When deciding to consciously take part in the no product day challenge, I thought it would be easier than it seemed to be. There are days that I forget to put on deodorant or perfume, so it wouldn’t be that bad I thought, but people’s comments surprised me that day. I told my partner that I was doing this challenge, explaining about what we learned in class at the time with the history of deodorant and how I didn’t really need it. Immediately he said that no wonder people in GSS stink. I never expected that comment and didn’t think my friends who are taking GSS classes stink at all. I think it was a joke, but it still struck me as surprising that he said that. Then, I met up with a friend who I told that I was doing this challenge, he was like you’re gross! This also confused me. There are times I haven’t used deodorant before because I forgot, but how is not using it for one day gross? It was surprising to me how ingrained it was in people’s mind that no deodorant = stink and gross. If I didn’t tell my friends and partner that I was doing this challenge, I believe no one would’ve made these comment. But why is it that the thought of it grosses people out?

Now, I don’t use deodorant or perfume unless I’m going to an event. I think of products I used to buy that now I don’t such as shaving cream. My family used to constantly tell me that not shaving as a girl is gross which took a long time to get over, but now when people tell me that, it only stings a little bit. So I actually enjoy not using makeup, shaving products, perfume, deodorant, etc because it saves me time and money as well as doesn’t take up too much space and my space is less cluttered.