What Happens When People Go Deodorant-Free

Remember the first time you got a whiff of yourself — maybe while raising your hand in class, when you noticed a subtle, sour stench emanating from your armpit? A few brave volunteers showed us what happens when you give up wearing deodorant for a week, and it will will surely bring up some fragrant teenage nostalgia and maybe inspire you to give it a try, too.

While there are many body regimens that we do under the pressure of society, some are just for us. Personally, I wear deodorant because I like the smell of it. It keeps me dry and powder-fresh, which gives me one less thing to worry about. But not wearing deodorant is okay, too. It's only taboo because we let society tell us it is. Realistically, it's much healthier not to wear deodorant. Many deodorants are made of harmful chemicals and can inhibit your body from detoxing the way it naturally would. And while there are definitely a lot of natural, organic, safe alternatives on the market, there's nothing more natural than au naturale.

That is, until Mother Dirt came onto the market. Mother Dirt is a spray that replaces deodorants and soaps as we know them by depositing a misting of good, live bacteria on to the skin's surface in attempts to bring it back to its most natural state. The philosophy behind the spray is that modern soaps and shampoos have stripped our skin of good bacteria that helps naturally fight odors and oils. This spray will bring the skin back into a more balanced state where it creates less odors and produces less oil. If you're having trouble conceptualizing how this works and what its effects are, see below for some general highlights:

"We're about to do WHAT?"

Yeah, AO Mist includes a cocktail of ammonia oxidizing bacteria. So while it's good bacteria with good, helpful intentions, it's still bacteria.

"Uh, is this really going to work?"

It's a new product from a startup that swears by it. And while scientifically it makes sense, it's not easy to conceptualize its effectiveness.

"It's not working!"

You'll need some patience. The product can take weeks to work, so a one week trial might not yield the most promising results.

"I think it's working!"

Though, after a few days, you might start to notice some subtle changes: skin moisture, decreased skin irritation and a less pungent pit smell.

Not convinced? Watch the full video below:

So, would you give up deodorant for bacteria?

Images: YouTube (5)