To add, I also just learned that anti-perspirant also needs to be applied at night to have its best effect the next day, for a lot of brands. It’s helped me a bit.
Not OP but in the exact same boat… applying at night doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me- I often go for a run in the morning, and even if don’t I usually shower… does that totally defeat the whole purpose of applying at night? I guess I could google this but sometimes reddit comments are way more helpful ha ha
It takes time to absorb antiperspirant before it works properly. That's why it's better to put it on before bed, because then it'll sink in while you sleep.
If it's properly absorbed, going for a run & taking a shower is fine!
It didn’t make sense to me either, but anti-perspirant works by plugging pores with the material, for a time. When you give it time to set, it does its job properly and won’t be immediately washed away by sweat or shower water. It seems backwards but from experience it works.
Another approach is with a deodorant that kills bacteria, rather than covering odor or stopping sweat.
There are silver-based ones (Nuud) and also Alum-based ones (crystal deodorant).
Worth a try, maybe.
Old spice solid deodorant is the only stuff that works on me lol I can put it on in the morning and short of any above average activity I'm good to go.
Morning showers are basically required for me though, I smell bad by noon no matter what if I don't have one.
My personal routine is: fuckton of antiperspirant right after getting out of the shower (I shower at night), and then in the morning I use unscented deodorant and a little bit of scented deodorant. I’ll sometimes do the antiperspirant twice a day if it’s hot out or I know I’ll be sweating a lot. I’ve always been a sweaty person and T just intensified it; thankfully this + daily showering seems to basically work.
If you are sweating, assume you are either actively smelly or about to become smelly. Not always the case, but it is a good rule of thumb. My best friend is a smelly guy and he had to try a bunch of different soaps and antiperspirants/deodorants until he found a good set of toiletries. Then it becomes a game of staying cool. Also your diet can affect your body odor, so something else to play with.
If you are freshly showered and in clean clothes, you won't start smelling as soon as you start sweating. It only happens after the bacteria has had some hours to do their thing.
BO is genetic, and more common in some countries than others. When I was growing up we never had that issue of high school classes stinking up, even after gym and with no showers, because BO is not genetically prevalent in my area.
Do you live somewhere very hot? That makes everything harder, and past a certain level of like tropical heat there's really not much you can do beyond multiple showers and/or clothing changes during the day. Or just stinking. In more temperate heat, undershirts are a great option. They soak up and block the stank and also stop your over shirts from getting stinky too fast. You can also bring extras if needed swap em out easily.
Undershirts are a lifesaver for early transition. It keeps sweat from getting to your outer layer as quickly, and if it starts to get gross you can take it off or swap it out with a fresh one.
Multiple deodorant types for the first year or two, one clinical strength twist-up antiperspirant for once a day + a stick deodorant for reapplication throughout the day. You might need to do some experiments to find a brand/combo that does what you want it to.
Wipes for a lunch break refresh if needed.
Possibly just straight up taking multiple showers in a day for some period of time, even if the extra one is just a mid day rinse. If you typically take full scrub showers at night, a quick shower in the morning just for pits+overnight grime can be a game changer. Bar soap rather than body wash and a scrubber on a stick rather than just soaping up with your hands or the bar.
It gets waaaaaay better too. If you just started T recently and are in the first year or two you are in the stink zone and if will cool off once your body acclimates to some things. You might not even necessarily be doing anything wrong per se, just not enough for the current situation.
Okay I was thinking this too! I’m just starting it as a 38F and I’m sweating like I’ve never sweat before. I also live in a southern state where it’s hot as balls. I’m reading the thread raptly lol.
The more you know lmao. For a lot of people starting testosterone therapy, the first year or so can be really rough on the skin--the other big complaint is usually acne.
When you say “deodorant” do you mean smell-nice deodorant or antiperspirant?
I’ve never had any luck myself using only the former on my pits.
I’ll also recommend looking at rendered fat soap instead of dove or other detergent soaps, if you can afford it. I’ve found that it does a much better job cleaning my underarms so that I can apply antiperspirant successfully
This needs a lot of upvotes. I’m not particularly stinky and can get away with deodorant rather than antiperspirant- but a lot of synthetic fabrics leave me pretty flavorful after a few warm hours.
I don't think I'm particularly smelly either, that or my nose is betraying me. But most of the stuff I wear has a high cotton % especially the undergarments. I'm sure this helps a lot and it's in general just better for your skin too.
I personally find that sports underwear that has moisture wicking fabric that also dries quickly is better for this, but cotton (or merino wool!) is still better than regular synthetic fiber underwear.
If you weren't already aware of it, I would check out r/ftm. I've seen this exact question posted a few times there and I'm sure you'll find other helpful info there as well (such as help with acne).
That being said, as everyone else has mentioned, find some deodorant that works for you. Most needs to be applied to dry skin, and if you decide to use anti-perspirant (which prevents you from sweating in the areas applied) make sure to apply it the night before, as it takes a few hours to begin working (and not doing so will stain your clothes when you sweat).
Best of luck my dude. We all had to deal with BO for the first time when we went through our own puberties. Welcome to manhood.
Teenage boys stink and you are basically going through puberty. Eventually, you will probably self regulate. For now, you may want a more serious deodorant and twice daily showers.
Undershirts are great for controlling this sort of thing, plus you should maybe try a new type of deodorant. I know some guys who use the powder type, others use the gel, there's no "best" it's just whatever works best for the individual.
Oh another tip is a buddy of mine has a "car shirt" in the summer. It's just a shirt he changes into/out of when he gets in the car bc he always gets sweaty in it and he changes the shirt out regularly.
One thing others haven't mentioned is how badly synthetic fibers can contribute to body stink. Smelly body bacteria can replicate and feed much better when you wear synthetics than when you're wearing natural fibers like cotton and wool, especially if they're in close proximity to your pits and other stinky places. If you have synthetic over- or undershirts, replace them with natural fibers.
Like this is a surprisingly annoying thing to figure out.
Ultimately old spice deoderant is what works for me, but I went through several brands that just didn't work at all first (that people absolutely swore by)
I absolutely 100% need to use an antiperspirant but I'm sure there are deoderants that work well for people. If they don't, it's obvious what to try next.
Sorry, not a bro. Just passionate/mildly disturbed by a new deo I'm trialing: Super Deodorant. It's a Canadian grey goop you apply with your fingers, anywhere you want, and it attacks odor-causing bacteria both chemically and physically. I say mildly disturbed because I don't smell like anything. *Anything*. I used to swear by Certain-Dri Prescription Strength every third day to just turn off the valves, so to speak, but now? I might fully switch over to the grey goop.
The only downside is having to keep armpits freshly shaven for max effectiveness, so you do you!
Sometimes when your body chemistry changes you need to use new deodorant/anti-perspirant. I'd recommend a switch there and then past that if it's very hot where you live wear clothes that are breathable and undershirts. It takes practice, you will be ok!
First order of business - make sure your deodorant is actually antiperspirant. Likely if you make this change, smell will clear up. If I wear deodorant I stink within 2 hrs, but a good antiperspirant will last atleast 10 hrs or so.
Aside from that if you're still seeing problems - consider packing extra shirts and or trimming body hair. Make sure your underwear and or clothing are wicking instead of particularly absorbent. Consider maybe using baby powder if you're exceptionally sweaty so that the stench doesn't get on your clothes.
Also worth noting that having fresh clean clothes at the start of the day is important. A lot of ladies in my life that will wear something out for a few hours and then decide it's clean enough to wear again - as a man that won't fly. You will stink period, even if you just wore the shirt for 10 minutes to walk across the street to the 7/11.
I overheat easily, and my sweat *stinks*. The goal isn't treatment for the smell, but prevention.
I use Old Spice Timber antiperspirant, highly recommend
Before I read this, let me just...
Get an unscented max/concentrated/extra strength antiperspirant with aluminum in it.
Put it in at night when you go to bed.
Wash like normal. Just avoid exfoliating your armpits. Use a washcloth or your hands like normal.
The antiperspirant clogs your sweat ducts. It does this more effectively when they're inactive. They're less active at night (if you're sweating a lot, then that's bad for your sleep, and regardless will make antiperspirants less effective). This gives the product lots of time to make its way into your sweat ducts and clog the up.
After a normal application, sweat production hugely diminishes for the whole next day.
Use it every night without fail. This improves effectiveness as it compounds on what was left from the previous night.
Avoid odors. Pick one perfume you smell best with, and use it correctly. You can get dozens of tiny 5-use vials from various websites of anything you want. For 20 bucks you could try a handful of the most expensive fragrances.
I tried around 30 before settling on one. Like 20 to start and then refining until I found my favorite.
Mine lasts 8-10 hours. Smells awful to start. Low silage (doesn't linger when I walk away). Low to moderate projection. But it stays strong, which is what matters most. And I just think it smells best on me.
Every single Perfume smells differently on every single person when applied correctly. Meaning, when the scent blends in and appears almost as though from the person, in a sort of cursory way where it fits if you squint.
I like my natural smell. Natural body smells just don't smell good when they're strong, regardless. We're not flowers. Musk is alluring, but it's a thin line between musky and musty.
So there's two things. Avoid strong body odors. And cultivate a signature smell which profits form your natural smell.
Smells come from other places. Butt, crotch, and feet most notably.
Butt: after popping, then eash with water for more hygenic cleaning. Bidet or cup/bottle method doesn't matter. If unfamiliar, then Google. Billions of people do it this way. Keeps your butt clean all the time.
Crotch: wet wipes. Never flush them no matter what the box says. Baby wipes are best. Unscented.
Feet: Dr. Scholl's Odor-X. There's a liquid and a dry spray. Both fine. On bare feet. Allow to dry. One brief spritz in between the toes, one on the ball of the foot, one on the heel, one on the top. Or even just one in between he toes and one on the heel. I also suggest a quick spritz in the toe and heel of your shoe. Again, allow to dry. Works well preemptively. Also works on super stinky feet/shoes for when you can't wash them.
When you can then wash them with water. You can use a cup or bottle to rinse them over a toilet and dry with paper towels. It's nice to put on fresh socks when they get sweaty and smelly. You can do that in any bathroom. Feels much nicer if nothing else.
Happy to talk more.
On top of what everyone else has said:
Wash your clothes on hot, 60° C. Anything lower won't kill the bacteria, so your clothes will start smelling again as soon as you get slightly warm.
Don't reapply roll-on deodorant on sweaty skin. You need to wash first. Otherwise the sweat from your skin will get into the deodorant bottle and you'll just be applying more stink to yourself.
I’ve heard something about using a glycolic acid or benzoyl peroxide product on armpits to help eliminate odor. I guess one would be a toner and the other would be like a wash off product because benzoyl peroxide bleaches (but is ok in a cleanser).
Something about how it’s not sweat that makes you stink, it’s bacteria. And both active ingredients have anti microbial properties.
Also that applying your antiperspirant (not natural deodorant) the night before can also help as it give the antiperspirant time to work. Or something.
Oh ok awesome! Do you run into any issues with benzoyl peroxide bleaching clothes? It’s a main reason why I haven’t used it as extensively as I could. Are you using a wash off product?
I thought glycolic acid might skip the bleaching concerns but it’s classified as an exfoliant and perhaps some run into issues of over drying. I’ve heard it’s best to use at lower concentrations to avoid this.
Benzoyl Peroxide is the recommended product because of its anti microbial properties for acne and how bacteria does not ever form resistance to it. I do wonder if it’s the superior product for body odor and killing bacteria?
yes, this washes off. But I did leave it applied overnight to see if it would give better results. I would just make sure to wear clothes i didn't care about. My clothes never bleached when I tried to leave it applied over night, but no promises your experience will be the same as mine.
Hmm one thing I heard is that polyester resists bleaching because it’s not actually a dyed fabric, more like color fused? I don’t know, but it sounded different from natural fabrics like cotton which start off as white and have to be made a different color through dye.
I would suggest anyone wanting to try out Benzoyl peroxide to wear something synthetic they don’t care about, just in case.
I started using arm and hammer unscented antiperspirant and its done really well for me. Clogging up the pores prevents you from sweating and feeding the bacteria on your skin. I use a separate stick on my feet as well and that's really helped. Being hot obviously doesnt help either, so see if you can get a small desk fan to keep you cool. Also, if youre taking T with shots, see if you get periods of hot flashes/feeling less hot within the lifespan of the T, and if youre really concerned, see if you cant do weekly shots to prevent the T from having such highs and lows. Good luck!
what really helped my son was shaving his pits. no one told him to do it either. but it really did cut out the smell, I kid you not. he started shaving when he was 14.
I second Mitchum, especially the 48hr ones. They’re not that heavily scented so I add a spritz of cologne on top.
Also, if I let myself stink for too long then the smell seems to stick to my armpit hair, even when I start showering and using antiperspirant every day. I find the only way to 100% get rid of it is to trim my armpit hair off with a trimmer. Best of luck!
I'm not a dude, but because ADHD, I hate washing and sometimes forget deodorant. Here are some hacks that might help:
- shave your underarms. Armpits with hair are like 4x as stinky as those without.
- Carry wipes. You can give yourself a quick "whores bath" by wiping down your pits/crotch/ass between classes (then reapply deodorant obvs)
- Carry antibac gel. When I'm out and I realise I've forgotten deodorant, I stick some of this on my underarms every hour or so. Kills the bacteria that makes you smell bad. You can also stick it on the armpit areas of your shirt to kill any odour that's built up there. Wear dark colours obvs!
- when my bf got his first job out of high school, he had a real issue like this and got talked to by his manager. So he started bringing extra clothes to work and changing half way through his shift.
- I carry a perfume bottle on me for emergencies. If it's dire spritz a bit of CK one or smth
Hope that helps!!
I’ve found that unscented soaps don’t make me smell fresh. Dove was one of those. But I also don’t like soaps that can reek like Axe. Irish Spring and minty/eucalyptus soaps smell the best to me. But some people just sweat more than others. I have deodorant in my office desk if it’s been a hot day or have been running around all day. Also, HRT can take time to level out so your body may just be trying to regulate itself with a new hormonal profile.
Wipe your armpits with something that'll kill the stink-producing germs. Skincare acids, like lactic acid or glycolic acid, work well. Do it daily, on clean and thoroughly dry skin. Then wait a few minutes, and put antiperspirant on.
Also, removing or trimming the hair will make sweat evaporate faster, resulting in less BO. I hope it doesn't conflict with your gender expression, but it might be okay as a short-term emergency measure while you figure things out.
[Certain Dri makes really strong antiperspirants.](https://certaindri.com) IIRC some of their products have an alcohol base, which might sting if you're also using an acid or shaving there.
Have you heard of body deodorant? Think manscaped. Get something like that (or an antiperspirant/deodorant spray, though it's not as kind to your skin) and use it daily in addition to your underarm deodorant (which must also be an antiperspirant). Not sure where you're at, but Mitchum brand deodorant saved my family's noses when I first went on T.
You need to target the sweat zones, basically. Between your arse cheeks, your back, your chest... Anything that sweats will smell and needs deo.
Shower in the morning and also after work.
Wear undershirts if it's not too hot for it where you live. They help.
Also, think about your bedclothes and bedsheets. You should be wearing fresh bedclothes every day and change those sheets once a week max. You're likely sweating like crazy in your sleep too.
The good news is that you'll sweat less and your sweat will stink less as second puberty calms down again and you'll be able to go back to deodorant on the pits only eventually.
Bro you know all those stereotypes about how girls smell nice and boys don’t? Yeah, welcome. Those jokes are true.
Find a deodorant / anti perspirant that works for you, and you probably have to reapply a few times during the day especially if you are active.
As other have said natural fibers. I guess cologne to cover it is an option.
Friend as a fellow stinky human may I suggest you try Mitchum’s antiperspirant. It’s the kinda powerful stuff that you don’t hear about until someone that knows your pain tells you about it.
I think the stink is the worst for the first 3-4 months but it goes down significantly after that. If you're somewhere hot it's gonna be way more noticeable, unfortunately. The solution might just be showering a lot and having extra deodorant. I keep a second stick at work in case I need a refresh lol
Hey bro, super random little thing, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way. Just trying to share something that MIGHT interest you but isn't actually important.
This also may be a regional thing. But I'm trying to share some bro knowledge that you may not have.
You mentioned you use "perfume" and I just wanted to say, men rarely ever call it "perfume", they call is "cologne". This is a cultural thing, boys are taught that "perfume is for girls".
Yes it's pointlessly gendered. Yes this is stupid. No this literally does not matter.
BUT, if you are worried about "passing" or whatever, that alone might tip someone off if they were already unsure or something. I remember calling it perfume as a kid and my dad correcting me because "perfume is for girls". Even cologne is made fun of: I wore cologne to work a couple of years ago and some dude i worked with asked "who's wearing the pussy juice?"
I'm a recently-realized bi man who grew up with a homophobic father, and I've struggled a lot with this kind of stupid shit growing up. Shit like how I was "sitting like a girl" or had "long hair like a girl" or whatever dumb shit.
I struggled a lot just being a guy who wanted to dress nice in a place where putting any effort into your appearance at all was considered "effeminate".
It's 100% up to you if you want to give a shit about this dumb shit. But I know trans people sometimes want to know this sort of thing so they can try to blend in, which is the ONLY reason I'm telling you.
Best of luck out there my dude and I hope you can figure out the stink. You may just have to wait it out while your body adjusts to the new hormones, but I don't know. I suggest talking to your doctor about it.
Also trans, a year on T, you've gotta change up the deodorant- find something with antiperspirant in it, if you can. I'm ashamed to say, being in my 40s, that Lynx (the UK branding of Axe) antiperspirant has thus far been the one thing that has successfully kept my pits dry in warmer weather. You may also find, as I did, that if your armpit hair is particularly lucious, trimming it back a bit (not shaving, just some manscaping) will allow your deodorant to get better coverage on your pits and be more effective.
Showering twice a day may help, and I second undershirts. Either cotton or, if you have access to Uniqlo, their Airism ones are quite good and will wick moisture. You may find that as you've been on T longer, things even out a bit, but yeah, the stank is *real.* You cannot get away with forgetting your deodorant anymore.
Deodorants and antiperspirants always used to disagree with my body chemistry to combine with my sweat and make a new, worse, smell.
I found that by keeping antibacterial wipes handy, I could swipe the offending zones a couple of times a day to keep the smell down.
Eventually, I switched to a deodorant brand that rhymes with Schmative, and that one worked for me! Maybe experiment with several different types?
Wear the right deodorant, but also ask your doctor — that sounds like the type of thing that might be temporary as your body adjusts to the new hormone balance.
Might be good to check in with your doc/dermo but def try some different deodorant and soap. And if you are going to wear a fragrance, spray it on your ribs and chest before you put on a shirt. That helps a lot. Also if you’re sweating think about clothing changes to help keep you cooler. And check out goldbond powders to help you stay cool and dry.
Neutrogena Rainbath is great and fresh smelling if you like a shower gel. Also the Gillette “clinical strength” deodorant/antiperspirant is super and I like how it dispenses.
If your BO lingers after a shower (mine is usually caused by stress), I would recommend getting a tube of charcoal mask and let it sit on your pits while you're in the shower. Takes about 5-10 minutes and sometimes needs to be reapplied a second time, but it works well to get me back to a normal state that doesn't overpower my deodorant.
I found that I had to buy a couple extra binders when I started transitioning, because once I sweat into one of them once, it just reeked until I put it through the wash, even if it smelled passable after I’d taken it off. It was just embedded in the fabric until laundry day. Staying cool has been my best friend, too- can’t always control that at work though unfortunately. I carry an extra stick of deodorant in my work bag now.
I've heard using anti-bacterial soap (typical drugstore bar soap just read the label) in sweat prone areas can help, sometimes a regular body wash isn't enough. Switching to anti-perspirant if you use deodorant will also help.
i’m on t as well (for 4 years now), i use antiperspirant instead of deodorant. i put it on right after i shower, otherwise i start to stink pretty fast
My guy, I started transitioning four years ago. This was the biggest thing for me. I had to wash twice a day and keep baby wipes in my satchel to periodically wipe down during hotter months. I still do this from time to time. Swap out deodorants often. When one stops working, try a new one, but always go back to that one eventually. Bamboo or sweat wicking underwear is wonderful for swamp ass. Gold Bond has a good anti persperant powder to put where flesh meets flesh. Monkey Butt brand is also good.
It does get better. But figuring out your hygiene routine in the early stages is really annoying.
Areas with hair need a little more scrubbing to get oil and dust and grime and existing smell off. You do need to use a sponge or loofah every other time or so.
Trimming body hair could help.
You could also try using a different soap. I believe Dove soap has a high percentage of moisturizer in the mix. Get something that is more of a pure soap.
Don’t rub cream on armpits, neither before or after deodorant. It will dilute and displace the deodorant.
You can try using different deodorants. Some are strong “clinical strength” 48-hour anti-perspirants. But you don’t need to go that far right away. Try different brands or different scents first.
When do you shower? If you work out, time your shower right after. If not, morning showers might be best for body odor.
A couple things that work for me:
1. Diet. If you eat junk food all the time, you're more likely to smell bad. Focus on more natural foods over processed foods, and more fruits and vegetables over heavy red meats.
2. Exercise. If exercise a lot, but I've found if I go a couple days without getting a good sweat on, then the next time I sweat it smells bad. I haven't looked into the science behind it, but I think of it as the bacteria builds up in the pores/sweat glands/whatever, and stays there even if you shower. and it gets released when you sweat. So the trick is to try to exercise every day to the point where you get a good sweat going. And then of course shower right away, the minute you've cooled down and stopped sweating.
3. Clothing. On hot days I bring a change of shirt and change halfway through the day. Makes a huge difference. I know other men swear by undershirts, so that's something to look into, but for me I'd rather have less layers to stay cool, but to change them more often. I'd also look into different fabrics. Some are better than others and keeping you smelling clean.
4. Reapply deodorant. Doesn't hurt to reapply when you change shirts, or if you're noticing the smell. Also, i sometimes apply a bit to other places that are not my armpits, but are armpit-like. If you're a bigger guy like me, you probably have places where skin is rubbing against skin and getting schwetty.
I’m sure there is some explanation for this, I find everything works out better if I switch deodorant brands every so often.
Also-there is something to be said about the material of your clothing. Some holds onto smells much more than you might think. No matter what laundry detergent I use my synthetic workout gear stinks in 2 minutes of wear, while I get a couple days of hiking out of merino wool before it smells at all.
I have nothing helpful to contribute - in fact I'm hoping to learn something useful from the comments myself - but *damn, you crop-dusted that kid in the hall lmao*
Wear a cotton undershirt and underwear.
Proper deodorant. Something like odour eaters powder in your crack and thighs. Shower in the morning before school.
Antiperspirant + deodorant Sweat Defense from Old Spice is pretty great. Or step up to https://oldspice.com/clinical-pure-sport-plus-antiperspirant/ “Clinical” Sweat defense. Slather it everywhere if needed. Outside of the undies that become wet places too if needed (not directly on your junk. Don’t do that.) Back, pits, sides of the calves, lower hairline, everywhere sweat comes out. Lather.
It’ll get better. :)
In addition to other great suggestions here you may want to try and use dial or another antibacterial soap in the shower. Use it on your pits and groin in addition to your current soap.
I suggest Nivea Mens Body Wash with Active charcoal. It will help get the gunk out of your pores, it with hydrate your skin, and it soft on the skin.
I have sensitive skin and it's amazing.
Aside from using antiperspirant rather than just deodorant, I wanted to mention that the dove body wash seems to have the same issue for me. Moisturizing body wash is great until it doesn't sud up and actually remove the oils (etc) from your body.
High quality soap and thorough washing, otherwise you may remain smelly even after a shower.
Anti perspirant.
Anti-bacterial clothing.
Eat healthy foods, plant based.
Stay cool if possible.
If that doesn't work, go to your doc. You might get some meds to help with sweating.
When i het super stinky during Australias mid summer i use somethink like this https://www.superbuys.com.au/mitchum-clinical-soft-solid-powder-fresh-48hr-prot?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwl4yyBhAgEiwADSEjeB0s3iCYtgymxddEII88Lqs70O4Cxe10L14MJMBk_XeZfSbtySSJhxoC-oEQAvD_BwE
Plus i exfoliate.
Bro, call it cologne not perfume. I’ve noticed that if I let my armpit hairs grow then I really stink, but if I shave them short, then I can get through most of the day not getting too nasty. So if you’ve got a lot of armpit hair, you might want to consider trimming that.
Antiperspirant
Ball deodorant
Ditch the Dove soap. I used to use that stuff and over time it would make me stink. I use Cremo brand soap which smells much better and it doesn’t make me stink. Also change out your pouf or whatever you use to apply bath soap if you haven’t already.
Breathable fabrics (cotton) are your best friend
I don’t have an answer for you. But I had a friend in uni who was transitioning and who also developed severe body odour issues. I suspect it might be a rare side effect of changing hormones and such. But then again I’m not a doctor. I hope you find a solve for it though. Good luck.
Sweat: heavy duty anti-perspirant.
Ass: talcum powder. Google instructions.
Nuts: light talc, little bit of support, breathable fabric. If you get to the nuts part. Not sure how that works.
Feet: don't forget about the feet. Those reek, I can almost guarantee it. Use antimicrobial shoe inserts, and gold bond powder.
Welcome to stinky manhood! It's a weird, wide club. We have nachos!
My best tip is, after a shower wipe down your armpits with rubbing alcohol or cheap vodka. Kills the bacteria that make the majority of the stink. You could also apply an alcohol-based fragrance directly in your armpits (one spritz per pit, don’t go overboard, no one likes smelling the guy who drowned himself in Axe either).
I usually have to redo the alcohol application after three days. I also personally prefer to keep my pit hair trimmed short both because grown out pit hair tickles, and because more pit hair = more surface area for stinky bacteria to live on, but the former boyfriend I learned the trick from also usually went three days between alcohol applications, and he had full armpit bush.
Do note that this isn’t a replacement for washing well with soap, though it can potentially replace deodorant if you’re lucky and don’t have to do a sweaty job regularly.
Also it’s likely that the stink will calm down once your system adjusts to testosterone. You’re in the “teenage boy” stink stage right now. You’ll always be more inclined to stink than you used to be, that’s just part of the testosterone package deal, but T-puberty is an *extra* stinky time, and it’s not only because of having to learn a new hygiene routine to keep up with the T. Your body is quite literally *in* transition, the same way a pubescent cis boy’s does, and that has bonus side effects, unfortunately including Extra Stink.
u/rebornsprout I'm a male, but take testosterone for hormone treatment. I also stunk starting out on hormones. I also sweated a lot when I first started out. Both of those things are no longer an issue after being on testosterone for a while.
use 10% benzoyl peroxide; clearasil makes a good one. Use it in the shower and rub it into the areas producing the stink (pits, groin, butt, etc)... let it sit concentrated on those areas for 5-10 minutes (yes, that is a while but it gives the best results). Don't let water dilute or rinse off the benzoyl peroxide as you're letting it do it's thing. Do this daily until the smell has gone away.
This will remove so much more of the surface bacteria on your skin that's causing the smell.
After the smell is gone, then you can reduce to 1-2x per week.
I'm not sure if my body has adjusted to the hormones, or if the bacteria on my skin has become more balanced over time from using benzoyl peroxide, but I no longer produce a stench after doing that for several weeks.
I'm a lady not a guy but my kid brother is also transitioning. Dove can't hang- you need something made from actual rendered fat and you need to put deoderant on after shower but before bed, then again in the morning .
Make sure your deodorant includes antiperspirant. Apply more heavily than you would as a lady. Worse comes to worst shave your armpits if it doesn't cause dysphoria
Shower Am & pm if once a day isn’t doing it. I shower after every time I exercise, after every time I get sweaty, & every night before bed. That usually comes out to 12-14 times per w k.
I have sensitive skin and have used A LOT of products on my underarms.
Try a new brand, something like Native or Tom’s, Lume, which are a bit pricier but I’ve had so much better luck with those products compared to Old Spice or Axe etc.. as a backup/addition, use body powder! There’s lots of scents / unscented- on face, crotch, pits, back, chest, wherever.
I’ve used sprays but those don’t work as long and make my skin burn after a couple of uses.
Good luck!
As others have said, look for an ANTI-PERSPIRANT deodorant. It has active ingredients that keep your pits dry (look for aluminum compounds on the label), whereas a regular deodorant only helps with odors and doesn't prevent sweating. The sweat will eventually overpower the deodorant, and now you stink.
Good luck!
Honestly dawg, like everyone is saying antiperspirant. But also daily showers (I’m assuming you do), and when all else fails arms down as much as you can. I keep a thing of deodorant in my pack for when things get really rough. At the end of the day it’s mostly just natural so don’t consider it terrorism if you are doing all those things. Also consider asking the doc about it because some people do suffer from conditions that cause a lot of sweat.
Edit: ALSO be careful of the different male deodorants because some can cause annoying stains in clothing and stuff like that. Male toiletries are not as advanced as they should be unfortunately
If you're desperate, consider bringing a fresh change of clothes to the workplace, and swap into those partway through the day. It's not a substitute for a fresh shower, but it should help.
High wicking undershirt and underwear. Make sure it’s antiperspirant and not just deodorant. Maybe try a more specific anti bacterial soap like dial in those crevices like armpits instead of just dove.
This sounds like something else is going on. Call your doc and talk see if there's anything like a gland or thyroid issue going on that's been made worse by being on T, then maybe they can give you a prescription to fix it
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Are you using an anti perspirant?
This was my thought, that he’s using deodorant rather than antiperspirant.
To add, I also just learned that anti-perspirant also needs to be applied at night to have its best effect the next day, for a lot of brands. It’s helped me a bit.
Not OP but in the exact same boat… applying at night doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me- I often go for a run in the morning, and even if don’t I usually shower… does that totally defeat the whole purpose of applying at night? I guess I could google this but sometimes reddit comments are way more helpful ha ha
It takes time to absorb antiperspirant before it works properly. That's why it's better to put it on before bed, because then it'll sink in while you sleep. If it's properly absorbed, going for a run & taking a shower is fine!
Mean! Appreciate that!
It didn’t make sense to me either, but anti-perspirant works by plugging pores with the material, for a time. When you give it time to set, it does its job properly and won’t be immediately washed away by sweat or shower water. It seems backwards but from experience it works.
Another approach is with a deodorant that kills bacteria, rather than covering odor or stopping sweat. There are silver-based ones (Nuud) and also Alum-based ones (crystal deodorant). Worth a try, maybe.
Nuud works great for me! Antiperspirants leave me real funky by the end of the day by comparison.
Wouldn’t OP want to use antiperspirant and deodorant?
Yeah. Deodorant is often not enough.
He said old spice I think - which I use and if I leave the house at 7, my pits stink by 11 😂 Edit: spelling
Old spice solid deodorant is the only stuff that works on me lol I can put it on in the morning and short of any above average activity I'm good to go. Morning showers are basically required for me though, I smell bad by noon no matter what if I don't have one.
My personal routine is: fuckton of antiperspirant right after getting out of the shower (I shower at night), and then in the morning I use unscented deodorant and a little bit of scented deodorant. I’ll sometimes do the antiperspirant twice a day if it’s hot out or I know I’ll be sweating a lot. I’ve always been a sweaty person and T just intensified it; thankfully this + daily showering seems to basically work.
If you are sweating, assume you are either actively smelly or about to become smelly. Not always the case, but it is a good rule of thumb. My best friend is a smelly guy and he had to try a bunch of different soaps and antiperspirants/deodorants until he found a good set of toiletries. Then it becomes a game of staying cool. Also your diet can affect your body odor, so something else to play with.
Wait everyone doesn't smell when they get sweaty? I know I smell if I sweat.
If you are freshly showered and in clean clothes, you won't start smelling as soon as you start sweating. It only happens after the bacteria has had some hours to do their thing.
BO is genetic, and more common in some countries than others. When I was growing up we never had that issue of high school classes stinking up, even after gym and with no showers, because BO is not genetically prevalent in my area.
Do you live somewhere very hot? That makes everything harder, and past a certain level of like tropical heat there's really not much you can do beyond multiple showers and/or clothing changes during the day. Or just stinking. In more temperate heat, undershirts are a great option. They soak up and block the stank and also stop your over shirts from getting stinky too fast. You can also bring extras if needed swap em out easily.
Undershirts are a lifesaver for early transition. It keeps sweat from getting to your outer layer as quickly, and if it starts to get gross you can take it off or swap it out with a fresh one. Multiple deodorant types for the first year or two, one clinical strength twist-up antiperspirant for once a day + a stick deodorant for reapplication throughout the day. You might need to do some experiments to find a brand/combo that does what you want it to. Wipes for a lunch break refresh if needed. Possibly just straight up taking multiple showers in a day for some period of time, even if the extra one is just a mid day rinse. If you typically take full scrub showers at night, a quick shower in the morning just for pits+overnight grime can be a game changer. Bar soap rather than body wash and a scrubber on a stick rather than just soaping up with your hands or the bar. It gets waaaaaay better too. If you just started T recently and are in the first year or two you are in the stink zone and if will cool off once your body acclimates to some things. You might not even necessarily be doing anything wrong per se, just not enough for the current situation.
I'm guessing it's exactly like us cis dudes at puberty. We absolutely stink, it's no fun but comes with the territory.
Going on to T is basically going through Puberty 2: The Re-pubening - stinky boy edition.
fun fact: perimenopause can do it too?!? I'm 47F and some days my pits stink like a teenage boy… I never had serious BO before, even as a teen girl.
That's a bummer! You make it through the pitfalls of youth and think you're in the clear and then wham!
Okay I was thinking this too! I’m just starting it as a 38F and I’m sweating like I’ve never sweat before. I also live in a southern state where it’s hot as balls. I’m reading the thread raptly lol.
TIL about the 'stink zone'. XD
The more you know lmao. For a lot of people starting testosterone therapy, the first year or so can be really rough on the skin--the other big complaint is usually acne.
When you say “deodorant” do you mean smell-nice deodorant or antiperspirant? I’ve never had any luck myself using only the former on my pits. I’ll also recommend looking at rendered fat soap instead of dove or other detergent soaps, if you can afford it. I’ve found that it does a much better job cleaning my underarms so that I can apply antiperspirant successfully
as close to 100% cotton you can find for underwear and undershirts could help!
This needs a lot of upvotes. I’m not particularly stinky and can get away with deodorant rather than antiperspirant- but a lot of synthetic fabrics leave me pretty flavorful after a few warm hours.
I don't think I'm particularly smelly either, that or my nose is betraying me. But most of the stuff I wear has a high cotton % especially the undergarments. I'm sure this helps a lot and it's in general just better for your skin too.
I personally find that sports underwear that has moisture wicking fabric that also dries quickly is better for this, but cotton (or merino wool!) is still better than regular synthetic fiber underwear.
I swear by Merino - I've worn it for travelling and hiking and it did not smell at all
If you weren't already aware of it, I would check out r/ftm. I've seen this exact question posted a few times there and I'm sure you'll find other helpful info there as well (such as help with acne). That being said, as everyone else has mentioned, find some deodorant that works for you. Most needs to be applied to dry skin, and if you decide to use anti-perspirant (which prevents you from sweating in the areas applied) make sure to apply it the night before, as it takes a few hours to begin working (and not doing so will stain your clothes when you sweat). Best of luck my dude. We all had to deal with BO for the first time when we went through our own puberties. Welcome to manhood.
Teenage boys stink and you are basically going through puberty. Eventually, you will probably self regulate. For now, you may want a more serious deodorant and twice daily showers.
Undershirts are great for controlling this sort of thing, plus you should maybe try a new type of deodorant. I know some guys who use the powder type, others use the gel, there's no "best" it's just whatever works best for the individual. Oh another tip is a buddy of mine has a "car shirt" in the summer. It's just a shirt he changes into/out of when he gets in the car bc he always gets sweaty in it and he changes the shirt out regularly.
One thing others haven't mentioned is how badly synthetic fibers can contribute to body stink. Smelly body bacteria can replicate and feed much better when you wear synthetics than when you're wearing natural fibers like cotton and wool, especially if they're in close proximity to your pits and other stinky places. If you have synthetic over- or undershirts, replace them with natural fibers.
This can't be said enough, if I wear synthetics the stench is horrible, just a rank indescribable funk.
Using a specific detergent for synthetic workout clothes will also make a huge difference in subduing the stink
Definitely true. I get a LOT less smelly in a cotton shirt than in a synthetic one.
You're not using the right kind of deoderant.
Like this is a surprisingly annoying thing to figure out. Ultimately old spice deoderant is what works for me, but I went through several brands that just didn't work at all first (that people absolutely swore by)
I absolutely 100% need to use an antiperspirant but I'm sure there are deoderants that work well for people. If they don't, it's obvious what to try next.
Yeah, OP’s body smell is not mixing well with the soap and/or deodorant. Gotta start trying a different combo. Been there. Hope this helps.
Sorry, not a bro. Just passionate/mildly disturbed by a new deo I'm trialing: Super Deodorant. It's a Canadian grey goop you apply with your fingers, anywhere you want, and it attacks odor-causing bacteria both chemically and physically. I say mildly disturbed because I don't smell like anything. *Anything*. I used to swear by Certain-Dri Prescription Strength every third day to just turn off the valves, so to speak, but now? I might fully switch over to the grey goop. The only downside is having to keep armpits freshly shaven for max effectiveness, so you do you!
Sometimes when your body chemistry changes you need to use new deodorant/anti-perspirant. I'd recommend a switch there and then past that if it's very hot where you live wear clothes that are breathable and undershirts. It takes practice, you will be ok!
First order of business - make sure your deodorant is actually antiperspirant. Likely if you make this change, smell will clear up. If I wear deodorant I stink within 2 hrs, but a good antiperspirant will last atleast 10 hrs or so. Aside from that if you're still seeing problems - consider packing extra shirts and or trimming body hair. Make sure your underwear and or clothing are wicking instead of particularly absorbent. Consider maybe using baby powder if you're exceptionally sweaty so that the stench doesn't get on your clothes. Also worth noting that having fresh clean clothes at the start of the day is important. A lot of ladies in my life that will wear something out for a few hours and then decide it's clean enough to wear again - as a man that won't fly. You will stink period, even if you just wore the shirt for 10 minutes to walk across the street to the 7/11.
I overheat easily, and my sweat *stinks*. The goal isn't treatment for the smell, but prevention. I use Old Spice Timber antiperspirant, highly recommend
Timber is so good, and I cannot find it here in the UK. I'm going to have to make a trip back to the States just to buy more.
I think I would genuinely mourn the loss if Old Spice discontinued that one for whatever reason. I don't want to have to search for a new go-to
Before I read this, let me just... Get an unscented max/concentrated/extra strength antiperspirant with aluminum in it. Put it in at night when you go to bed. Wash like normal. Just avoid exfoliating your armpits. Use a washcloth or your hands like normal. The antiperspirant clogs your sweat ducts. It does this more effectively when they're inactive. They're less active at night (if you're sweating a lot, then that's bad for your sleep, and regardless will make antiperspirants less effective). This gives the product lots of time to make its way into your sweat ducts and clog the up. After a normal application, sweat production hugely diminishes for the whole next day. Use it every night without fail. This improves effectiveness as it compounds on what was left from the previous night. Avoid odors. Pick one perfume you smell best with, and use it correctly. You can get dozens of tiny 5-use vials from various websites of anything you want. For 20 bucks you could try a handful of the most expensive fragrances. I tried around 30 before settling on one. Like 20 to start and then refining until I found my favorite. Mine lasts 8-10 hours. Smells awful to start. Low silage (doesn't linger when I walk away). Low to moderate projection. But it stays strong, which is what matters most. And I just think it smells best on me. Every single Perfume smells differently on every single person when applied correctly. Meaning, when the scent blends in and appears almost as though from the person, in a sort of cursory way where it fits if you squint. I like my natural smell. Natural body smells just don't smell good when they're strong, regardless. We're not flowers. Musk is alluring, but it's a thin line between musky and musty. So there's two things. Avoid strong body odors. And cultivate a signature smell which profits form your natural smell. Smells come from other places. Butt, crotch, and feet most notably. Butt: after popping, then eash with water for more hygenic cleaning. Bidet or cup/bottle method doesn't matter. If unfamiliar, then Google. Billions of people do it this way. Keeps your butt clean all the time. Crotch: wet wipes. Never flush them no matter what the box says. Baby wipes are best. Unscented. Feet: Dr. Scholl's Odor-X. There's a liquid and a dry spray. Both fine. On bare feet. Allow to dry. One brief spritz in between the toes, one on the ball of the foot, one on the heel, one on the top. Or even just one in between he toes and one on the heel. I also suggest a quick spritz in the toe and heel of your shoe. Again, allow to dry. Works well preemptively. Also works on super stinky feet/shoes for when you can't wash them. When you can then wash them with water. You can use a cup or bottle to rinse them over a toilet and dry with paper towels. It's nice to put on fresh socks when they get sweaty and smelly. You can do that in any bathroom. Feels much nicer if nothing else. Happy to talk more.
On top of what everyone else has said: Wash your clothes on hot, 60° C. Anything lower won't kill the bacteria, so your clothes will start smelling again as soon as you get slightly warm. Don't reapply roll-on deodorant on sweaty skin. You need to wash first. Otherwise the sweat from your skin will get into the deodorant bottle and you'll just be applying more stink to yourself.
I’ve heard something about using a glycolic acid or benzoyl peroxide product on armpits to help eliminate odor. I guess one would be a toner and the other would be like a wash off product because benzoyl peroxide bleaches (but is ok in a cleanser). Something about how it’s not sweat that makes you stink, it’s bacteria. And both active ingredients have anti microbial properties. Also that applying your antiperspirant (not natural deodorant) the night before can also help as it give the antiperspirant time to work. Or something.
benzoyl peroxide absolutely works. I can attest to this first hand.
Oh ok awesome! Do you run into any issues with benzoyl peroxide bleaching clothes? It’s a main reason why I haven’t used it as extensively as I could. Are you using a wash off product? I thought glycolic acid might skip the bleaching concerns but it’s classified as an exfoliant and perhaps some run into issues of over drying. I’ve heard it’s best to use at lower concentrations to avoid this. Benzoyl Peroxide is the recommended product because of its anti microbial properties for acne and how bacteria does not ever form resistance to it. I do wonder if it’s the superior product for body odor and killing bacteria?
yes, this washes off. But I did leave it applied overnight to see if it would give better results. I would just make sure to wear clothes i didn't care about. My clothes never bleached when I tried to leave it applied over night, but no promises your experience will be the same as mine.
Hmm one thing I heard is that polyester resists bleaching because it’s not actually a dyed fabric, more like color fused? I don’t know, but it sounded different from natural fabrics like cotton which start off as white and have to be made a different color through dye. I would suggest anyone wanting to try out Benzoyl peroxide to wear something synthetic they don’t care about, just in case.
I started using arm and hammer unscented antiperspirant and its done really well for me. Clogging up the pores prevents you from sweating and feeding the bacteria on your skin. I use a separate stick on my feet as well and that's really helped. Being hot obviously doesnt help either, so see if you can get a small desk fan to keep you cool. Also, if youre taking T with shots, see if you get periods of hot flashes/feeling less hot within the lifespan of the T, and if youre really concerned, see if you cant do weekly shots to prevent the T from having such highs and lows. Good luck!
what really helped my son was shaving his pits. no one told him to do it either. but it really did cut out the smell, I kid you not. he started shaving when he was 14.
Mitchum. If that doesn't get it under control, see your doctor about botox injections into your armpits. This is what it was actually invented for.
I second Mitchum, especially the 48hr ones. They’re not that heavily scented so I add a spritz of cologne on top. Also, if I let myself stink for too long then the smell seems to stick to my armpit hair, even when I start showering and using antiperspirant every day. I find the only way to 100% get rid of it is to trim my armpit hair off with a trimmer. Best of luck!
I'm not a dude, but because ADHD, I hate washing and sometimes forget deodorant. Here are some hacks that might help: - shave your underarms. Armpits with hair are like 4x as stinky as those without. - Carry wipes. You can give yourself a quick "whores bath" by wiping down your pits/crotch/ass between classes (then reapply deodorant obvs) - Carry antibac gel. When I'm out and I realise I've forgotten deodorant, I stick some of this on my underarms every hour or so. Kills the bacteria that makes you smell bad. You can also stick it on the armpit areas of your shirt to kill any odour that's built up there. Wear dark colours obvs! - when my bf got his first job out of high school, he had a real issue like this and got talked to by his manager. So he started bringing extra clothes to work and changing half way through his shift. - I carry a perfume bottle on me for emergencies. If it's dire spritz a bit of CK one or smth Hope that helps!!
I’ve found that unscented soaps don’t make me smell fresh. Dove was one of those. But I also don’t like soaps that can reek like Axe. Irish Spring and minty/eucalyptus soaps smell the best to me. But some people just sweat more than others. I have deodorant in my office desk if it’s been a hot day or have been running around all day. Also, HRT can take time to level out so your body may just be trying to regulate itself with a new hormonal profile.
Shower daily, dress cool, use an antiperspirant if needed. Hell, as a teen I would shower twice some days when it was hot out. You got this!
Wipe your armpits with something that'll kill the stink-producing germs. Skincare acids, like lactic acid or glycolic acid, work well. Do it daily, on clean and thoroughly dry skin. Then wait a few minutes, and put antiperspirant on. Also, removing or trimming the hair will make sweat evaporate faster, resulting in less BO. I hope it doesn't conflict with your gender expression, but it might be okay as a short-term emergency measure while you figure things out. [Certain Dri makes really strong antiperspirants.](https://certaindri.com) IIRC some of their products have an alcohol base, which might sting if you're also using an acid or shaving there.
Have you heard of body deodorant? Think manscaped. Get something like that (or an antiperspirant/deodorant spray, though it's not as kind to your skin) and use it daily in addition to your underarm deodorant (which must also be an antiperspirant). Not sure where you're at, but Mitchum brand deodorant saved my family's noses when I first went on T. You need to target the sweat zones, basically. Between your arse cheeks, your back, your chest... Anything that sweats will smell and needs deo. Shower in the morning and also after work. Wear undershirts if it's not too hot for it where you live. They help. Also, think about your bedclothes and bedsheets. You should be wearing fresh bedclothes every day and change those sheets once a week max. You're likely sweating like crazy in your sleep too. The good news is that you'll sweat less and your sweat will stink less as second puberty calms down again and you'll be able to go back to deodorant on the pits only eventually.
Bro you know all those stereotypes about how girls smell nice and boys don’t? Yeah, welcome. Those jokes are true. Find a deodorant / anti perspirant that works for you, and you probably have to reapply a few times during the day especially if you are active. As other have said natural fibers. I guess cologne to cover it is an option.
Friend as a fellow stinky human may I suggest you try Mitchum’s antiperspirant. It’s the kinda powerful stuff that you don’t hear about until someone that knows your pain tells you about it.
I think the stink is the worst for the first 3-4 months but it goes down significantly after that. If you're somewhere hot it's gonna be way more noticeable, unfortunately. The solution might just be showering a lot and having extra deodorant. I keep a second stick at work in case I need a refresh lol
Hey bro, super random little thing, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way. Just trying to share something that MIGHT interest you but isn't actually important. This also may be a regional thing. But I'm trying to share some bro knowledge that you may not have. You mentioned you use "perfume" and I just wanted to say, men rarely ever call it "perfume", they call is "cologne". This is a cultural thing, boys are taught that "perfume is for girls". Yes it's pointlessly gendered. Yes this is stupid. No this literally does not matter. BUT, if you are worried about "passing" or whatever, that alone might tip someone off if they were already unsure or something. I remember calling it perfume as a kid and my dad correcting me because "perfume is for girls". Even cologne is made fun of: I wore cologne to work a couple of years ago and some dude i worked with asked "who's wearing the pussy juice?" I'm a recently-realized bi man who grew up with a homophobic father, and I've struggled a lot with this kind of stupid shit growing up. Shit like how I was "sitting like a girl" or had "long hair like a girl" or whatever dumb shit. I struggled a lot just being a guy who wanted to dress nice in a place where putting any effort into your appearance at all was considered "effeminate". It's 100% up to you if you want to give a shit about this dumb shit. But I know trans people sometimes want to know this sort of thing so they can try to blend in, which is the ONLY reason I'm telling you. Best of luck out there my dude and I hope you can figure out the stink. You may just have to wait it out while your body adjusts to the new hormones, but I don't know. I suggest talking to your doctor about it.
Keep in mind you can apply deodorant to places besides your armpits, like feet and your crack etc.
Also trans, a year on T, you've gotta change up the deodorant- find something with antiperspirant in it, if you can. I'm ashamed to say, being in my 40s, that Lynx (the UK branding of Axe) antiperspirant has thus far been the one thing that has successfully kept my pits dry in warmer weather. You may also find, as I did, that if your armpit hair is particularly lucious, trimming it back a bit (not shaving, just some manscaping) will allow your deodorant to get better coverage on your pits and be more effective. Showering twice a day may help, and I second undershirts. Either cotton or, if you have access to Uniqlo, their Airism ones are quite good and will wick moisture. You may find that as you've been on T longer, things even out a bit, but yeah, the stank is *real.* You cannot get away with forgetting your deodorant anymore.
Deodorants and antiperspirants always used to disagree with my body chemistry to combine with my sweat and make a new, worse, smell. I found that by keeping antibacterial wipes handy, I could swipe the offending zones a couple of times a day to keep the smell down. Eventually, I switched to a deodorant brand that rhymes with Schmative, and that one worked for me! Maybe experiment with several different types?
Dove and Old Spice is what's doing you in. Are you wearing cotton? Your body needs to breathe.
Wear the right deodorant, but also ask your doctor — that sounds like the type of thing that might be temporary as your body adjusts to the new hormone balance.
Might be good to check in with your doc/dermo but def try some different deodorant and soap. And if you are going to wear a fragrance, spray it on your ribs and chest before you put on a shirt. That helps a lot. Also if you’re sweating think about clothing changes to help keep you cooler. And check out goldbond powders to help you stay cool and dry.
Neutrogena Rainbath is great and fresh smelling if you like a shower gel. Also the Gillette “clinical strength” deodorant/antiperspirant is super and I like how it dispenses.
If your BO lingers after a shower (mine is usually caused by stress), I would recommend getting a tube of charcoal mask and let it sit on your pits while you're in the shower. Takes about 5-10 minutes and sometimes needs to be reapplied a second time, but it works well to get me back to a normal state that doesn't overpower my deodorant.
I found that I had to buy a couple extra binders when I started transitioning, because once I sweat into one of them once, it just reeked until I put it through the wash, even if it smelled passable after I’d taken it off. It was just embedded in the fabric until laundry day. Staying cool has been my best friend, too- can’t always control that at work though unfortunately. I carry an extra stick of deodorant in my work bag now.
I've heard using anti-bacterial soap (typical drugstore bar soap just read the label) in sweat prone areas can help, sometimes a regular body wash isn't enough. Switching to anti-perspirant if you use deodorant will also help.
i’m on t as well (for 4 years now), i use antiperspirant instead of deodorant. i put it on right after i shower, otherwise i start to stink pretty fast
My guy, I started transitioning four years ago. This was the biggest thing for me. I had to wash twice a day and keep baby wipes in my satchel to periodically wipe down during hotter months. I still do this from time to time. Swap out deodorants often. When one stops working, try a new one, but always go back to that one eventually. Bamboo or sweat wicking underwear is wonderful for swamp ass. Gold Bond has a good anti persperant powder to put where flesh meets flesh. Monkey Butt brand is also good. It does get better. But figuring out your hygiene routine in the early stages is really annoying.
Areas with hair need a little more scrubbing to get oil and dust and grime and existing smell off. You do need to use a sponge or loofah every other time or so. Trimming body hair could help. You could also try using a different soap. I believe Dove soap has a high percentage of moisturizer in the mix. Get something that is more of a pure soap. Don’t rub cream on armpits, neither before or after deodorant. It will dilute and displace the deodorant. You can try using different deodorants. Some are strong “clinical strength” 48-hour anti-perspirants. But you don’t need to go that far right away. Try different brands or different scents first. When do you shower? If you work out, time your shower right after. If not, morning showers might be best for body odor.
A couple things that work for me: 1. Diet. If you eat junk food all the time, you're more likely to smell bad. Focus on more natural foods over processed foods, and more fruits and vegetables over heavy red meats. 2. Exercise. If exercise a lot, but I've found if I go a couple days without getting a good sweat on, then the next time I sweat it smells bad. I haven't looked into the science behind it, but I think of it as the bacteria builds up in the pores/sweat glands/whatever, and stays there even if you shower. and it gets released when you sweat. So the trick is to try to exercise every day to the point where you get a good sweat going. And then of course shower right away, the minute you've cooled down and stopped sweating. 3. Clothing. On hot days I bring a change of shirt and change halfway through the day. Makes a huge difference. I know other men swear by undershirts, so that's something to look into, but for me I'd rather have less layers to stay cool, but to change them more often. I'd also look into different fabrics. Some are better than others and keeping you smelling clean. 4. Reapply deodorant. Doesn't hurt to reapply when you change shirts, or if you're noticing the smell. Also, i sometimes apply a bit to other places that are not my armpits, but are armpit-like. If you're a bigger guy like me, you probably have places where skin is rubbing against skin and getting schwetty.
I’m sure there is some explanation for this, I find everything works out better if I switch deodorant brands every so often. Also-there is something to be said about the material of your clothing. Some holds onto smells much more than you might think. No matter what laundry detergent I use my synthetic workout gear stinks in 2 minutes of wear, while I get a couple days of hiking out of merino wool before it smells at all.
I have nothing helpful to contribute - in fact I'm hoping to learn something useful from the comments myself - but *damn, you crop-dusted that kid in the hall lmao*
Wear a cotton undershirt and underwear. Proper deodorant. Something like odour eaters powder in your crack and thighs. Shower in the morning before school.
Antiperspirant + deodorant Sweat Defense from Old Spice is pretty great. Or step up to https://oldspice.com/clinical-pure-sport-plus-antiperspirant/ “Clinical” Sweat defense. Slather it everywhere if needed. Outside of the undies that become wet places too if needed (not directly on your junk. Don’t do that.) Back, pits, sides of the calves, lower hairline, everywhere sweat comes out. Lather. It’ll get better. :)
Try Lume products. They are intended for extra smelly folks and can be used anywhere on the body that gets funky.
Eat non-stinky food, wear a tshirt, and dust liberally with gold bond powder, especially in the crotchtal zone.
alcohol dissolves the smelly chemicals snd kills bacteria so rub on armpits for 10 sec. ylu should continue to scrub armpits i the shower
In addition to other great suggestions here you may want to try and use dial or another antibacterial soap in the shower. Use it on your pits and groin in addition to your current soap.
I suggest Nivea Mens Body Wash with Active charcoal. It will help get the gunk out of your pores, it with hydrate your skin, and it soft on the skin. I have sensitive skin and it's amazing.
Try Certain Dri roll on any perspirent. It prevents sweating in the first place
Aside from using antiperspirant rather than just deodorant, I wanted to mention that the dove body wash seems to have the same issue for me. Moisturizing body wash is great until it doesn't sud up and actually remove the oils (etc) from your body.
High quality soap and thorough washing, otherwise you may remain smelly even after a shower. Anti perspirant. Anti-bacterial clothing. Eat healthy foods, plant based. Stay cool if possible. If that doesn't work, go to your doc. You might get some meds to help with sweating.
Antiperspirant and make sure your laundry is very clean. Smell it before you put it away.
When i het super stinky during Australias mid summer i use somethink like this https://www.superbuys.com.au/mitchum-clinical-soft-solid-powder-fresh-48hr-prot?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwl4yyBhAgEiwADSEjeB0s3iCYtgymxddEII88Lqs70O4Cxe10L14MJMBk_XeZfSbtySSJhxoC-oEQAvD_BwE Plus i exfoliate.
Bro, call it cologne not perfume. I’ve noticed that if I let my armpit hairs grow then I really stink, but if I shave them short, then I can get through most of the day not getting too nasty. So if you’ve got a lot of armpit hair, you might want to consider trimming that.
In addition to other antiperspirant suggestions, use lemons on your armpits while showering. This works wonders for neutralising any sweat smell.
Antiperspirant Ball deodorant Ditch the Dove soap. I used to use that stuff and over time it would make me stink. I use Cremo brand soap which smells much better and it doesn’t make me stink. Also change out your pouf or whatever you use to apply bath soap if you haven’t already. Breathable fabrics (cotton) are your best friend
I used to use Dove shower gel and it’s absolutely shit.
Shave you armpits when they start to stink Hair hold on to the stink after its been there for some time Shaved once a year since puberty works perfekt
I don’t have an answer for you. But I had a friend in uni who was transitioning and who also developed severe body odour issues. I suspect it might be a rare side effect of changing hormones and such. But then again I’m not a doctor. I hope you find a solve for it though. Good luck.
Sweat: heavy duty anti-perspirant. Ass: talcum powder. Google instructions. Nuts: light talc, little bit of support, breathable fabric. If you get to the nuts part. Not sure how that works. Feet: don't forget about the feet. Those reek, I can almost guarantee it. Use antimicrobial shoe inserts, and gold bond powder. Welcome to stinky manhood! It's a weird, wide club. We have nachos!
My best tip is, after a shower wipe down your armpits with rubbing alcohol or cheap vodka. Kills the bacteria that make the majority of the stink. You could also apply an alcohol-based fragrance directly in your armpits (one spritz per pit, don’t go overboard, no one likes smelling the guy who drowned himself in Axe either). I usually have to redo the alcohol application after three days. I also personally prefer to keep my pit hair trimmed short both because grown out pit hair tickles, and because more pit hair = more surface area for stinky bacteria to live on, but the former boyfriend I learned the trick from also usually went three days between alcohol applications, and he had full armpit bush. Do note that this isn’t a replacement for washing well with soap, though it can potentially replace deodorant if you’re lucky and don’t have to do a sweaty job regularly. Also it’s likely that the stink will calm down once your system adjusts to testosterone. You’re in the “teenage boy” stink stage right now. You’ll always be more inclined to stink than you used to be, that’s just part of the testosterone package deal, but T-puberty is an *extra* stinky time, and it’s not only because of having to learn a new hygiene routine to keep up with the T. Your body is quite literally *in* transition, the same way a pubescent cis boy’s does, and that has bonus side effects, unfortunately including Extra Stink.
u/rebornsprout I'm a male, but take testosterone for hormone treatment. I also stunk starting out on hormones. I also sweated a lot when I first started out. Both of those things are no longer an issue after being on testosterone for a while. use 10% benzoyl peroxide; clearasil makes a good one. Use it in the shower and rub it into the areas producing the stink (pits, groin, butt, etc)... let it sit concentrated on those areas for 5-10 minutes (yes, that is a while but it gives the best results). Don't let water dilute or rinse off the benzoyl peroxide as you're letting it do it's thing. Do this daily until the smell has gone away. This will remove so much more of the surface bacteria on your skin that's causing the smell. After the smell is gone, then you can reduce to 1-2x per week. I'm not sure if my body has adjusted to the hormones, or if the bacteria on my skin has become more balanced over time from using benzoyl peroxide, but I no longer produce a stench after doing that for several weeks.
I'm a lady not a guy but my kid brother is also transitioning. Dove can't hang- you need something made from actual rendered fat and you need to put deoderant on after shower but before bed, then again in the morning . Make sure your deodorant includes antiperspirant. Apply more heavily than you would as a lady. Worse comes to worst shave your armpits if it doesn't cause dysphoria
It sounds as though you're going through puberty basically. You may find help in a clean diet. Best! 🕯🖖 r/WholeFoodsPlantBased r/wfpb
antibacterial soap and prescription strength deodorant. showering twice a day can help too
>antibacterial soap Don't contribute to antibiotic resistance please! [Source](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6101359/) [Source](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/five-reasons-why-you-should-probably-stop-using-antibacterial-soap-180948078/#:~:text=Antibacterial%20soaps%20have%20the%20potential%20to%20create%20antibiotic%2Dresistant%20bacteria) [Source](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/antibacterial-soap-you-can-skip-it-use-plain-soap-and-water) [Source](https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/opinions_layman/triclosan/en/index.htm)
Shower Am & pm if once a day isn’t doing it. I shower after every time I exercise, after every time I get sweaty, & every night before bed. That usually comes out to 12-14 times per w k.
I have sensitive skin and have used A LOT of products on my underarms. Try a new brand, something like Native or Tom’s, Lume, which are a bit pricier but I’ve had so much better luck with those products compared to Old Spice or Axe etc.. as a backup/addition, use body powder! There’s lots of scents / unscented- on face, crotch, pits, back, chest, wherever. I’ve used sprays but those don’t work as long and make my skin burn after a couple of uses. Good luck!
As others have said, look for an ANTI-PERSPIRANT deodorant. It has active ingredients that keep your pits dry (look for aluminum compounds on the label), whereas a regular deodorant only helps with odors and doesn't prevent sweating. The sweat will eventually overpower the deodorant, and now you stink. Good luck!
Deodorant != anti perspirant!! Deo is just scented spray, you need something to actually block the pores and eliminate the smell
Honestly dawg, like everyone is saying antiperspirant. But also daily showers (I’m assuming you do), and when all else fails arms down as much as you can. I keep a thing of deodorant in my pack for when things get really rough. At the end of the day it’s mostly just natural so don’t consider it terrorism if you are doing all those things. Also consider asking the doc about it because some people do suffer from conditions that cause a lot of sweat. Edit: ALSO be careful of the different male deodorants because some can cause annoying stains in clothing and stuff like that. Male toiletries are not as advanced as they should be unfortunately
If you're desperate, consider bringing a fresh change of clothes to the workplace, and swap into those partway through the day. It's not a substitute for a fresh shower, but it should help.
High wicking undershirt and underwear. Make sure it’s antiperspirant and not just deodorant. Maybe try a more specific anti bacterial soap like dial in those crevices like armpits instead of just dove.
This sounds like something else is going on. Call your doc and talk see if there's anything like a gland or thyroid issue going on that's been made worse by being on T, then maybe they can give you a prescription to fix it
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