Majority of men self-conscious about this

A new study has found a majority of American men are self-conscious about how they smell.

The poll of 2,000 US millennial men found 72% of men are anxious about how their body smells on any typical day.

Body odor was found to be a heavy weight on men’s minds: 52% worry they have body odor and aren’t aware of it. Nearly as many (51%) have concerns they don’t know how to fix their body odor. Still, 59% said they’d want someone to tell them if they have bad body odor.

The body parts men are most concerned about when it comes to odor include their armpits (71%), neck (40%), head and hair (39%), arms (30%) and hands (25%).

Meanwhile, the body parts men felt were “important” to keep smelling good included their hands (25%), chest (21%) and even their groin (15%). Seven in 10 (71%) said their armpits were especially important to keep smelling good.

Commissioned by Old Spice Total Body Deodorant and conducted by OnePoll, the study found three in four are worried about their smells being embedded in their clothes after they take them off.

Nearly half (48%) have even canceled plans with friends over self-conscious fears that they smelled bad. In fact, 51% of men would rather be late to events but smell good.

Men shared the situations where they felt they were most likely to have bad body odor, including during their first sexual experience with a new partner (34%), during a job interview (18%) or after a workout (11%).

Similarly, they believe the most important occasions to smell good are during the first sexual experiences with a new partner (35%), during job interviews (19%) and during first dates (18%).

The results also found that if they notice body odor on themselves, men will put on more deodorant (62%), change their clothes (49%) or apply powder (45%).

To control odor from their groin, they’ll more specifically use deodorant spray (57%), take extra showers (53%) and limit physical activity (49%).

“While having body odor all over is normal, it’s a concern for guys who aren’t quite sure how to address it beyond their armpits,” said Dr. Maiysha Jones, Principal Scientist, North America Personal Care for Old Spice at Procter & Gamble. “Body odor originates from odor-causing bacteria at skin folds, so it’s important to fight odor where it starts and are gentle enough to use all over."

Nearly eight in 10 (78%) will use products to control their body odor at least twice per day and have an average of three different products in their daily routine to ensure they stay smelling good.

Men also confirmed they feel the most confident when friends (37%) and family members (22%) compliment how they smell.

A third have even seen their relationships end over body odor. Thirty-five percent have been broken up with because of how they smelled — interestingly, 38% said they’ve been the one to initiate a breakup because their partner smelled bad.

“We are seeing in our research that many guys who worry about body odor often suffer in silence,” said Kate DiCarlo, Senior Director, Communications, Personal Care Portfolio for Old Spice at Procter & Gamble. "We understand that men value 24/7 odor protection, and we're continuously expanding our product offerings to meet their grooming needs."

TOP THREE SITUATIONS WHERE IT’S IMPORTANT TO SMELL GOOD

• During the first sexual experience with a new partner - 35%
• During a job interview - 19%
• During a first date - 18%

Survey methodology:

This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 millennial American men was commissioned by Old Spice Total Body Deodorant between September 29 and October 19, 2023. It was conducted by market research company OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).