What did people do before deodorant?

Answer 1

Only rich elites and nobles really worried about their smell. They would bathe, dress in layers, wear colognes, perfumes, and other scented things like flower pedals, spices, among other things. Then they would ride it out as long as they could while trying to avoid the heat and anything that may cause them to sweat.

To smell bad was a sign of the poor working class. Most, if not all, poor people all smelled bad. If you worked, or were working, you were not expected to smell nice, and it was considered strange, or a special occasion, if you didn't. Weddings, and other fancy events required one to smell nicer than usual, but stinks were still abound none-the-less in poor gatherings. It was just the norm back then, and everyone was used to it.

That being said, some were still worse than others. Those who worked in the stables, for example, still smelled of manure and would often wash up to get back to the regular human stink everyone was used to. Even back then they didn't want to smell like dung! But sweaty body odor was unavoidable, so it was more tolerated, and often times simply ignored.

As time went on, soaps and bathing became more common, even in poor classes, and deodorants and other scented tricks began to be used. Baking soda was one of the first deodorizers ever to be used. Combined with flowers and soap, it was much better than nothing.