Can antiperspirants contribute to penis odor?

Sexual partners rise and fall on a number of factors that vary from person to person and from couple to couple. One factor that tends to be very important is how hygienic the other partner is, or appears to be. Clearly, visible signs of proper hygiene are important, but other senses can come into play when assessing a partner’s hygiene levels, including the sense of smell. In such cases, a very unpleasant or off-putting penis odor can cause a partner to withdraw, concerned not only about hygiene but also about what the penis odor might convey about the health status of their partner’s penis. This is one of the reasons men need to know if they have a penile odor problem and what might be contributing to it. Interestingly, and perhaps counterintuitively, the use of antiperspirants can in some cases make things worse.

The sweat factor

While it’s true that there can be other causes of penile odor, such as a urinary tract infection or fungal condition, sweat is often a big culprit in producing pungent penile odor. When a man sweats, he mixes with bacteria and releases a variety of scents, some of which are definitely not appealing.

And the penis is situated in such a way that it can be like a magnet for sweat. For starters, unless a man becomes masculine, his penis is under a thick layer of pubic hair that serves to insulate the penis and balls, adding to the heat. Also, resting between or on top of your thighs adds another layer of body heat. And when the penis is erect, the inflow of blood into the penis also adds more heat.

But that’s not where things stop. Most men wear underwear and pants, forming a double layer of clothing, which means the area stays twice as warm as many other parts of the body. With all this, is it any wonder that men tend to sweat in their crotch and that odor tends to collect there?

antiperspirants

But still, why should antiperspirants contribute in any way to an unwanted penile odor situation? After all, antiperspirants are designed to STOP sweat. And besides, most men wear antiperspirants under their arms, not on or around their penis.

All of this is true, but with a little thought one can see how antiperspirants could increase penile stench.

Both deodorants and antiperspirants help kill bacteria that combine with sweat to create odor. But antiperspirants also help block sweat pores so sweat has a much harder time even leaving the body in the areas where it’s applied.

Yes, the antiperspirant is not applied to the penis or surrounding areas. But if it is worn under the arms, it does not mean that the sweat has been destroyed; it simply means that the sweat that is produced can no longer easily exit the body through the armpits. Instead, it needs to find another way out of the body, so it travels to other areas that aren’t buffered by antiperspirants, like the penis. Therefore, more sweat leaves the body through the penis, which increases the chance of a rancid penile odor.

None of this is to say that a man should stop using antiperspirants, but if he does use them, he should do an even better job of blocking penile odor. For example, he needs to wash very well and he may need to do it more often.

Another great way to use antiperspirants and still combat penis odor is to apply a top penis health cream daily. (Health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven to be gentle and safe for skin). The cream should contain vitamin A, which has antibacterial properties that can help decrease persistent penile odors. The cream should also include a powerful antioxidant, such as alpha lipoic acid. By combating excess radicals that can cause oxidative stress in the skin of the penis, Alpha Lipoic Acid strengthens the skin so it can better respond to efforts to combat excess odor.