How they work, who they’re for, and my top picks of the pack. (With some science lessons along the way.)
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Deodorant was, for me and I’m sure many of you, one of my first grooming products. I’m sure I owe it to the fact that I grew up with something called commercials (remember those?). Regardless, there was some point in my young life where I got a whiff of my pits and thought “Whoa, maybe I need to take care of that.”
Flash forward to now and the deodorant aisle has exploded way beyond the Speed Stick I remember from my dad’s medicine cabinet. There are sticks and sprays and creams! Classic deodorants, natural deodorants, antiperspirants! Deodorants that cost more than a fancy moisturizer! And newest to the scene, a brand spanking new category called whole body deodorants.
And that’s why we’re here today. But to talk about whole body deodorant—and to answer the questions like “do we need deodorant on our whole body?”—we first have to explain a few things about sweat and odor.
What Causes Body Odor?
Humor me with a little science lesson. We normally associate body odor with sweat, which is true, kind of. Sweat itself doesn’t actually smell. What causes the range of odors we associate with body odor is actually the bacteria on our bodies that is activated by the sweat.
See, bacteria loves moist, dark environments and the wetter the environment, the more it thrives. Some bacterias are good, some are smelly. And when we get sweaty, we provide the ideal conditions for a bacterial population surge.
But, there are technically two kinds of sweat, and only one directly causes you to stink.
- Apocrine Sweat: Apocrine sweat is thicker and protein rich (even better for bacteria) and is usually found in hairier, darker places like your arm pits, groin, nipples and maybe your belly button. In short: Apocrine sweat can be smelly AF.
- Eccrine Sweat: On the other hand, eccrine sweat is the cooling sweat, and it can cover your whole body when it needs to cool down, like the kind you see dripping down your forehead when you work out (or, if you’re like me, your entire freaking body). Eccrine sweat typically isn’t the type that causes odor, though there are some exceptions like your feet, but that’s mainly because your feet are covered in socks (hello moist darkness) and not because of the sweat itself.
How Do Deodorants Work Then?
Deodorants work by killing the odor-causing bacteria that’s going to town in the areas heavy in apocrine sweat. Some use ingredients like alcohol and certain zinc compounds to actually kill the bacteria itself. Others use ingredients like baking soda and magnesium, which will change the pH level on your skin making it harder for bacteria to grow. Most deodorants will also contain additional fragrances to help mask odor while it works to kill the underlying cause.
Notice I didn’t say deodorants stop sweat… because they don’t. Some deodorants will contain ingredients like tapioca starch and clay to help absorb sweat a little bit, but none of them will actually stop you from sweating.
That’s the job of an antiperspirant, which according to the FDA, must include aluminum compounds that actually plug up your sweat glands, physically preventing sweat from leaking out. Whether this is good for you is the topic of another discussion. (Spoiler: it’s fine.)
Which brings us to whole body deodorants.
So What Do Whole Body Deodorants Do Different From Regular Armpit Deodorant?
If deodorants kill bacteria that causes odor, why can’t you just take the same deodorant you use on your pits downtown? Good question and the short answer is, you can but you may not get the same effect.
As you may remember from high school chemistry, pH is a scale that measures acidity from 0-14. A pH of 7 is neutral; anything above that is alkaline and anything below is acidic. Areas like your pits and your feet have a natural pH of around 6-7. Other areas have other natural pH levels like your groin, which is naturally around a 4.5. This is all to say that using a product formulated for one area may not work as well on another.
Whole body deodorants, which are usually pH balanced around 4.5-5.5, are formulated to work on multiple areas with equal ease. That means it’s going to give you the same general level of odor protection on your groin as it does on your pits. Plus, they usually contain ingredients that are great for sensitive skin, since areas like your groin are often more sensitive than others.
If you take your traditional deodorant below the belt, you run the risk of irritation which is never fun. In my view, choosing a product that is best for your most sensitive area is going to be just as good for others, but not vice versa.
Who Needs Whole Body Deodorant?
When the conversation around whole body deodorants comes up, inevitably someone asks “who actually needs this?” And honestly, the answer is anyone who wants to use a deodorant somewhere other than their pits.
It’s more of a want than a need for many people, too. People have plenty of reasons for wanting to minimize odor all over their bodies and judgment is never the look. Let people live their best smelling life! If you do want to address odor in areas like your groin, butt, feet, and anywhere else from the neck down, one of the best ways to do that is with a deodorant specifically formulated for your whole body (and yes, you can still use it on your pits if you want).
As for which to use, these are my favorites, and I’ve literally tried them all.
Garrett Munce’s Picks: The Best Whole Body Deodorant for Men
By far the easiest application no matter where you put it, this spray quickly controls odor and, most importantly, dries lightning fast. I love the stick version on areas that I need chafing protection.
The scent of this is subtle and fresh in a good way and it also contains coconut oil and shea butter for extra moisturization.
If sticks are more your thing, I love the citrusy/woody scent of this one almost as much as I love the non-greasy finish.
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