Title: 8 Ways People Made Themselves Smell Good Before Deodorant | Mental Floss
Headings: 8 Ways People Made Themselves Smell Good Before Deodorant
8 Ways People Made Themselves Smell Good Before Deodorant
1. Ostrich eggs
2. Porridge balls
3. Carob
4. Scented olive oil
5. Perfume baths
6. Ambergris
7. Musk
8. Carbolic acid
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Content: In its fresh state, it smells like cow dung, but when the mass is left to age and harden, it develops a sweet, musky aroma. Ambergris has largely been replaced with synthetic ingredients, but it’s still used to make some high-end perfumes. 7. Musk
Musk —a word still associated with fragrances today—first caught perfumers' attention in the Medieval era. It comes from a small sac that hangs in front of a male musk deer’s genitals, and it smells like urine when the deer secretes it. To achieve the desired aroma—sweet, earthy, and sensual—the gland must be harvested and left to dry. The substance was such a popular perfume ingredient for centuries that musk deer were placed on the endangered species list in the '70s. Today, perfumes with a “musky” scent use synthetic ingredients. 8. Carbolic acid
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, cosmetics brands realized they could make money by telling women they stink.