On Deodorant

Somewhere in the distant historical past of mankind, the American Experiment took a path unique from those of its brethren countries, forever changing itself and the world.

 It chose stick deodorant.

Perhaps it was in the heady days of the postwar boom, perhaps it was after the truth about CFCs and the Ozone Layer came out. Whenever this fateful event came to pass has been lost to history, however the reality remains today and that is this: In America the shelves of grocery stores and pharmacies are lined with brand after brand, option after option of stick deodorant, in Europe and Morocco it is spray.

In my travels I have searched both far and wide in the search for stick deodorant outside America. When abroad my familiarity with and trust of stick deodorant has even led me to request friends and family to send deodorant from America to me overseas. On this, my sojourn to Morocco, I even packed multiple sticks of deodorant. They lasted me eight months.

Thus I recently made a fateful choice. Being in Morocco and knowing the closest place I could definitely purchase stick deodorant was at:

Boots

105 The Strand

London

WC2R 0AA

(Not to be confused with the Boots at 5 The Strand. WC2N, which does not carry stick deodorant) I decided.

I switched to spray deodorant.

I am not ashamed to admit this. It was a choice of necessity. And while I wished for the security of that Boots, just down from the corner of Waterloo Bridge where, amongst their vast array of spray deodorants they carry a single, glorious stick option made by Adidas, I had no such luxury. I now use spray deodorant. I have broken with those members of the American Experiment and their faithfulness to stick deodorant. All I say in my defense is this, it was 102˚F (39˚C), I really needed deodorant… I was starting to smell.