Mom Forces Her Whole Family To Share One Stick Of Deodorant Despite Her Husband Begging For His Own
She claims that it saves them money. However, research suggests it's unsanitary.
Prostock-studio | Shutterstock A woman blew the minds of internet users after she revealed her controversial family hack for saving money on personal care products.
The mom forces her family to share one stick of deodorant to save money, much to the chagrin of her husband.
The mother, @missusmom, unveiled her shocking revelation in a TikTok video that has been viewed over 1.4 million times. "Do all of the people in your house share deodorant," she asked viewers, "or does each member that wears deodorant have their own stick of deodorant?"
The woman clarified that her husband shares a stick with their son, while she shares a stick with their daughters.
However, her husband recently reached his wit's end regarding her frugal personal care decision.
After getting out of the shower and being unable to find the shared deodorant, her husband asked why their son couldn't just have his own. The woman seemed perplexed by his suggestion.
“Why would he have his own? I’m not paying for another stick of deodorant,” she said.
When her husband pointed out that it was “gross” for multiple people to share one stick of deodorant, she dismissed his claims, pointing out that she is happy to share deodorant with their daughters.
However, her husband argued that since men generally have more hair under their arms, it was unsanitary for them to share products like deodorant. He insisted that he be able to purchase separate sticks of deodorant for himself and their son.
Still, the woman refused.
“I’m not buying five to eight sticks of deodorant every month,” she insisted. “I would need to put extra money into our budget.”
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The woman claimed that the specific brand of deodorant they use costs $10 per stick and that she did not want to dish out $60 to $80 on deodorant for her family when she believed it was unnecessary.
“Am I crazy and wrong or is he delusional?” the woman asked viewers about her husband.
Most commenters argued that it is unsanitary for multiple people to share one deodorant stick and that each person should have their own.
“Oh no no no... that's like sharing used toilet paper. Just so gross,” one TikTok user commented.
“Toothbrushes, razors, hairbrushes, and deodorant are not a shared product. What if someone had a staph infection or impetigo?” another user remarked.
Others did not understand exactly how the woman was saving money by buying one stick of deodorant.
“I’m confused. Aren’t you finishing the deodorant twice as fast by sharing anyway? So buying everyone their own would just make you replace less frequently,” one commenter astutely wrote.
In a follow-up video, the woman admitted that she had never sat down and calculated the cost of how much it would be if she bought each member of the family their own deodorant stick or determined how frequently they go through them.
She added that all of the girls in the house preferred the same scent, as well as the boys, so it made sense to share one stick. “It doesn’t bother us,” the woman claimed.
She further attempted to defend her decision by sharing that everyone in her family applies deodorant to clean armpits. “All of us apply it directly from the shower. Are you people not doing that?" she asked. "Do you not apply [deodorant] directly onto clean armpits after a shower?”
“Nobody’s going in there with sweaty armpits and putting on deodorant. If we have sweaty armpits, we’re taking a shower and then putting it on clean armpits,” she continued.
The woman also claimed that since she and her family use clinical-strength deodorant, they do not need to reapply throughout the day.
“It is nothing like sharing used toilet paper. It is nothing like sharing a freaking toothbrush,” she said.
In another video, the woman revealed that she lived in a six-person household growing up, and had become accustomed to sharing products like soap, washcloths, and deodorant.
While it may seem like a convenient money-saving hack, doctors warn against sharing deodorant with multiple people, even family members.
Sharing deodorant can easily lead to the transmission of bacteria, skin fungi, and other microbes that harbor the armpits.
Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Marnie B. Nussbaum told Fresh Monster that sharing deodorant can "leave microscopic cuts in the skin, allowing blood-borne pathogens to be transferred via deodorant."
These blood-borne pathogens include HIV, Hepatitis B and C, and other dangerous conditions.
Despite this information, 35% of Americans report that they are willing to share their antiperspirants with their family members, per a 2022 Drive Research survey.
Even if we are in dire need of borrowing someone else’s deodorant, we must keep in mind that they are called “PERSONAL hygiene” products for a reason. Sharing snacks and clothes is one thing. Transferring sweat and skin bacteria is another.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.