Any guy who has experienced swamp crotch knows the value of a deodorizing product down there. Things can get extremely musky extremely fast, so keeping things dry and fresh is essential. But moisture accumulation isn’t always the issue. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of odor from things like stress sweat—and for many of us, it’s not just our thighs and groin that we’re concerned about. Maybe it’s your feet, your backside, your under-butt, or under-boobs—any place where sweat and bacterial-induced odor can accumulate.
These body parts are the prime targets for full-body deodorant, which is exploding in the grooming marketplace right now. Brands like Dove, Old Spice, Degree, Native, and SheaMoisture are all jumping on board the full-body deo train along with the brands that helped define the category: Lume, and Mando.
The Main Brands Behind Full-Body Deodorant
Dr. Shannon Klingman, CEO of Lume and Mando, built her brand on the notion that women experience odor in many places besides the pits, so it was important to launch a product that targets odor while honoring the sensitivities of places like the groin, feet, breasts, and so forth. So, no harsh ingredients like baking soda (a favorite for pit-targeting deos) are found in the products. In Lume’s case, the formula is powered by mandelic acid, which is an exfoliating alpha hydroxy acid that also keeps skin looking bright and feeling smooth.
The Lume line includes creams, sticks, and wipes, and led to the subsequent launch of Mando to target men. (The main difference is the scents ICYWW.) Key ingredients in these recipes include corn starch, tapioca starch, and arrowroot powder, depending on the product—all common ingredients in natural deodorants and swamp-crotch stiflers that focus on absorbing moisture and preventing chafing.
Lume and Mando are owned by Harry’s now, which has built out a formidable roster of grooming products beyond just razors, including body wash, dandruff shampoo, and deodorant and antiperspirant—so don’t be shocked if Harry’s soon launches a full-body deodorant, too, given the way the industry is trending.
Can Any Deodorant Be a Full-Body Deodorant?
The rise of full-body deos begs the question: Can’t we just use regular deodorants everywhere on the body, both synthetic and natural? And the answer is a very murky maybe.
“While a deodorant may be repurposed for the full body, it is very important that the company has done safety testing to confirm appropriateness for other, particularly sensitive, areas of the body and include proper warnings,” says Kelly Dobos, former president of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists and current chair of the SCC’s Ohio Valley Chapter. “These products contain—or should—a warning that they are external use only, which means they should not contact any mucosa.” (A.k.a.: the urethra, vagina, and anus.)
Dobos says to double-check the roster of ingredients any time a brand says its product is “safe for every single part of the body,” because it’s likely that you need to avoid those particular orifices. So here’s the general thinking: If a brand says its product is good for the whole body, then that probably means it’s good for everywhere except near your mucus holes. It also probably means the product won’t feel tacky on the skin or leave any streaks.
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