Silly question, but... at what age did your dc need deodorant?

[NanceXToo]

For some reason, and I have no idea why, I had it in my head that my daughter would probably start needing deodorant when she was around 11, or close to it, at around the age when she started going through puberty or whatever.

 

She's now 9.7 years old- closer to 9.8 actually- and showing no other signs of puberty at this stage, but today, for the first time ever in her life, we noticed she had some armpit b.o.!

 

I was like wow...she needs deodorant already?! lol.

 

She, of course, was quite excited by this and was quite thrilled to accompany me to the store to sniff various deodorants and pick out the one that she wanted to use and couldn't wait to put it on.

 

When did your kids start wearing deodorant? I can't even remember with my oldest, and I think I myself was in fifth grade- so I guess around 10... hmmm I guess she IS around the same age as I was come to think of it.

 

Anyway I know it's a silly question but I was just wondering :)

[Parrothead]

Oh, yeah, dd needed it about 9.5. That put her in the summer of her 9th year. In the winter she can go without.

[hsmom3tn]

I think my son was 8 or 9 when he started smelling really bad and needed deodorant. It seemed to happen overnight... :ack2:

 

One of my girls started when she was 9 as well; but my other daughter, even though they're the same age, still doesn't seem to have a problem with b.o. yet.

[texasmama]

My oldest son was 8. I don't recall with my oldest dd.

[Blessedfamily]

I looked up the same question online and the answer I kept finding was, "When they stink." It didn't give me any idea of an age, so I still don't know.

[NanceXToo]

It seemed to happen overnight... :ack2:

 

Yeah, this seemed to happen overnight too! It really caught me off guard! lol.

[NanceXToo]

it didn't give me any idea of an age, so i still don't know.

 

9.7.

 

Haha.

 

:)

[Just Robyn]

Oh boy! My oldest ds is 8, so next year?! I did not see that coming! Sigh... my kids are growing up. *sniff*

 

Anyway, as for myself I remember starting to wear it sometime in upper elementary school.

[Mynyel]

Both my older kids started around 7-8. In between there somewhere. It wasn't there one day and was there the next. I couldn't believe it!

[Dandelion]

My 6.5 yo DS does not wear deodorant, but he has had terrible B.O...

 

We actually figured out that it was related to food sensitivities. It's amazing - when he eats something he is sensitive to (we've confirmed the "offending foods" via an IgG test), he gets terrible underarm odor a few hours later. It will not go away, even with vigorous washing. When there are no offending foods in his diet, he has zero B.O.

 

O.P. - not saying that this is the case with your DD, but I just found this discovery with DS incredibly interesting, so I thought I'd share. I brought up his B.O. with his pediatrician at his 6-year check-up (because I thought it was extremely odd that he already had B.O. as a 6yo) and she said "Oh, it's probably just early onset puberty". In our case, it clearly wasn't since we can make the B.O. "go away" just by avoiding certain trigger foods...

[Nakia]

My daughter started wearing it last year at right at 9.

[CroppinIt]

If your daughter has a smell, I'd get her some deodorant.

 

My daughter is about the same age -- she's 10 now. Although I hadn't noticed any odor, she came to me a few months ago complaining that she "stinks." So I got her some and she seems happy with it.

[texasmama]

Just wanted to toss out there that Jason's and other brands have more natural type deodorants without the bad chemicals in antiperspirants and such. I felt better about using those with my little guy. I also have to remind him every.single.day.:tongue_smilie:

[Lara in Colo]

DD is 9.5 doesn't need it yet.

DD2 is 8 and has been using it for over a year. I would hug her and constantly smell onions???????

 

Finally figured it out.

 

Lara

Edited May 24, 2010 by Lara in Colo

[Alphabetika]

My oldest dd was about nine, which was a great surprise to me. I remember being afraid this meant she was heading into puberty early, but she wasn't. (Plus, I recognize that nine isn't really early anymore...) My middle dd just started using it at 11. I think I was 11 or 12.

 

P.S. We use natural deodorant we get from a seller on Etsy.com.

[LaissezFaire]

My kids were around 9. However I am reading a lot lately on the subject and there is research that suggests kids who consume a lot of milk and meat that contain hormones seem to be stinking earlier. Something to think about.

[Faline]

My oldest ds who is 12¾ is just starting to need deodorant. None of my other dc need it yet.

[Laura Corin]

How well is she washing? I noticed that once I stopped supervising baths/showers they tended to get a bit sketchy. I'd work with her on thorough washing before going to a deodorant.

 

Calvin is thirteen and well into puberty (moustache and all) and doesn't need deodorant. Now his feet are another matter.

 

Laura

[nd293]

dd9 has had body odour for a year or two, in summer at least. But this year has been terrible. It's been so bad that we've had to upgrade to one of those "clinical strength" anti-perspirants. It was a surprise to me too, and I really hope it's not going to be a permanent issue - maybe related to some surge of hormones before puberty?

[Blessedfamily]

How well is she washing? I noticed that once I stopped supervising baths/showers they tended to get a bit sketchy. I'd work with her on thorough washing before going to a deodorant.

Calvin is thirteen and well into puberty (moustache and all) and doesn't need deodorant. Now his feet are another matter.

 

Laura

 

:iagree::iagree:

 

I had to do this. For some reason, my dd6 is sooooo anxious to wear deodorant. One day after playing outside, she proudly came to me and told me her pits were stinkin'. (This is when I searched the net to find what age you start them on deodorant.)

 

I made her wash and supervised/instructed. Since then, no more odor and no deodorant. (She is very disappointed.)

[Melissa in Australia]

none of mine use deodorant. My husband has Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, and cannot handle deodorant on any of us. I have tried all sorts of natural things, and haven't found anything that works. we just have clean clothes every day, and daily showers.

[NanceXToo]

Thanks for all the replies! Definitely some things for me to consider! :)

[1GirlTwinBoys]

Coconut oil & lemon juice is supposed to make a good natural deordorant. I just read this a couple days ago but haven't tried it yet.

[abbeyej]

Bought ds deodorant last week, lol. As others have said, it was literally overnight that he began to stink! (I noticed the same with a neighbor child recently-- all of a sudden one day, he *stank* like never before! He's younger than ds and was only 9 when it happened.)

[Desert Rat]

My oldest was 7.5-8.

[Baseball mom]

Ds1 started wearing at about 11.5. He and his younger brother were wrestling in the floor and younger brother yelled "oooh you ssttinnkk!!!!"

 

So like a good (or crazy) mom I told ds1 to come let me check/sniff. Ds2 said "you don't want to do that" Man was he right :ack2::ack2: Ds2 laughed and said "I told you not to do that" :lol:

 

I sent ds to take a shower and really scrub. Then went and found a new container of deodrant for him.

[Maddysmom26]

She's now 9.7 years old- closer to 9.8 actually- and showing no other signs of puberty at this stage, but today, for the first time ever in her life, we noticed she had some armpit b.o.!

 

I was like wow...she needs deodorant already?! lol.:)

 

 

Wow I was wondering the same thing! My daughter is 9 and half and I noticed this once before about a year ago I guess but then that was it.. well the other day.. I was like WOW B.O. And 9!!! ???? OMG thats the only sign also for her.. and Im like wow cant remember ever having odor that bad.

 

I wondered if it had something to do with her diet?? she eats a lot of garlic!

But shes also started playing softball and more active then before?

[secular_mom]

currently 8yo, and 6yo need it- I was really shocked by 6yo needing it, but whatever.

 

 

I am picky though, so I got unscented Tom's of Maine for them- it does not have aluminum and is not an antiperspirant. I don't know if aluminum actually does cause harm, haven't researched it myself, but I have heard the rumors. And since there is something available without it, and my kids are so sensitive, I chose the simplest thing for them. Next time I may give the homemade deodorant a go.

 

I got a stick for 4yod too, I figure it won't hurt and she'll want to be included.

[fairfarmhand]

9.5-10 around here. And don't you get tired of reminding these babies to put on deodorant.

[Catherine]

So for, both of my olders (and my nephew too!) take after dh in their remarkable lack of BO, unless they've had a very heavy workout at the gym or something. None of them ever wears it and they don't smell!

[Tohru]

Oh boy! My oldest ds is 8, so next year?! I did not see that coming! Sigh... my kids are growing up. *sniff*

 

Anyway, as for myself I remember starting to wear it sometime in upper elementary school.

 

:lol:

No pun. I knew what you meant, but in light of the thread, "sniff" cracked me up! Thanks for the laugh! :D

[FaithManor]

If they take after dh, about 20! No joke, Dh was an adult before he produced much sweat let alone any sweat with odor - lucky boy!

 

If they take after me, about sixteen. Yeah, I was lucky too. However, if they take after my brother (ds 13 is an example), 11 or 12. (DD, like me, didn't need it until around 16.)

 

Faith

[HRAAB]

My youngest needed it around 8 yrs. I was really shocked. None of my other girls needed deodorant until they were 11+. It actually made me very sad. I mean, why should an 8 yr. old need to be worrying about deodorant. Not fair.

[JustGin]

My oldest started needing it when she was 8. Next daughter about 10, and ds around 8 or 9. He's a very sweaty child though.