 

You’re not the only one to notice that most companies heavily categorize deodorant by gender. And the real question is, why? Nobody genders toothpaste, after all. But drop down from teeth to armpits and suddenly your gender matters deeply. We call bull. 

“One of the main reasons there are distinctions between deodorants marketed towards men and women is because it makes sense from a marketing and financial standpoint for the companies who make the products.” (Insider.com)

We All Have BO

Bodies of all genders have armpits, and they all work the same way. Your apocrine sweat glands produce protein-rich, sugar-coated sweat which provides the perfect food for the bacteria lurking in your pits. Bacteria feasts on this sweat and leaves behind a trail of stink.

And while this does happen because of hormones, it doesn’t matter which ones your body is producing. Every body has it’s own unique cocktail of hormones, eats a different diet, and has varying skin sensitivities. We don’t shake out into two categories of stink, (it's actually much more complicated than that) and our preferences for flowers or musk definitely doesn’t have anything to do with our biology.

So does Gender really not matter?

The short answer—it’s up to you! Gender expression is personal and nuanced, and your deodorant company is not here to define you or your choices. Are all scents really for all genders? Absolutely. You like what you like. Does that mean there aren’t masculine and feminine scents? Culturally we are conditioned to think of some smells as masculine, and others as feminine. But scents and our take on them is as unique as our fingerprints and lived experiences. What matters is not whether something is masculine or feminine, but that our gender is not defined by the scents we wear.

Unisex Deodorants

The good news is that we are not actually in the 1950s anymore. There is a growing cultural understanding that gender is not the be-all-end-all to determining what you buy. Thankfully, modern brands are catching on.

“Unisex deodorants represented 18 percent of U.S. deodorant launches last year, up from 10 percent in 2008, according to Taya Tomasello, director of beauty innovation for the Americas at market research firm Mintel.” (Chicago Tribune)

Deodorant For All Humans

From the beginning, Pit Liquor’s goal has been to create scents that appeal to PEOPLE. Our formulations are for all humans, with powerful ingredients to kill bacteria and stop BO where it thrives—your pits. We think the most important thing we do is give you the freedom to choose a deodorant that works without the compromise of toxic chemicals. Which scent should you pick? Whichever one you like. 

Get 15% your first order with code: NEWNATURAL and get ready to be amazed.