294 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS ODOR EVALUATION-DIRECT SNIFFING o Product A [] Product B 0 I I i I i I I I I I • I 4 8 12 I• 20 24 TIME (HRS) AFTER APPLICATION Figure 10. Axillary odor scores with two unscented aerosol antiperspirants. Direct sniffing (Lab 1). However, the peculiar response obtained with aerosol B at 24 hours demonstrates that the method is not foolproof. This error could have been caused by inadequate sampling, judge fatigue, or one or more subjects inadvertantly applying a product to that axilla on the morning of the 24-hour evaluation. Use of additional subjects and/or additional judges would minimize such problems and provide data which might yield better statistical significance. Other advantages of the tube method are: 1. Subjects and judges do not come into recognition proximity--thus minimizing revulsion, embarrassment, and bias. 2. Judges perform in a comfortable, sitting position, concentrating more effectively on odor scoring. 3. Capped tubes can be stored for many hours under refrigeration for later evaluation by a judge unable to be present at the appointed time. Data not presented in this report indicate that odor is virtually unaffected qualitatively and quantitatively after short-term storage under refrigeration. Our experience for almost three years with the tube method and the comparison studies described herein indicate that the indirect tube technique provides meaningful deo- dorancy test data while offering several advantages over conventional, direct-sniffing methods.

AXILLARY ODOR EVALUATION 295 REFERENCES (1) A. A. Gee and I. L. Seidenberg, Evaluation of germicidal soaps, Soap and Chem. Spec., 30, 42-48 (1954). (2) H. S. Whitehouse and R. Owen Carter, Evaluation of deodorant toilet bars, Proc. Scientific Sect., Toilet Goods Assoc., 48, 31-37 (December 1967). (3) F. B. Carabello, Guidelines for the clinical study of antiperspirant and deodorant efficacy, Cosmetics and Toiletries, 95, 33-40 (July 1980). (4) P.M. Baxter and J. U. Reed, The evaluation of underarm deodorants, Internat. J. Cosmetic Sci., 5, 85-95 (1983).