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Chemistry For Your Life

Chemistry For Your Life

By: Melissa and Jam Bleav
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About this listen

A podcast that helps you understand the fascinating chemistry hidden in your everyday life. Have you ever wondered why onions make you cry? Or how soap gets your hands clean? What really is margarine, or why do trees change colors in the fall? Melissa is a chemist, and to answer these questions she started a podcast, called Chemistry for your life! In each episode Melissa explains the chemistry behind one of life’s mysteries to Jam, who is definitely not a chemist, but she explains it in a way that is easy to understand, and totally fascinating. If you’re someone who loves learning new things, or who wonders about the way the world works, then give us a listen.© For Your Life 2023, All rights reserved. Science
Episodes
  • How do deodorant and antiperspirant work?
    Apr 3 2026

    #042

    What's that smell? Is it us? Is it you? We hope it's neither, thanks to deodorants and antiperspirants. This week, Melissa and Jam delve into the chemistry of this everyday important substance. What are the differences between deodorant and antiperspirant? How do they work in the first place? Does one work better? Is one better for us? Be kind to one another, wear deodorant.

    References from this episode

    1. Individual and gender fingerprints in human body odour – Dustin J Penn, Elisabeth Oberzaucher, Karl Grammer, Gottfried Fischer, Helena A Soini, Donald Wiesler, Milos V Novotny, Sarah J Dixon, Yun Xu, and Richard G Brereton
    2. What are deodorants and antiperspirants, and how do they fight sweat? - Everts, Chemical and Engineering News
    3. Studies of trans 3 methyl 2 hexenoic acid in normal and schizophrenic humans - S. G. Gordon, K. Smith, L. Rabinowitz, P. R. Vagelos, Journal of lipid research
    4. Breast Cancer and Deodorants/Antiperspirants: A Systematic Review
    5. Aluminium, antiperspirants and breast cancer
    6. The mechanism of eccrine sweat pore plugging by aluminium salts using microfluidics combined with small angle X-ray scattering. - Bretagne A, Cotot F, Arnaud-Roux M, Sztucki M, Cabane B, Galey JB.

    Support this podcast on Patreon
    Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel

    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

    References from the Episode:

    Thanks to our monthly supporters

    • Amanda Raymond
    • Emily Morrison
    • Kyle McCray
    • Justine
    • Emily Hardy
    • Ash
    • Vince W
    • Julie S.
    • Heather Ragusa
    • Autoclave
    • Dorien VD
    • Scott Beyer
    • Jessie Reder
    • J0HNTR0Y
    • Jeannette Napoleon
    • Cullyn R
    • Erica Bee
    • Elizabeth P
    • Rachel Reina
    • Letila
    • Katrina Barnum-Huckins
    • Suzanne Phillips
    • Venus Rebholz
    • Jacob Taber
    • Brian Kimball
    • Kristina Gotfredsen
    • Timothy Parker
    • Steven Boyles
    • Chris Skupien
    • Chelsea B
    • Avishai Barnoy
    • Hunter Reardon
    Support this podcast on Patreon Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel

    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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    47 mins
  • More bird chemistry?!
    Mar 26 2026

    Birds… but chemistry.
    What does compost have to do with eggs? How are birds basically doing chemistry experiments to make their colors? Why would a bird eat dirt… or rub ants all over itself?? This episode is a grab bag of wild, fascinating bird facts that connect back to chemistry you already know. No quiz, just vibes.

    Support this podcast on Patreon
    Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel

    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

    00:00 Bird Chemistry Vibes
    02:02 Compost Egg Incubators
    02:58 Feather Colors Chemistry
    06:20 Seeing Ultraviolet Light
    08:11 Clay Eating Detox Trick
    09:28 Hot Bodies Fast Reactions
    14:23 Preening Oil Waterproofing
    16:15 Rainy Day Birdwatching
    16:44 Anting Bird Hygiene
    19:17 Seabird Feather Sunscreen
    20:14 More Bird Chemistry Ahead
    20:41 Bird Phobia Banter
    21:19 Documentary Media Swap
    22:22 Mississippi Kite Swoops
    28:19 Do Birds Recognize Faces
    31:12 Photo IDs and Backyard Hawks
    32:34 Chicken Show Family Lore
    33:00 Wrap Up and Support

    Support this podcast on Patreon
    Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel

    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

    References from the Episode:

    Thanks to our monthly supporters

    • Amanda Raymond
    • Emily Morrison
    • Kyle McCray
    • Justine
    • Emily Hardy
    • Ash
    • Vince W
    • Julie S.
    • Heather Ragusa
    • Autoclave
    • Dorien VD
    • Scott Beyer
    • Jessie Reder
    • J0HNTR0Y
    • Jeannette Napoleon
    • Cullyn R
    • Erica Bee
    • Elizabeth P
    • Rachel Reina
    • Letila
    • Katrina Barnum-Huckins
    • Suzanne Phillips
    • Venus Rebholz
    • Jacob Taber
    • Brian Kimball
    • Kristina Gotfredsen
    • Timothy Parker
    • Steven Boyles
    • Chris Skupien
    • Chelsea B
    • Avishai Barnoy
    • Hunter Reardon
    Support this podcast on Patreon Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel

    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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    36 mins
  • What even is DEET?
    Mar 19 2026

    #053 Rebroadcast

    This week, Melissa and Jam revisit one of their fav episodes on the topic of mosquitos. What is DEET? What part does it play in repelling mosquitos? How do repellants repel mosquitos in the first place? Is it just straight witchcraft? Let's do it.

    Support this podcast on Patreon
    Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel

    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

    References from this episode

    1. Staph Retreat - Radiolab - WYNC
    2. https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/rachel-carson-silent-spring.html
    3. https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/reg_actions/reregistration/fs_PC-080301_1-Apr-98.pdf
    4. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-it-true-that-the-deet/
    5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24892824/
    6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11693870/
    7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26827259/
    8. https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)31167-4?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982219311674%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
    9. https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)31167-4?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982219311674%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
    10. https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/biochemistry/does-DEET-fend-off-malaria/97/web/2019/10

    Thanks to our monthly supporters

    • Amanda Raymond
    • Emily Morrison
    • Kyle McCray
    • Justine
    • Emily Hardy
    • Ash
    • Vince W
    • Julie S.
    • Heather Ragusa
    • Autoclave
    • Dorien VD
    • Scott Beyer
    • Jessie Reder
    • J0HNTR0Y
    • Jeannette Napoleon
    • Cullyn R
    • Erica Bee
    • Elizabeth P
    • Rachel Reina
    • Letila
    • Katrina Barnum-Huckins
    • Suzanne Phillips
    • Venus Rebholz
    • Jacob Taber
    • Brian Kimball
    • Kristina Gotfredsen
    • Timothy Parker
    • Steven Boyles
    • Chris Skupien
    • Chelsea B
    • Avishai Barnoy
    • Hunter Reardon
    Support this podcast on Patreon Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel

    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
All stars
Most relevant
I'm dumb and even I can understand this.
I recently started a journey of learning. I have no experience of chemistry at all and I'm slowly picking up the jargon and lingo in a bite size easy to understand way. This lady is amazing at what she does on this pod cast. I'd like to give her and her little team a big thank you.

Great at explaining

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