How do deodorants work?  Seems like an easy question, but I haven't
found an easily understood, conceptually-explained answer anywhere.

I'm curious about how they work.. whether they kill odor producing
bacteria, prevent the odor molecules from from wafting, merely mask
the odor, affect the nose's ability to smell the bad odor (and if so
other odors?), etc.

The lack of readily available explanation no doubt indicates a vast
and profound conspiracy to suppress.

Oh, yeah, are deodorants healthy?  Why are the antiperspirants so much
more effective at odor control?  And what's up with those ones that
claim to suppress odors for multiple days (e.g., Mitchem)?

Sorry the price is so low ($2.00).  I'm a cheap bastard.  But you'll
have the satisfaction of doing a service to all mankind (unless the
deodorant companies censor your anser and snuff you out by the end of
the week).

Nor sure it belong to physics, more likely

 Science > Biology

 anyway: there are two effects of the typical product:

 antiperspirant  slows down the production of underarm sweat.
 deodorants  covers up underarm smells

 The idea of controling sensitiviy of other peaple's sense of smell
appears to be new :-)


Here are the causes: 

http://science.howstuffworks.com/sweat.htm


 Here is description of the current art of control:

http://health.howstuffworks.com/how-to-cope-with-body-odor.htm


http://science.howstuffworks.com/question627.htm

 Conspiracy seems to be only in the marketing.

This article might be of interest to you:

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:e_PvbtOr1oYJ:www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi%3Ffile%3D/news/archive/2003/06/16/financial0943EDT0025.DTL

I found a web-site about "The Deordorant Stone".
Be warned, it comes with "elevator music".

http://www.kombuchapower.com/deodorant_stone.htm

The site for Deoderant Stone is a little bit amusing. There are
numerous grammar & punctuation problems. The first paragraph says,
probably unintentionally:

"The Deodorant Stone does contain any harsh chemicals, perfumes, oils,
emulsified alcohol. or propellants"

   I had to chuckle.

I've figured it out. Deoderants work on the placebo effect.

"I stink, therefore I am (rancid)."