Step into any supermarket or pharmacy, and you'll find aisles brimming with products designed to make you smell "fresh", feel "clean", or somehow achieve a level of "purity" that no human body naturally possesses.
Author
- Michelle Spear
Professor of Anatomy, University of Bristol
Whole-body deodorants have joined the lineup of intimate washes, douches and steaming kits, with internet searches for these deodorants massively increasing since 2023. All promise to do what your body is already masterfully equipped to handle: keeping itself clean and functioning.
But here's the thing, your body is not unclean.
Whole-body deodorants are marketed for areas beyond the armpit, most commonly feet and intimate areas - but the premise that these areas are inherently dirty is misleading. In fact, the body is a finely tuned biological system that has been self-regulating for millennia. The notion that you need expensive products to achieve basic hygiene is a fallacy rooted in marketing, not science.
Self-cleaning vaginas
The vagina is one of the most misunderstood parts of the body when it comes to hygiene. Despite its remarkable ability to maintain its own health through a delicate balance of pH and beneficial bacteria, an entire industry exists to sell products that disrupt this natural system.
From douches to scented wipes, these products often cause the very issues they claim to solve, such as infections or irritation.
Central to the vagina's self-cleaning process is vaginal discharge - a natural and essential function. Discharge consists of water, mucus and cells shed from the vaginal lining, which flush out bacteria, dead cells and debris.
Thanks to this continuous self-flushing mechanism, no internal cleaning, such as douching, is necessary. In fact, such interventions can disturb the vaginal microbiome , increasing the risk of bacterial vaginosis or yeast infections.
Vaginal steaming , a practice promoted by wellness influencers, claims to "cleanse" or "revitalise" the uterus and vagina. Yet there is no evidence of benefit and, in terms of the uterus, reveals a misunderstanding of anatomy. It is unnecessary at best and harmful at worst.
While the vagina takes care of its internal health, the external vulval area does require some attention. Exposed to sweat, urine and natural oils, the vulval skin benefits from gentle daily cleaning with warm water or mild soap.
Male intimate hygiene
For men, the marketing approach differs but remains equally misleading. Products like intimate washes and deodorising sprays are presented as essential for modern grooming. Consider the rise of "ball sprays" (a genuine term) and lotions, which promise to keep the scrotum dry and odour-free.
The scrotum is more than just a protective pouch for the testes; it is also a thermoregulating organ designed to maintain an optimal temperature for sperm production . To achieve this, the scrotum is equipped with eccrine sweat glands .
These glands are small coiled structures located within the dermis of the skin. They function by releasing sweat through ducts that open directly onto the surface of the skin. This sweat evaporates, dissipating heat and helping to cool the scrotum.
Unlike apocrine sweat glands found in areas such as the armpits or groin, eccrine glands do not produce the lipid-rich secretions that can lead to body odour when broken down by bacteria, so scrotum sweat is typically odourless.
While excessive moisture can lead to issues such as fungal infections, these are often managed with breathable fabrics, regular washing and thorough drying - not specialised products.
Feet - the unsung heroes of sweat regulation
Feet, often confined in socks and shoes, are another frequent target of whole-body deodorants and sprays. Feet are not inherently dirty, they are simply hardworking, equipped with about 250,000 sweat glands - the highest concentration of sweat glands in the body.
Like the scrotum, these are eccrine sweat glands, releasing mostly water-based sweat to help cool the feet, particularly during physical activity or in warm conditions.
Moisture from sweat also reduces friction between the skin and footwear. Additionally, eccrine sweat keeps the skin of the feet supple and prevents cracking, which might otherwise create entry points for infections.
Though sweat from the feet is odourless when trapped in moist, warm environments such as socks or shoes, bacteria on the skin break down sweat components, releasing compounds that cause odour. Prolonged moisture can also lead to fungal infections, such as athlete's foot and skin maceration, where softened skin becomes more prone to irritation or breakdown.
Managing foot sweat involves supporting the body's natural processes rather than eliminating them. Daily washing with warm water and mild soap, followed by thorough drying, is essential.
So, the bottom line is, if a company is trying to sell you the idea that your body is inherently unclean, it's likely not your hygiene that needs fixing. It's their marketing pitch.
However, if body odour persists despite daily washing, it could signal an underlying medical condition. These conditions deserve sympathetic investigation and appropriate support, not masking with overpriced products that treat only the symptom rather than the cause.
Michelle Spear does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
