I imagine that the right age is whatever age the child starts puberty, but don't see how a girl can be too young to wear deoderant. Doesn't seem harmful.

Mommy4000 Dec. 5, 2008 at 11:14 AM

The point of an anti-perspirant/deodorant is to help control wetness and odor. Therefore I think the right time to begin using it is when the person starts having issues with wetness and odor, whether that be 9 or 12 years of age. Everyone is a little different.

teach_ohio Dec. 5, 2008 at 11:21 AM

There needs to be an other, some kids start puberty before others and that is when it is the right time to start using deodorant...i don't see this as an age related question..rather than a personal hygiene question.

crazycereal Dec. 5, 2008 at 11:25 AM

My oldest daughter started using deoderant in Kindergarten. She was 5!!  She would stink to high heaven, and it wasn't 'kid stink", it was major BO.

coolmom59 Dec. 5, 2008 at 11:32 AM

Deoderant can cause problems in some people.  The chemicals are soaked into your very absorbant underarms.

A safer alternative for a young girl, or even an older one, is those chrystal sticks. They don't have chems in them

JenW777 Dec. 5, 2008 at 11:58 AM

There are deoderants made for teens and pre-teens as well, so if you are worried about harsh chemicals, try one made for their age group.  My girls started at about 10.

seakla Dec. 5, 2008 at 12:04 PM

I would start any kid using the crystal deodorants (not an anti-perspirant that contains gobs of chemicals).  The salts in the them kill bacteria that cause odor and they are hypoallergenic.  God gave us sweat glands under our armpits for a reason, and I seriously doubt that it is healthy to plug them up with anti-perspirants.  The crystal deodorants are really effective at keeping the odor away.  It's the only thing I use, and I'm very happy with the results.

yakamoz Dec. 5, 2008 at 12:08 PM

I agree with JenW777- the chemicals in many deoderants are absorbed quite well in the underarms of most people, and can cause reactions, clogged pores, and/or ingrown hairs in some. Good alternatives are natural deoderants (such as Tom's http://www.tomsofmaine.com/ ), or making your own (see the Homemade Goodness group for recipes).
I also agree with the PPs who have stated that there is no specific age for children to wear or not wear deoderant. All kids develop differently, so there really can't be an age bracket. Just do what's best for YOUR child, as always!

emslala Dec. 5, 2008 at 12:18 PM

I can't answer the poll...  the time when it is right is when you can tell they NEED the antiperspirant or deoderant.

You can't even say when they start puberty, b/c I needed a deoderant (5th grade) before I started puberty (7th grade).

And my mom tried those crystal sticks with me.  Trust me, they do NOT work.  If your kid has an odor/wetness problem and you DON'T want them teased for it at school, just have them use the real kind.

Kersten Dec. 5, 2008 at 6:15 PM

Oh I meant to say I couldn't answer the poll because my daughter is only 2.  lol.  I can only speak from my own experience.

Kersten Dec. 5, 2008 at 6:16 PM