Do You Really Need A Whole-Body Deodorant? Here’s What Doctors Say.

“More than just my armpits stink.” “No one likes odor below the belt.” Ads for whole-body deodorants featuring these taglines seem to be everywhere. TikTok users are talking about them, too.

Brands such as Secret, Illume, Dove and Old Spice boast that these products can be used “everywhere,” from “your pits to your bits.” But do you really need whole-body deodorants? Many health experts say they’re unnecessary.

“I can’t think of any circumstances where I would recommend a full-body deodorant for my patients,” said Dr. Kimberly Kho, an OB-GYN at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Sweating is normal, and sometimes people have body odor. Masking that odor to smell “like a fruit smoothy isn’t something we should expect our bodies to do,” Kho said.

Still, you’re probably curious about whole-body deodorants. Here’s what experts want you to know about these products, as well as how you sweat and what to do if you’re worried about your body odor or how much you’re sweating.

Sweating is a natural bodily process, explained Angela Ballard, a registered nurse who works as an educator and advocate at the International Hyperhidrosis Society nonprofit. It’s how the body controls its temperature and cools off.

Dermatologist Dr. Anthony Rossi said that there are two main types of sweat glands: apocrine and eccrine.

Eccrine sweat glands are all over your body and regulate your temperature by producing a light, watery sweat that evaporates from the skin’s surface to keep you cool. Sweat from these glands usually doesn’t cause odor unless it comes into contact with bacteria.

Apocrine sweat glands are found in the armpits, in the groin area and around the nipples, Rossi said. These glands produce a thick, sticky sweat composed of water, protein and fats. It’s released into your hair follicles and then onto the skin’s surface. The sweat produced by apocrine glands is more likely to be stinky because the glands are located in areas of the body that are more prone to bacteria accumulation, Rossi said.

Some people naturally sweat more than others, explained Dr. Melissa Mauskar, a dermatologist who is the founder and director of the Gynecologic Dermatology Clinic at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. “We all have different body odors, and it depends on a lot of different environmental factors and what kind of bacteria is on our skin,” she said.

Obviously, you’ll sweat more…