Edited--At What Age Do Kids Begin Wearing Deodorant?

10 for ds#1, 8 for ds#2.

When my son told me his armpits smell like throwup, then I knew it was time :) Wow, what a proud mommy moment.

Yes, many kids "back in the day" needed to wear it, but for some reason, parents did not think it was appropriate. We now know that even 7 year olds need deodorant.

As soon as they need it..

My p's made me wear it because I had BO..I recall looking at my pits and I had some hair too...so it must have been around the time I "blossomed" LOL..probably around 7th grade...I think I was 12.

When they start to stink!

Oddly, my big tough rambunctious boys didn't start reeking until middle school. But my teeny little precious quiet daughter got funky at 7 like yours.

:(

I was blown away when my 5yo got BO. Went to the Ped, he laughed and said it's totally normal. That kids go through hormonal fluctuations, and always have. That it would last for several weeks to a few months and then disappear for a year or two. Return. Disappear. Return. Disappear.

He was right.

Kiddo's had to use deoderant a few times in the past 3.5 years, and then he doesn't need it for 6-12 mo. Hormonal fluctuation, and boom. Needs it again. Poof. Gone.

Now... I hit puberty at 9... so that's when I started using it. So I suppose at 8.5 I might be able to expect that sometime soon kiddo will need it 'for good'.. but as yet, the BO has always gone away again.

We've tried different deodorants. I finally said 'screw it' and had him start using mine. All the ones we tried that are 'milder' than mine, he broke out in rashes. (I use mitchem unscented gel)

When the odor shifts from sweaty little kid to real under-arm BO. For my kids it was around 12 yo. But I've seen girls who looked 8yo with underarm hair and they probably need it sooner rather than later.

I buy deoderant for my kids and stay away from anti-perspirant which clogs their pores. Dove makes deoderant, which is what I used to buy my girls who had sensitive skin.

My cousin started to smell of funk when she was 6, so she used deodorant from then on. I thought that was early. My 7-year-old still doesn't smell funky but the first time I notice that BO smell, I'll be buying her a stick!!

My 10 year old wears it occasionally. She tries to remember to put it on in the morning after her shower. I plan on making her take it with her next school year to apply after PE. That may or may not work. I will MAKE her put it on in the morning. My 8 year old daughter does not need it yet. I think kids are beginning puberty sooner than we all did. They make a "teen" deodorant that has a "teen" friendly fragrance. You could try that. OR just get a trial/travel size of Dove or Secret deodorant, just to make sure she does not have a reaction to it.

When they have body odor??

puberty is coming sooner and sooner.
It's unfortunate.

Good luck

My daughter started needing it at 7 years old.
2nd Grade.
Her other classmates, too.

I got her, after trying several natural brands, got her the Arm & Hammer "Essentials Natural Deodorant." It has no aluminum and no parabens. It can be found at any drugstore or grocery store.

And yes, hormone fluctuations occur. So, sometimes they need it, sometimes they don't.

My daughter is now in 3rd Grade and is 8.
Her Teacher, spoke to the class about how they are getting older and some of them are having arm-pit odor and need to use deodorant.
Some kids, tease others who smell. And yes, other kids smell it, and because if WE can smell our own kid, others can too.

My daughter has no problem using it.
She just puts it on every morning before getting dressed.
She doesn't have to tell anyone/other kids that she uses it.
It is a personal and private matter.
She knows that.

I have boys and mine start using at 8 to get in the habit but need to really be using it by 9 due to BO. Good luck!

When my daughter was 5 she put her arms up to hug me and my eyes started watering. That's when she started wearing deodorant daily. I was surprised this came up so young, too. No matter the age, if they need it, they need it. Dove makes a hypoallergenic solid that has worked great for her, and she has very sensitive skin. Good luck.

My eleven yr old daughter uses some and keeps some in her pe locker. My 7 yr old son has chosen to use it (because he wants to feel grown up). My 2 yr old son thinks he needs so we "put" some on him when he asks. Try Almay clear. It has no scent and is a gel. Some powers and sticks can break you out.

Burts Bees has a "mens" deodorant that is all natural and smells neutral enough to be boy/girl. Not an antiperspirant...just a deodorant.

IMHO, kids don't start using it early enough. Case in point: hubs has worked in middle school environment for years. I've attended plently of skatin parties and dances, particularly with 6th graders. You'd think, at 11 or 12, they'd start already but MAN! The stench is overwhelming at times! I started when I was 10. I have always been a big sweater/same metabolism as my dad. Nip it before it becomes an issue! :) Good luck!

My 5 yr old stinky boy has to wear deoderant. I was completely shocked! I look for the kind without antiperspirant in it for him. If your son is sensitive I would get unscented DOVE for women. It doesnt smell like girls, and it's gentle.

Kids are starting to hit puberty earler these days. Man I sounds old. But I know the coach at my son's school starts telling them in at least 1st grade to wear it. Not that they do. I think if they are smelly they need to start wearing it. Just at that age don't do an anti persperent.

good luck and God bless!

The first time I smelled my daughter, she was in 1st grade and I almost fainted when I realized THAT SMELL was coming from her. She's in 4th grade now and it's actually been kind of an issue for me. She showers regularly and uses a natural deodorant in the AM, but OMG, when she gets home from school, sometimes it's like she's been working construction all day in the hot sun. We've been told it's just her hormones in overdrive and just keep showering and deodorizing. I almost want to send a stick of deodorant in to school with her so she can put some more on during the day. Nobody else has ever said anything, she doesn't smell it herself and possibly my nose is a bit more sensitive to it, but, my goodness! Seriously?! I hope it improves because I think we're truly doing everything we can at this point...

BTW, she uses Lavanilla brand deodorant (pricey, but smells exquisite). Also there is a brand out there specifically formulated for kids called "Growing Basics" - I haven't tried it, but I might after she uses up all the Lavanilla.

When a kid starts stinking, that's when deodorant is necessary. Be sure it's just deodorant, though, and not antiperspirant. Kids should sweat, just not stink.

I remember asking my mom for deodorant in 6th grade. But my 10 yo daughter's class this year their teacher told them they all need to buy it and wear it! Which is fine with me sometime kids that age really do smell, and we live in florida which makes it worse. My two older kids started wearing it in middle school.
I think 7 might be a little young Does she smell bad? or just sweaty?
The only kid friendly deodorant I found was teen spirit.

Great question. We first started deodorant when my daughter was 8 and realized she was smelling sweaty after dance classes. She is now 10 and wears it most school days (when she remembers!) and keeps some in her dance bag to apply before classes. So I think if at 7 your daughter is noticeably fragrant, put some on her perhaps when it's gym day at school, when the weather warms up, when she's wearing a warm sweater on a cold day (still gets us sweaty!), etc.

As for brands, we use only Tom's Natural deodorants on our daughter. I would not use an anti-perspirant on any child; they block perspiration and there's nothing wrong with perspiring, plus there are some who question whether the aluminum in anti-perspirants is potentially a problem if worn over many years against the skin. I don't know about that but I do prefer that she be ABLE to sweat, just that we mitigate the smell. Tom's works well though it may not last as long as some chemical-laden deodorants.

My daughter is almost 6 and I noticed a few weeks ago that she had some odor when she lifted her arms. I did have her start using deodorant. Dove, as another Mom said, works well.
I was really surprised. I don't remember when I started using deodorant but I don't remember it being that young.

My daughter will be 8 in June and we started having her wear it over the winter. I noticed she had really bad BO when she didn't. Some days she forgets and I forget to remind her and she will come home a little stinky, but normally she is good to remember. We tried different kinds also and I just have her use mine - I used Secret. So it works well for both of us and I just keep at least 2 on reserve (in case one of us goes somewhere or we run out). Neither of my sons need it yet and they are 4 and almost 6.

I noticed the same thing on my daughter, but she was only 3 at the time. So that's when I started with deodorant on her and it works, thankfully. I just bought one that's purple on the outside since that's her favourite color hoping that the won't mind using it, she doesn't have any issues with skin sensitivity. Good luck!

Yep, like Scarlett said!! Puberty is hitting an average of two years earlier than it did one generation ago, for girls anyway. Age nine is now the average first period age. That might be what's happening. I also agree that Moms just didn't buy it for us before we were teenagers, whether we could have used it or not.

That's how old my daughter was when she started wearing it! well...7 and a few months. that summer I'd notice b.o. smell whenever I was next to her...the first time I thought it was the elevator we were in. then when I'd get her from daycare, I finally realized it was her and not the adults in the room!!! She's been wearing it ever since. I had though too closer to puberty. She had been using "teen spirit" but when we went to buy more I checked 5 stores and couldn't find it! So she's going to try DegreeGirl.

My son started in the fourth grade and me in the third use Teen Spirit