Smell You Later: The Weird Science of How Sweat Attracts
The fear of having any natural body odor in today&#x27;s society is incredibly widespread. It&#x27;s almost impossible to find information on the negative effects of our practices of putting ultra-scented substances on our skin via deodorants and perfumes, in our hair via shampoos, on our clothing via scented detergents, etc. Yet everywhere you look, there are vested corporate interests telling us that we stink, are repulsive in our natural state, and so on.
This is why it&#x27;s so difficult to find people willing to forgo these products, and then to admit it and report on the results. Sure, basic hygiene is important. Shower after working out. Brush your teeth. Comb your hair and rinse your scalp. 
I use to unquestioningly shampoo my hair every few days until I noticed I had to wash more and more frequently, as it started getting greasy quicker. In 2017 I decided to go cold turkey on using shampoo. The first few months were rough. But over time, my hair and scalp biome has normalized, and rinsing with warm water is enough to remove any grease build-up. My hair is also a lot healthier - less split ends and less dried out than before. 
Deodorant is a much more difficult beast to escape from. B.O. in the workplace is definitely worse than a greasy looking ponytail. However, with the lockdowns, I&#x27;ve been experimenting with skipping the deodorant. So far I can&#x27;t say I like the results, but I wonder if it&#x27;s again the kind of thing that takes a while to normalize. Either my nose will become numb to it, or the bacteria in the skin will calm down after being tampered with for so long. It&#x27;s a little shocking to think I&#x27;ve  been smearing a costly cocktail of chemicals on my pores for more than half my life, and barely even recognize my own scent. Crazy to think that we might be blocking an important subconscious source of information on the people in our lives.