Sunday 7 August 2016

For Her




I’d like to start off by saying I love Body Glide. The product has honestly changed my life for the better. I learned about Body Glide when I first got into running 4 years ago from a runner friend but I wish I’d known about it long before then. There is nothing worse than chaffing. Seriously, nothing. Chub rub can happen to the best of us; I don’t care how thick or thin or you are. If you’ve never experienced that awful skin on skin friction then count yourself seriously blessed. The rest of us have been trying a number of solutions to manage including applying baby powder and deodorant to the areas where our skin rubs with limited success. For me, this is between my legs. I’ve never had a thigh gap, though I feel like few women do. I’m not upset about not having a thigh gap, even though I do think flamingos are pretty rad and they have thigh gaps. In fact, the other day my boyfriend squeezed my thigh and commented on my “little legs” to which I scoffed and said no way, those are not little quads! I work hard on these leg muscles and I’m proud of them. Bless his heart, he was just trying to be nice because the general rule of thumb for boys is to never use words like “big, large, fat, thick etc” in relation to a woman’s body. With all this being said, my life has truly been changed and not just when I run and my inner thighs rub one another but in my everyday life. If I am wearing a dress or skirt you can be certain I am also wearing Body Glide.

For those that aren’t aware of what Body Glide is, it’s a stick which looks similar to a deodorant that can be applied directly to the skin creating a non-greasy, non-sticky, non-gross barrier that protects the skin from chafing all day long. 

I live in a somewhat small town with 2 sport stores. Both sell Body Glide but usually just one option. About a year ago I noticed they started carrying a second product by Body Glide called, “For Her”. I am in fact a “her” so I purchased this one. Then I got to thinking, how different can this one be from the original Body Glide which is not called for him but makes me now imply that it must be for him if this new, smaller and of course pink version is called for her. Turns out this new product has vitamins and can rehydrate your skin which makes it ideal for dry or sensitive skin. So why is it called “For Her”? Are female bodies drier than male bodies? Do males not want the benefits of vitamins? Do males not have sensitive skin?

I know it’s marketing but it should be marketed differently. Call it Body Glide vitamins or Body Glide for sensitive skin or Body Glide moisturizer or I don’t know. I’m not in marketing. I get frustrated with these deeply ingrained gender stereotypes and gender norms and how they permeate our world.

From looking at the website Body Glide has a number of different products that come in a range of sizes. Interestingly only three of the seven products are listed as “unisex” (one of which is a t-shirt, oddly enough). So if the other products aren’t listed as unisex, which sex are they designed for? The “For Her” is obvious but the others are not.

I can’t say that I have a point to this post exactly other than a general frustration for the marketing to male and female bodies in an antiquated viewpoint. We’ve come so far in breaking down gender stereotypes, especially the hurtful ones. Yet, there seems to be so many more hiding in plain sight. I’m not saying boycott these products because Body Glide is a lifesaver. I’m saying use your brain and question these things. Don’t just look at the pink “For Her” and pick it up because you’re a girl or avoid it because you’re a boy. Read the packages, look at the product itself and what it has and make a decision that’s best for you, regardless of your gender.







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