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Most of us reach for deodorant as automatically as we brush our teeth. But what happens if you stop altogether? For Alyse Parker, a 28-year-old influencer from Hawaii, that question turned into a six-year experiment that completely changed the way she thinks about body odour, diet, and health.
Why she ditched deodorant
Alyse’s decision wasn’t a lazy one. Convinced that many deodorants contained ingredients she believed could be harmful, she wanted to see what would happen if she gave them up entirely. After the first year, she shared her experience online, admitting she was just as surprised as anyone else: there was no unpleasant smell.
Her explanation? A strict vegan diet. “Your body smells different depending on what you eat,” she said in one of her videos, comparing it to how different places carry different scents: smoothie bars tend to smell fresh and clean, while pizza shops and bakeries release far stronger aromas.
How diet shapes body odour
Pushing her experiment further, Alyse switched for a time to an even stricter routine: eating only raw fruits and vegetables. That, she claims, was when her natural scent became almost unnoticeable.
Her theory isn’t far-fetched. Research has shown that compounds from the food we eat — especially sulphur-rich foods, meat, and processed products — can influence the way we smell. A plant-based diet, particularly one rich in raw produce, may reduce those odour-causing byproducts.
Sweating it out at the gym
Sceptics might assume Alyse simply avoided situations where she’d sweat, but she insists that isn’t the case. She works out regularly, often leaving the gym drenched. “I’m not one of those people who can exercise without sweating. My goal is to come out soaked,” she explained. Yet, despite heavy perspiration, she says she never noticed — or was told about — any bad odour.
Science weighs in
Could some people genuinely live without deodorant? According to a study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, about 2% of women in the UK carry a rare gene that prevents them from producing underarm odour altogether. For the rest of us, genetics, diet, and lifestyle combine to determine just how much deodorant we really need.
The takeaway
Alyse’s six-year journey may not convince everyone to ditch deodorant, but it does raise intriguing questions about how much of our personal scent comes from what we eat rather than what we spray on our skin. While deodorant remains a comfort and necessity for most, her story highlights a simple truth: our bodies reflect our choices — sometimes in ways we least expect.
