Do We Really Need Whole-Body Deodorant?

The basics of BO

Body odor is created by the interaction between sweat and bacteria. “When your sweat leaves the body, it actually doesn’t smell,” says Zaineb Makhzoumi, M.D., a dermatologic surgeon at the University of Maryland Medical Center. “It’s the bacteria on your skin that work on and break down the sweat, that’s what causes the odor.”

Or, as a Lume ad puts it, “the stink happens because bacteria eat your sweat and start farting odors.”

Our sweat comes from different kinds of glands, with differing effects, says Susan Massick, M.D., a dermatologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. One is the eccrine (producing an odorless fluid that cools our bodies), another is the apocrine, which releases more fluid in times of stress or hormonal fluctuations. The latter open up into your hair follicles, and produce fatty sweat that is food for bacteria (which then, um, fart).

Apocrine glands become active in puberty, which is why little kids don’t have the unpleasant kind of scent we sometimes call BO.

The apocrine glands tend to be concentrated on certain areas of the body, particularly skin folds (underarms, underboobs, around the groin). And men are more likely to produce body odors because they have more hair follicles and therefore more apocrine secretions, according to the Cleveland Clinic. (Foods you eat, some medications and certain diseases, including diabetes and liver disease, can also affect your body odor.)

Odor and aging

Age-related hormonal changes alter the bacteria on our skin, affecting body odor.

Maiysha Jones, P&G’s principal scientist for North America, personal care, says in an email, “older individuals may have specific concerns, such as maintaining freshness as their mobility, diet, medications and bathing habits change. They may experience odor in new areas and therefore seek a solution.”

Klingman says that when we get older, odors are more likely to occur “on the flat surfaces of our bodies, our trunk, our hairline, into our scalp,” which can be treated with an acidic bodywash.

Dermatologists’ advice on using whole body deodorants

Dermatologists we spoke with don’t quite get this “new rage,” as Makhzoumi puts it. They basically say that if you don’t stink, ignore this marketing push to deodorize your entire self. “If you don’t have odors coming from certain areas of the body,” she says, “there’s absolutely no need to use a deodorant.… All you’re doing is exposing your skin to potential irritants.”

While these products are “quite safe,” Makhzoumi adds, there are downsides if you have sensitive skin: “Unfortunately I’ve seen a lot of people come in with rashes from these products.” She points to their fragrances, which can cause contact dermatitis — itchy, irritated red patches on the skin. (Some brands offer unscented versions of their products, however.)

“I prefer people concentrate deodorants up in the armpits,” Massick says, but agrees that the products are generally safe, “as long as you’re using them in the appropriate areas. For example, you don’t want to use them within the vagina.” (The brands mentioned above also say their deodorants should only be used externally.)

For anyone with skin sensitivity, she adds, “I wouldn’t recommend the first time out applying it all over. Try a small test area, and see if there’s any issue.”

But first, “certainly see a dermatologist” if you are concerned about body odor, advises Makhzoumi, “because you might have a medical condition like a yeast infection which could be causing the odor, and you don’t just want to apply a whole-body deodorant to it.”

Some dermatologists will treat patients’ body odor with antibacterial cleansers like chlorhexidine, a disinfectant that you can use in the shower to tackle bacteria on your skin.

Stopping sweat also eliminates odors. Our usual underarm antiperspirants use a form of aluminum (often aluminum chloride) to prevent the release of sweat — but that’s not something most whole-body deodorants are designed to do (Lume has one that uses a different aluminum salt, which Klingman says is meant to be used in special circumstances, to prevent sweating, such as before a big presentation).

“Sweat is actually protective. It cools your body down,” notes Makhzoumi. “I think there’s a misconception that it’s bad for you. It’s not.”

I’m sticking with my underarm deodorant/antiperspirant, personally, but on particularly sweaty days? I might give my feet a little dose of coconut & vanilla.