Deodorant is falling out of favor with young people, according to a new poll.
Nearly 40 percent of the 18- to 24-year-olds interviewed in a new survey said they did not use deodorant or antiperspirant in the last 30 days.
Around a third (31 percent) of 25- to 34-year-olds said the same, along with a quarter (22 percent) of 35- to 44-year-olds.
Past 45, deodorant use was far more common - only shunned by 16 percent.
The data, from YouGov, fit neatly into the emerging trend of 'natural deodorant' and the general rise in demand for natural, organic, authentic, and chemical-free products among the world's youngest.
The data, from YouGov, fit neatly into the trend of 'natural deodorant' and the general rise in demand for natural, organic, authentic, and chemical-free products among the world's youngest
Generation Z, as those born after 1995 are known, holds incredible purchasing power.
By 2020, there will be an estimated 2.6 billion Gen Z-ers on the planet, spending approximately $44 billion.
Raised online, they have a forceful presence on social media, shaping the way brands market their products, and even what products they design.
A recent study by Viacom found eight in 10 Millennials and Gen Z-ers would define beauty as 'being yourself'.
That's hardly news to cosmetics brands, who have increasingly invested in more diverse products that are marketed as enhancing - rather than masking - natural beauty.
Some of the biggest cosmetic success stories of the last five years include Glossier's subtle lip balms, Korean skincare regimes, Rihanna's Fenty Beauty with a broad range of foundation skin tones, and Kim Kardashian's diverse range of body shimmers.
The same has been seen in food, clothes and packaging.
Deodorant, on the other hand, is a cosmetic success story built on the fact that it is not natural: it's hiding your natural smell.
Deodorant (designed to mask body odor) and antiperspirant (designed to prevent sweating) were flops when they first emerged in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Better to wash frequently, avoid sweat-inducing exercise or the sun, and spritz on perfume if you're concerned about smelling - that was the general consensus.
One product - Odorono (Odor, oh no!) - started gaining some momentum between 1912 and 1919, because it was being sold by the daughter of a doctor, who used it to de-sweat his hands before surgery, giving the product some intellectual backing.
But it was until 1919 it really took off.
Now-notorious advertising copy
