The implication of the ads is clear: You stink. Not just your armpits—your entire body, head to toe, absolutely reeks. In your default state, you’re basically a gallon of milk accidentally left in a hot car. Never mind that an overwhelming percentage of the sweat glands on the human body don’t actually produce body odor. According to the now-ubiquitous advertisements, whole-body deodorant is meant to be sprayed everywhere: your neck and your chest, your back and your calves—even, as some overtly sexual ads suggest, down your pants.

The message, apparently, has resonated with many Americans. Last year, the president of Unilever U.S.A. told The Wall Street Journal that whole-body deodorant was “a breakout innovation of the year.” Lume, a whole-body deodorant launched in 2017, reported more

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