In early 2023, I had a “lightbulb moment.” After picking up my youngest daughter, aged 7, from a full day at school that included PE, I noticed a distinct and strong smell of body odour as I helped her into the car.

Could this be happening to my 7-year-old daughter?

I researched and was shocked to learn that yes, girls as young as 7 can start to sweat and produce strong body odour, showing early signs of puberty. Thankfully, my daughter is a confident and happy little girl, so we laughed about her “smelly pits” and decided to visit our local high street chemist to find a “girly deodorant” just for her.

A Gap in the Market

That’s when I realised something was missing. As we wandered the familiar aisles, scanning shelves lined with colourful bottles and sprays, I noticed something surprising - there were simply no deodorants made specifically for pre-teens or teens.

Every option was designed for adults, with scents and packaging that didn’t fit my daughter’s world. Reluctantly, we left with a standard adult roll-on, but it felt more like a compromise than a solution.

Curious, I turned to the internet, only to find children’s deodorants priced at a premium, some as shockingly expensive as £20 a bottle! They weren’t even particularly appealing to the eye. There were no deodorants for pre-teens, teens, and young adults on the high street, and the online options were either too costly or not quite right.

The frustration was real, but so was the inspiration. I couldn’t help but wonder: why should parents have to choose between products that don’t fit and ones that break the bank?