Best deodorant for men: Smell terrific with the best sprays and roll-ons you can buy
Smell swell and get perfectly scented pits with the best deodorants a man can get
Deodorant is something you absolutely need if you plan to move among polite society. Yes, we all sweat; even the most inert of people can’t help it, particularly when we encounter heat and humidity or indulge in any form of physical exercise.
But that doesn’t mean we have to suffer our own off-scent, or impose it on others around us, when a simple aerosol spray, roll on, or even deodorant balm can make those awful odours disappear instantly.
Which of these application options is best for you and, indeed, are certain brands better for you both medically and ethically? Do you have especially sensitive skin, or adhere to a certain lifestyle which means general, run-of-the-mill smell-stoppers are not for you? We’ve selected five excellent deodorants, designed to cover every armpit.
Best deodorants for men: At a glance
- Best for the overly active: Sure Men Deospray Anti-Perspirant Sport Cool
- Best deodorant for more intimate areas: SweatBlock Man Parts Super Fresh
- Best deodorant for vegans: Salt of the Earth Pure Armour
- Best men’s deodorant on a budget: Sure Men Advanced Protection Extreme Fresh
How to choose the best men’s deodorant for you
What causes pongy pits?
As that nice lady from US sitcom Friends used to say in shampoo adverts on TV: “Here comes the science!” Basically, the problems in your armpits (and other areas, such as the groin) arise when the apocrine glands (sweat glands) in the underarm release high-protein sweat. Bacteria that lurk on our skin love a bit of protein and so they feast on it, metabolising it and releasing that nasty niff as a byproduct.
The whole process is all perfectly normal and natural, but not doing anything about it will probably see you shunned on public transport and, perhaps, in broader areas of life too, so can-up and spray, roll or rub your pits back to peak freshness.
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How does deodorant help?
With deodorant, it’s all about killing that hungry bacteria skulking about on your skin, thus stopping it from metabolising the aforementioned sweat protein and emitting that unmistakable armpit aroma.
Throw in a pleasantly fresh fragrance too, and your deodorant effectively neutralises unpleasant odour, keeping previously problem armpits in the clear and you no longer a social outcast.
What’s the difference between a deodorant and an antiperspirant?
While deodorants work to battle the bacteria that cause bad underarm odour and replace that unwanted whiff with something fresh and healthy smelling, antiperspirants work to control and reduce the actual sweat you produce by blocking your sweat ducts with aluminium salts contained within the spray. They also help to reduce the amount of bacteria too, thereby helping to minimise any smell. Naturally, the blockage is only temporary, but sufficient to keep you dry during most day-to-day activities.
Some deodorants also include an antiperspirant element as well, giving a double-whammy of sweat and stink-stopping action, including the Sure Men Deospray Anti-Perspirant Sport Cool spray we’ve looked at below, but unless you’re some kind of constantly exercising Olympian or just a free-flowing sweat faucet, one or the other is usually enough.
On a final point, if constant sweating does occur and no deodorant or antiperspirant options seem to help, it could well be worth having a chat with your GP, as there are medical methods of helping deal with it.
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The best men’s deodorants to buy in 2023
1. Salt of the Earth Pure Armour: Best deodorant for vegans
Price: £6 | Buy now from Amazon
Wait, what? A deodorant for vegans? Yes… and no. While Salt of the Earth from Pure Armour is Vegan Society approved, its natural ability to stop stench can – of course – be used by anyone, regardless of lifestyle choice.
A roll-on formulated for men, Salt of the Earth calls upon the centuries-old Southeast Asian tradition of using naturally occurring mineral salts to offset body odour. The active ingredient in this case is potassium alum, which prevents the growth of bacteria on skin by creating an invisible antibacterial layer, stopping smell while letting skin breathe.
With 100% natural ingredients, aloe vera to soothe skin, and a fresh, neutral fragrance, Salt of the Earth leaves no wash-resistant white marks on clothes and offers all-day protection.
Finally, as if all this green goodness wasn’t already enough, if you’re questioning its shipping carbon footprint, Salt of the Earth is made in the UK.
Key details – Format: Roll on; Skin type: Sensitive; Scent: Woody notes; Alcohol free: Yes; Capacity: 75ml
Natural Deodorant Roll On for Men by Salt of the Earth, Pure Armour - Vegan, Long Lasting Protection, Leaping Bunny Approved, Made in the UK - 75ml
2. Sure Men Deospray Anti-Perspirant Sport Cool: Best deodorant for the highly active
Price: £1.50 | Buy it now from Boots
A more traditional choice now, in the shape of the gym-bag-loving Sure Men Deospray Anti-Perspirant Sport Cool. Designed with nothing but the most ardent athlete in mind, whether you’re a five-a-side footy fanatic or a Lycra-clad weightlifting lover, the unique formulation of Sport Cool is for you.
Giving odour protection for up to 48 hours, this aerosol answer to excess sweat comes boasting something Sure calls “MotionSense” technology, in which microcapsules sit on the surface of your skin until friction from your movement snaps them open, releasing more fragrance. So, in theory, the harder you exercise, the better you smell – something your teammates or other gym members will silently thank you for.
Packing a very fresh fragrance of mint and citrus, although it’s alcohol-free, apply in a well-ventilated area and always avoid contact with broken skin, otherwise you’ll end odour- but not pain-free.
Key details – Format: Aerosol; Skin type: Normal; Scent: Mint/citrus; Alcohol free: Yes; Capacity: 250ml
3. SweatBlock Man Parts Super Fresh: Best deodorant for intimate areas
Price: £13 | Buy now from Amazon
Getting very specific on male odour issue areas, Man Parts Super Fresh from SweatBlock is a special roll-on deodorant specifically formulated for, well, your man parts.
Created to help stop staleness, stench and stickiness ruining your day or your date, the deodorant rolls on as standard, but then SweatBlock’s clever, all-natural formula dries to a silky powder-like coat to provide day-long comfort and protection for your undercarriage.
Capable of tackling both heat and humidity, Man Parts’ blend of oat flour, arrowroot, witch hazel, kaolin clay and aloe combine to combat any itchiness or other discomfort, eliminating any need for embarrassing “man adjustment” and leaving you far more at ease with yourself and the contents of your pants when out and about.
Coming with a clean, fresh fragrance, and mercifully alcohol-free, if swamp crotch affects how you live your life, give Man Parts Super Fresh a go and reclaim your cool.
Key details – Format: Roll on; Skin type: Normal; Scent: Clean; Alcohol free: Yes; Capacity: 4 fl/oz
Super Fresh Ball Deodorant for Men by SweatBlock | Prevent Sweaty Man Parts & Odor (Balls, Butt and Groin) | Talc-Free | Lotion-to-Powder, No Mess, Quick-Dry Formula | 4 fl oz Tube
4. Go All Natural Activated Charcoal: Best deodorant for natural odour-elimination
Price: £10 | Buy now from Go All Natural
A family run business borne out of a desire to create a 100% natural skincare range, Go All Natural is not joking about, well, going all natural, as every aspect of their five-strong deodorant balm range (Lotion Bars are also available) is made from only the finest organic and natural ingredients, including the 100% recyclable aluminium tins it comes supplied in.
Unlike antiperspirants which unnaturally clog your sweat glands with aluminium, Go All Natural products leaves the pores unblocked, neutralising nasty niffs instead and uses essential oils to replace them with a pleasingly subtle scent.
Suitable for all skin types, including sensitive thanks to its mild, chemical-free formulation, in the case of this option the activated charcoal additionally helps to draw out the toxins and bacteria in your skin that would otherwise have you smelling like an old gym bag, nullifies them and leaves behind an understated aroma of bloody orange and geranium.
Applied by rubbing a pea-sized proportion into your pits with your fingertips, there really is no more natural a way to beat a bad bacterial bouquet than Go All Natural.
Key details – Format: Balm; Skin type: All; Scent: Hints of orange and geranium; Alcohol free: Yes; Capacity: 60g
100% Natural Deodorant Balm by Procoal - Zero Potassium Alum, 100% Aluminium Free, Vegan Deodorant For Women & Men, Cruelty-Free, Plastic-free, Made in UK
5. Sure Men Advanced Protection Extreme Fresh: Best deodorant on a budget
Price: £3 | Buy now from Boots
Sometimes all you need is a quick blast of an aerosol under the arms and it’s job done for the day. No faffing around, no unnecessary expense, just a deodorant that’ll keep you from emitting offensive odours between showers. That deodorant is Sure Men Advanced Protection Extreme Fresh.
Despite only costing a couple of quid, Extreme Fresh contains the same MotionSense tech as Sure’s Sport Cool, meaning that although you may not be athletically engaged, when you do move, those aforementioned microcapsules will release fragrance afresh, keeping you smelling, not so much of roses, but of a cool, fresh aroma like you’d not long stepped from the shower.
Dermatologically tested and alcohol-free, Sure’s claim of a full 72 hours’ worth of protection make it the ideal option for the likes of outdoor enthusiasts off on a weekend hike, travellers off on a long-haul flight and, indeed, hygiene-dodging teenagers who need all the help they can get.
Key details – Format: Aerosol; Skin type: Normal; Scent: Fresh; Alcohol free: Yes; Capacity: 200ml
6. Go All Natural Lovely Fresh: Best deodorant
Price: £10 | Buy now from Go All Natural
Another option from the anti-awful-aroma arsenal of Go All Natural, akin to its Activated Charcoal stablemate, Lovely Fresh contains nothing but the best in organic and natural ingredients to keep your pores free from the possible ill-effects of armpit blocking aluminium, while imbuing you with a light aroma that we’re told was “inspired by a crisp fresh breeze on a lovely Sunday morning”.
Whilst I can’t comment on that, what I can tell you is that a blend of peppermint, juniper berries and lemon verbena, it smells good enough to eat. But don’t, even if it is all natural.
Working by neutralising the stuff in sweat that has the potential to make you unpopular at parties, all unpleasant emanation is removed and replaced instead with the sweet, neutral scent described above.
Safe for use on al skin types, Go All Natural Lovely Fresh has the power to free you from the fear of armpit odour problems in the most natural way possible.
Key details – Format: Balm; Skin type: All; Scent: Peppermint, Juniper & Lemon Verbena; Alcohol free: Yes; Capacity: 60g
