Deodorant
Substance applied to prevent or mask body odor from sweat.
Deodorant is a product applied to the body to stop or cover up body odor. This odor comes from bacteria breaking down sweat, especially in areas like the armpits, groin, or feet. The two main forms are aerosol sprays and sticks. A specific type, antiperspirant, stops sweating by blocking sweat glands. Other deodorants let you sweat but prevent bacteria from acting on the sweat.
The first commercial deodorant was invented and patented in the late 1800s by Edna Murphey in Philadelphia. It was briefly taken off the market in the U.S. The modern antiperspirant formula was patented by Jules Montenier on January 28, 1941. This formula first appeared in "Stopette" spray deodorant, which *Time* magazine called the best-selling deodorant of the early 1950s. Although deodorant has been linked to breast cancer in the media, no reliable data shows it causes cancer.
The body produces sweat from two types of glands. Eccrine glands cover most of the skin and release watery, odorless sweat. Apocrine glands, found in the armpits and groin, produce a thicker sweat with proteins, fatty acids, and carbohydrates. Bacteria feed on these components, creating compounds that cause odor. The vagina also produces secretions that are not sweat but may be masked with deodorants.
All human sweat is mostly odorless until bacteria ferment its organic parts. These bacteria thrive in warm, damp places. The armpit is one of the warmest areas on the body, and its sweat glands provide moisture and organic matter, which helps cool the body. Washing armpits with alkaline soap removes the skin's natural acid mantle (pH 4.5–6), raising the pH and making the skin more open to bacterial growth. Bacteria on the skin break down sweat proteins and fatty acids, along with dead skin and hair, releasing trans-3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid—the main cause of body odor.
Underarm hair helps wick moisture away from the skin, keeping it dry enough to reduce bacterial colonization. Hair itself is less prone to bacterial growth, which helps lower odor. Apocrine glands only become active at puberty, which is why body odor often appears then.
Deodorants work either by stopping sweat or by allowing sweat but preventing bacterial activity that breaks it down.
The first modern commercial deodorant, Mum, was developed and patented in 1888 by Edna Murphey. Bristol-Myers bought the small company in 1931. In the late 1940
- first_commercial_deodorant
- Mum, patented in 1888
- inventor
- Edna Murphey
- location
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- modern_antiperspirant_patent
- Jules Montenier, January 28, 1941
- early_1950s_best_seller
- Stopette deodorant spray
- market_growth_1942_1957
- 600 times increase to $70 million
- regulation_in_US
- Deodorants classified as cosmetics; antiperspirants as drugs by FDA
Lore & Background
The first commercial deodorant, Mum, was developed and patented in the late nineteenth century by Edna Murphey, an inventor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The product was briefly withdrawn from the market in the US. In the late 1940s, Helen Barnett Diserens developed an underarm applicator based on the ball-point pen, leading to Ban Roll-On in 1952. The modern antiperspirant formulation was patented by Jules Montenier on January 28, 1941, addressing irritation from aluminum chloride. This formulation was first found in Stopette deodorant spray, which Time magazine called the best-selling deodorant of the early 1950s.
Reader's Guide
Deodorants have significantly impacted personal hygiene and social norms, evolving from a niche product to a $70 million market by 1957. Originally marketed primarily to women, by 1957 an estimated 50% of men were using deodorants. The market saw a shift from roll-ons to aerosols in the 1960s, with Gillette's Right Guard leading, but later declined due to FDA bans on aluminum zirconium chemicals and EPA limits on CFC propellants. Deodorants are classified as cosmetics in the US, while antiperspirants are drugs. Despite media links to breast cancer, no reliable data has been found that deodorant causes cancer. The product remains widely used, with forms including sprays, sticks, creams, and wipes for whole body and vaginal use.
Did You Know?
- The first commercial deodorant, Mum, was patented in the late nineteenth century by Edna Murphey.
- The modern antiperspirant formulation was patented by Jules Montenier on January 28, 1941.
- Stopette deodorant spray was called the best-selling deodorant of the early 1950s by Time magazine.
- Deodorant has been linked to breast cancer in the media, but no reliable data has been found that it causes cancer.
From a Lowell Shop to a Regional Chain
What began in 1963 as a modest health-and-beauty product shop in Lowell, Massachusetts, would eventually reshape American retail healthcare. Brothers Stanley and Sidney Goldstein, together with their partner Ralph Hoagland, opened the first Consumer Value Store—a name that would be shortened to the familiar CVS. Within just a year, the operation had grown to seventeen locations, still focused largely on beauty goods. The pivotal shift came in 1967 when the company opened its first pharmacy departments in Warwick and Cumberland, Rhode Island, signaling a move beyond cosmetics into medicine. After selling the business to Melville Corporation in 1969, CVS continued its rapid climb, reaching one hundred stores across New England and the broader Northeast by 1970. The 1970s brought geographic diversification: a 1972 purchase of eighty-four Clinton Drug and Discount Stores pushed the brand into Indiana, while the 1977 acquisition of thirty-six Mack Drug locations in New Jersey extended its reach further into the Mid-Atlantic region.
A Decade of Aggressive Acquisitions
Between 1990 and 2008, CVS transformed from a regional pharmacy chain into a national powerhouse through a relentless series of purchases. The 1990 acquisition of five hundred Peoples Drug stores planted the company in the mid-Atlantic, adding markets around Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Two years later, PharmaCare gave CVS its own pharmacy benefit management arm, and in 1996 the company went public on the New York Stock Exchange with Stanley Goldstein as first chairman. The late 1990s brought bolder moves: over two thousand five hundred Revco stores expanded the footprint across the Midwest and Southeast, while the 1999 purchase of Soma.com—renamed CVS.com—made CVS the first to fully integrate online and brick-and-mortar pharmacy services. The 2000s continued the pattern. CVS absorbed Stadtlander pharmacy to become the nation's largest specialty pharmacy, launched ExtraCare, which drew thirty million members within a year, and in 2004 bought 1,268 Eckerd stores from JCPenney to dominate Texas and Florida. The 2006 addition of 700 Albertsons drug stores and MinuteClinic further diversified the offering, culminating in the 2007 merger with Caremark Rx to create CVS Caremark, headquartered in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
The Healthcare Pivot of the 2010s
In September 2014, CVS made a dramatic declaration: tobacco products would no longer be sold in any of its 7,700 stores nationwide, a decision announced a month earlier than planned. Simultaneously, the company changed its corporate name to CVS Health, signaling a broader commitment to improving Americans' health outcomes. The 2010s brought a wave of healthcare-focused acquisitions. In 2014, CVS brought in Coram for specialty infusion and enteral nutrition services, and added thirty-three Navarro Discount Pharmacy locations, the largest Hispanic-owned drugstore chain in the country. The following year, the purchase of Omnicare extended pharmacy services into long-term care facilities, and CVS took over Target's more than 1,600 in-store pharmacies and retail medical clinics in a store-within-a-store format. In 2017, the company agreed to acquire Aetna for roughly $207 per share in a deal valued at approximately $69 billion, pending government approval. CEO Larry Merlo was named to lead the combined entity. By 2019, the HealthHUB concept, piloted in Houston, was slated to reach 1,500 locations by the end of 2021, dedicating at least 20 percent of floor space to services like yoga classes and expanded MinuteClinic health assessments.
Corporate Architecture and Market Standing
Today, CVS Health operates as an American multinational healthcare corporation whose portfolio spans retail pharmacy, pharmacy benefit management, and health insurance. The company owns CVS Pharmacy, its retail chain; CVS Caremark, its PBM division; and Aetna, a major health insurance provider, among numerous other brands. This integrated structure positions CVS as the world's second-largest healthcare company, trailing only UnitedHealth Group. In 2023, the firm ranked sixty-fourth on the Forbes Global 2000 list. The 2007 merger that created CVS Caremark established the corporate headquarters in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and installed Tom Ryan as both chairman and CEO of the combined entity, while Caremark's Edwin Crawford took the board chairmanship. By 2011, Larry Merlo—himself a 1990 hire who joined through the Peoples Drug acquisition—succeeded Ryan at the helm. The company's strategy, as articulated by Merlo in 2018, centers on renovating stores to emphasize medical services over traditional retail, offering walk-in clinics, health assessments, and prescription services under one roof. Even its 2017 foray into vending machines at LaGuardia Airport, Boston's South Station, and college campuses—stocked with essentials like toothpaste, deodorant, and batteries—reflects a company that sees itself as a constant presence in daily health routines.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is deodorant and what does it actually do?
Deodorant is a topical product you apply to your skin to either prevent or mask the smell that results from bacteria breaking down sweat. It targets odor-causing microbes in areas like the armpits, groin, and feet rather than stopping sweat production itself.
Who is credited with inventing the first commercial deodorant?
Edna Murphey of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, patented the first commercially available deodorant, called Mum, in 1888. The product saw a brief withdrawal from the U.S. market shortly after its launch.
How does an antiperspirant differ from a regular deodorant?
An antiperspirant works by physically blocking sweat glands so less moisture reaches the skin's surface. A standard deodorant, by contrast, allows you to sweat normally but stops the bacteria from metabolizing that sweat into odor.
What are the two most common formats of deodorant?
The product is sold primarily as an aerosol spray or as a solid stick. Both deliver the active ingredients to the skin, but the spray offers a hands-free application while the stick gives more targeted, controlled coverage.
How did the deodorant market expand in the mid-20th century?
After Jules Montenier patented the modern antiperspirant formula on January 28, 1941, consumer demand surged dramatically. Between 1942 and 1957 the market grew roughly 600-fold, reaching about $70 million in sales, with Stopette spray becoming a best-seller in the early 1950s.
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