I remember the first time I noticed my sweet baby girl suddenly didn’t smell so sweet anymore. I was horrified: She was still playing with Barbie dolls in her bedroom. How could she smell like a teenager?
But pediatricians say it’s no cause for concern.
“A lot of parents come to me wondering if it’s normal for their eight or nine-year-old to smell bad,” says Dr. Whitney Casares, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Read on to learn more about when kids should start wearing deodorant, body odor in children, and what you can (safely) do about it.
Is Body Odor in Children Normal?
The short answer is yes. The National Institute of Health states that puberty usually begins in girls between ages eight and 13 and boys between nine and 14, but body odor can start as early as age seven. It’s only a sign of puberty when it’s accompanied by other changes, like underarm or pubic hair, a sudden growth spurt, breast development in girls, or genital changes in boys.
Related: New Puberty Book Aims to Be More Inclusive, Less Awkward for Everyone
Casares, also the founder of Modern Mommy Doc, a resource to help working moms balance careers with motherhood, explains: “Body odor doesn’t always mean the start of puberty. Some kids just have a stronger body odor than others.”
When Should Kids Start Wearing Deodorant?
There’s no specific age when kids should start using deodorant or antiperspirant, but doctors say around age nine is about right if they (or you) feel it’s needed. Before this, Casares recommends starting with basic hygiene. This isn’t because deodorant is unsafe; it’s just better to teach them good hygiene first. That means now is the time for your child to start taking showers daily (we know that can be a hard sell for some kids).
“I would rather kids be washing and cleansing with a gentle cleanser once a day at least,” she says. “They can wipe down after sports and activities. They can wear loose-fitting clothing so smells don’t get trapped.” Try to stick to breathable fabrics like cotton, too (give those polyester princess costumes a little break).
If you’ve got kids ages seven to nine who are embarrassed about armpit odor, they can use deodorants or antiperspirants occasionally; Casares notes that younger kids tend to have sensitive skin that might react badly to harsher products. “A child’s skin is not the same as an adult’s skin.”
Deodorant vs. Antipersperant—What’s the Difference?
We usually refer to “deodorant” as anything we put on our armpits to stop the smell. But not all stench-stoppers do the same thing.
Deodorants combat body odor by neutralizing bacteria, ensuring a fresher scent. Meanwhile, antiperspirants reduce sweating and keep you dry by blocking sweat glands with ingredients like aluminum salts. Many products contain both, so read the labels carefully.
Can Alumnimum in Antiperspirant Cause Cancer?
While there has been a lot of controversy about aluminum, with rumors circulating that the use of aluminum-containing antiperspirants can cause breast cancer, a statement made by the American Cancer Society suggests otherwise: “There is little if any reason to believe that antiperspirants increase the risk of breast cancer.”
Furthermore, the organization noted that only a small fraction of aluminum from antiperspirants is absorbed via the skin (about .012%)— “much less than would be expected to be absorbed from the foods a person eats during the same time.”
That said, you don’t want to go overboard. A 2018 study published by the National Library of Medicine suggested that too much aluminum may change how the body makes or responds to the female hormone estrogen and that these changes may be harmful to your body over time.
Bottom line: If you’re worried, use a deodorant rather than an antiperspirant.
Note: Anyone with kidney disease should be cautious with aluminum-containing products since impaired kidneys might not effectively filter out aluminum, leading to potential health issues like bone diseases, anemia, and neurological problems.
Can Antiperspirants Trap Toxins in Your Skin?
No. Contrary to all those TikToks telling you to “sweat it out”— sweat isn’t your body’s way of releasing toxins. This is a myth, says Casares, because most toxins are expelled by the kidneys and liver, not sweat. Even the tiny percentage of toxins released in sweat won’t be trapped in your pores when you smear on a little antiperspirant. To put sweat in perspective: The salty stuff is 99 percent water; the remaining one percent consists of carbs, salts, protein, urea, and a trace amount of toxins.
Which Deodorant Brands are Best?
It’s really a personal choice. While “all-natural” brands can avoid exposure to controversial chemicals, Casares warns that even all-natural products can still cause allergic reactions.
If you want to opt for chemical-free, we recommend:
