Searching for an adult smelling deodorant.

July 1, 2013 5:39 AM

It has been decades since I've worn deodorant. I think I need to start wearing it again for a couple of reasons. All of the deodorants at the drugstore smell to me either cheap, or like something a teenager would wear. Is there somewhere else I should search? Can anyone recommend anything? Roll-on, non-antiperspirant preferred. (Please no salt stone suggestions, they have not worked for me.)
posted by OmieWise to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (38 answers total)

Not sure whether you are looking for a "feminine" or "masculine" scent, but you may have to hunt around for non-antiperspirants anyhow. Tom's of Maine has a few in various scents -- I've found the largest selection at Whole Foods and The Vitamin Shoppe.
posted by wisekaren at 5:46 AM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

Have you tried unscented?
posted by Jacqueline at 5:47 AM on July 1, 2013 [8 favorites]

Clinique's deodorant doesn't smell at all and does the job for me.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 5:52 AM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

I have had allergic reactions to antiperspirants; is this your reason to avoid it? If so, try Dove sensitive skin fragrance free antiperspirant deodorant. It's been good for me.

I can't help but think of deodorant non-antiperspirant as just asking to rub some smelly stuff on your armpits that smells more strongly when you do sweat. I'd rather not sweat in the first place.
posted by fontophilic at 5:53 AM on July 1, 2013

Seconding unscented.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 5:57 AM on July 1, 2013

I like the Tom's of Maine scents, and it also comes in unscented.
posted by tchemgrrl at 6:02 AM on July 1, 2013

Response by poster: How does unscented work if it isn't also an anti-perspirant? My desire for a non-anti-perspirant is not allergy based at all.

Looking for masculine scents.
posted by OmieWise at 6:04 AM on July 1, 2013

Unscented is the best for aesthetics (pretend like you've been living in a biodome for the past ten years -- what the fuck spice is old spice?) and also for avoiding irritation. Get a clear gel variety.
posted by oceanjesse at 6:05 AM on July 1, 2013

Angry Chicken makes her own deodorant. She uses orange and ylang ylang essential oils; you could as easily scent yours with cedar, vetiver, sandalwood, some other manly thing, or nothing at all.

If you want a commercial deodorant that smells but doesn't smell cheap, you should know that lots of men's colognes are available in deodorant form. L'Occitane Eaux de Baux smells amazing, but if your tastes run to more upscale fragrances, look through Sak's selection of men's deodorants.
posted by apparently at 6:06 AM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

(I like right guard unscented gel)
posted by oceanjesse at 6:11 AM on July 1, 2013

You can make your own deodorant with baking soda, cornstarch, and coconut oil. Leave it unscented, add tea tree oil, or add whatever essential oils you like. It's not as convenient as commercial deodorants (and can melt in the summer), but it works pretty well.
posted by Metroid Baby at 6:11 AM on July 1, 2013

I am of the female persuasion but I use Tom's of Maine unscented. The idea of deodorant is that the (non aluminum) ingredients act with your sweat to neutralize scent. You can add scent on top of that if you choose. This is not the same thing as, say, applying something with a stronger scent to mask or cover up the smell of your sweat.

Sniff the Tom's men's line but don't be afraid of simply using the unscented.
posted by janey47 at 6:11 AM on July 1, 2013 [2 favorites]

I like Arm & Hammer deodorant. I'm female, but I think the scent isn't gender specific. My husband uses Speed Stick, musk scent, which I think is pleasant on him, and more "masculine".
posted by Kriesa at 6:16 AM on July 1, 2013

My husband has used Dove & Old Spice in the past, and he doesn't smell teenagery -- in fact, I can't really smell it at all.
posted by hrj at 6:20 AM on July 1, 2013

Seconding sio42's Arm and hammer unscented (specifically the "Essentials" line). Also found at our grocery store, not drugstore/Target/etc.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 6:25 AM on July 1, 2013

Arm & Hammer unscented here too. Seems like it's getting harder to find.
posted by werkzeuger at 6:38 AM on July 1, 2013

Mostly, I use regular (not anti-antiperspirant) deodorants made with Tea Tree oil, which has a pretty pleasing grown up sort of scent that isn't particularly masculine or feminine. If you want something that screams " I am masculine and grown up," English Leather makes a deodorant that smells like Dad after he's been drinking. I kind of like it.
posted by voiceofreason at 6:41 AM on July 1, 2013

I find the best, most moderate scents in the natural products areas. I use Tom's of Maine's calendula but it might not be masculine enough, they also have woodspice and lemongrass which are fairly innocuous. They have a few roll-on options including citrus and a fragrance free. JASON has both a tea tree oil and an unscented stick that are good. I don't know anything about this one, but Ban has a fresh cotton scent that I'm curious about.
posted by jessamyn at 6:48 AM on July 1, 2013

From what I understand, antiperspirants stop the sweat, deodorants stop the smell, by killing bacteria in the general area. Combinations do both. So, yes, I would assume you could have an unscented deodorant. I use the deodorant only spray crystal stuff, it is unscented, and it does de-stink, without blocking sweat glands.
posted by kellyblah at 6:57 AM on July 1, 2013

I am a woman, but I use the Tom's of Maine unscented deodorant.

It's the absolute best for a whole host of reasons. I don't like scent-y deodorant and can't stand antiperspirant, so that's my recommendation. You can get a scented deodorant from them that is geared toward men, too. Apparently that is a mountain spring scent (whatever that is.)
posted by zizzle at 7:04 AM on July 1, 2013

I'm going to expand a bit on the natural deodorant suggestion: the essential oils they use to scent the product are mellow and layer well under any other scent you might want to use instead of clashing with it. Sandalwood, tea tree and/or citrus combinations tend to be masculine.
posted by tenaciousmoon at 7:04 AM on July 1, 2013

I find most of the major "manly" brands to be way too strong, even those that claim to be unscented. My body chemistry and Tom's don't get along but I can recommend Queen Helene Tea Tree Oil as another natural deodorant with a fairly neutral scent.
posted by Lorin at 7:09 AM on July 1, 2013

I like Tom's of Maine. I've used unscented in the past, which is good, but like woodspice and lemongrass (what I use now) more.
posted by Betelgeuse at 7:48 AM on July 1, 2013

I've used Mitchum unscented roll-on for years. It's available everywhere. It has absolutely no scent. I compete in a hot-weather sport that requires a shirt with some sort of sleeve, and I never have any underarm wetness and neither have I noticed people backing away with crinkled noses.
posted by Dolley at 7:49 AM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

I like the Weleda sprays. They have several scents, I like citrus.
posted by payoto at 7:49 AM on July 1, 2013

"How does unscented work if it's not an antiperspirant?"

Armpit odor is partly caused by bacteria that live there. The bacteria waste products cause some of the smell.

Deodorants work in two ways:
1. By creating an environment inhospitable to those bacteria
2. "Covering up" the scent with another scent

Unscented deodorants would rely only on #1.
posted by sarah_pdx at 7:54 AM on July 1, 2013

My man uses these Dove Men + Care non-antiperspirant deodorants, the Clean Comfort and Extra Fresh, and they make him smell awesome. Like, I sniff his pits to smell him awesome.
posted by jabes at 8:26 AM on July 1, 2013

Another for Arm & Hammer.
posted by uncaken at 8:42 AM on July 1, 2013

I rely on the Toms of Maine unscented. It's got a very mild scent (mostly coriander). (It's getting harder to find though, because my grocery store mostly carried their "long-lasting" variety which makes me itchy.) As far as I know, it works fine.
posted by leahwrenn at 9:59 AM on July 1, 2013

Old Spice Deodorant smells great. Now there are lots of kinds of Old Spice, what you are looking for is Classic.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:59 AM on July 1, 2013

I like Tom's calendula, when I can find it, and it smells gender-neutrally good to me (I discovered it via an opposite-sex friend).
posted by Edna Million at 10:50 AM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

Arm & Hammer Naturals. My wife wears unscented and I wear "fresh". Both are almost unnoticeable scent wise.
posted by wcfields at 11:31 AM on July 1, 2013

While I am a female-type, Tom's of Maine Calendula user myself, I have a male friend who uses old school Speed Stick Deodorant (not anti-perspirant) in the regular scent and (possibly TMI) it is intoxicating to me. I know what you mean about the drugstore scents smelling cheap/teen-agery but something changes about this once it's on and it just smells like I want every guy to smell.
posted by hapax_legomenon at 2:23 PM on July 1, 2013

Mitchum Unscented.
posted by 2oh1 at 2:43 PM on July 1, 2013

Tom's of Maine is the only deodorant that isn't an antiperspirant I have ever found that actually works for me and I have tried every single one I can find. Their scents are simple and light and rather gender-neutral.
posted by Foam Pants at 9:26 PM on July 1, 2013

Mitchum, Speed Stick original, Old Spice original.
posted by stenseng at 11:30 AM on July 2, 2013

Response by poster: Thanks everyone. My whole life I thought that antiperspirant worked only by masking the generate scent. I'm going to try one of the unscented varieties listed here.
posted by OmieWise at 11:09 AM on July 3, 2013

Response by poster: I actually tried one of the Tom's flavors that is based on lemongrass, and I think it's great. Thanks.
posted by OmieWise at 2:03 PM on August 6, 2013