Every day, teen girls experience things that make them say, text or e-mail, “OMG!” Whether it’s a pop quiz, a smile from the cutest guy in school or a bad hair day, these OMG! moments are no joke. Girls may blush, scream or laugh, but with new Degree Girl anti-perspirant and deodorant, they can stay cool during the biggest OMG! moment imaginable.

Along with a nearly non-stop parade of exhilarating and nerve-racking moments, research shows that girls are entering puberty and experiencing biological milestones – including producing body odor – at an earlier age[1]. To help address some of these physiological changes, Unilever created Degree Girl, which was designed with teen girls in mind to provide long-lasting protection and help give them confidence when they need it most.

Dermatologist tested and designed expressly for teen girls, Degree Girl was developed to help them through their many OMG! moments. Degree Girl has four long-lasting scents inspired by fragrances popular with today’s teens – Tropical Power, Crazy Violet, Fun Spirit and Sweet Revolution.

Girls are not the only ones trying to navigate their sea of OMG moments; parents are trying to understand and relate to their daughters’ world. Best-selling author and educator Rosalind Wiseman has listened to thousands of girls describe their OMG moments. Her book, Queen Bees & Wannabes, helps parents steer through those big moments in their daughters’ lives.

Parents try to understand the impact these ‘OMG moments’ play in the lives of their teen girls and want to help, but don’t always know how to help,” says Wiseman. “Parents tend to either become hyper-involved or downplay the situation. The key is finding a balance that helps your daughter work through these moments, while still allowing her to take control of the situation in her own way.”

Wiseman offers a few tips to help parents guide their girls through significant OMG moments:

Have THE talk. Although parents may want to avoid the talk, it’s important to open the dialogue about becoming physically mature before it happens. If parents don’t talk to their daughter, she’ll get her information elsewhere. By helping her understanding bodily changes she’ll be prepared before it becomes an issue.

Like, OMG, don’t use slang or clichés. It’s common for parents to try and relate to teens by using slang. Don’t. It just looks like they are trying too hard. And avoid words that make a teen girl run for cover. Starting a conversation about physical development with, “Now that you’re becoming a woman…” or “This is a beautiful time of change in your life…” can make girls squirm so much they won’t hear a word their parents say.

Don’t just do something, stand there. Trying to fix teenagers’ problems won’t empower them to work through things on their own. Parents can provide guidance and support while lending an ear, but let her make her own decisions and take action if she chooses to do so. Sometimes teens just want parents to listen, so sit back and resist the urge to move into “fix it” mode.

For more about Degree Girl, visit www.degreegirl.com.

[1] The Breast Cancer Fund (2007). The Falling Age of Puberty in U.S. Girls:

What We Know, What We Need to Know. Retrieved January 8, 2008 from http://www.iceh.org/pdfs/LDDI/2007Series/Steingraber.pdf.