Skunk Guard

Skunk Guard was a solution of skunk spray packaged in small glass vials. Ray Hanson and Jack Scaff started selling this stuff in the 1980s with the idea that it could be used as anti-rape perfume. If a woman feared she was about to be raped, she could break open a vial and smear herself with skunk scent, making herself smell so bad that the rapist, hopefully, would go away. As Scaff explained, "The idea is to make the woman so repulsive the attacker runs away."

If the attacker didn't run away he would end up smelling awful also, making it easier for the police to identify him.

Skunk Guard never sold well. I'm guessing most women wanted a form of defense that was more proactive than just making themselves stink.

Honolulu Advertiser - Feb 19, 1985



Minneapolis Star Tribune - May 29, 1985



Santa Cruz Sentinel - Oct 9, 1985

     Posted By: Alex - Mon Nov 29, 2021
     Category: 1980s | Perfume and Cologne and Other Scents





Comments
Kind of late to the party. iirc, Mace was developed and sold to the public beginning in the 1960s. I don't know when pepper spray became widely available, but I'm sure it was pre-1985.

There's a lot of controversy over the present incarnation of the idea: Skunk (a military malodorant). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunk_(weapon)
Posted by Phideaux on 11/29/21 at 12:43 PM
Like 5% of people cant smell & why not break the skank on the attacker with 10x the amount & make them stink for identification and incarceration?
Posted by John on 11/30/21 at 09:21 AM
Some talking head on TV suggested that a woman in that situation just force herself to throw up, having a similar effect on the attacker.
Posted by Virtual in Carnate on 11/30/21 at 10:19 AM
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