You’re probably wearing too much deodorant

The Atlantic quotes Cari Casteel about the increasing popularity of whole-body deodorant. Casteel explains that the newfound sensitivity to body odor may be due to the pandemic. She explained that humans quickly become accustomed to routine scents — but that after a smell disappears, we regain sensitivity to it. She theorized that lockdown deacclimated some people to the normal odor of their fellow human, and that when we came back together, what had previously been inconspicuous background odor suddenly seemed very prominent. “It’s like when you leave your home and then come back,” Casteel said, “and you’re like ‘Oh my God, the garbage smells so terrible.’”