The China Teaching Web

Ask Jean about Chinais a weekly feature on TeachAbroadChina.com. We welcome any questions related to living and working in China. Feel free to submit your questions by clicking here. We look forward to hearing from you.

Dear Jean,

I am planning on moving to China for a year in September to help my company open up a factory in Northern China. I have been told that I will be living in a rather small city that is currently in the ‘development’ stages. This may seem like a funny question but I have heard that deodorant is often hard to come by in Asia. How much do you think I need to bring with me? Is it readily available in China? What about dental floss and mouthwash? Can I get these too?

Thanks,

Lee from Ontario, Canada

Jean responds to Lee’s question about using deodorant in China

Dear Lee,

Your question is certainly amusing but one that many foreigners must wonder about before they come to China. Deodorant is available in China but certainly not ‘readily.’ If you are moving to a ‘rather small city’ then chances are, the stores there will not carry deodorant. Frankly, Chinese people rarely use deodorant mainly because they do not have to. Why? Mainly because of their diet (and genetic factors as well perhaps), their bodies do not emit the same ‘foul’ smelling odors that others have to try to ‘cover’ up. From my experience, you can only find deodorant in areas where there is a large population of foreigners. I would certainly suggest that you ’stock’ up on deodorant unless you live within close proximity to a major city in China like Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, etc.

Dental floss is beginning to become more popular in China although you may have a hard time finding it in small cities. My Chinese colleagues tell me that mouthwash is readily available even in many of China’s smaller cities so you shouldn’t have to worry about cramming bottles of that stuff into your suitcase.

For more helpful tips about what to bring and what NOT to bring to China, click here for our feature on packing for China.

Good luck in China and thanks for your question!

Sincerely,

Jean

Ask Jean about China is a weekly feature on TeachAbroadChina.com. We welcome any questions related to living and working in China. Feel free to submit your questions by clicking here. We look forward to hearing from you.