10 Practical Tips: Dealing with a Smelly Groin & Crotch Area in Men (2024)

Why do we sometimes experience a bad smell in the groin area?

The unpleasant smell in the groin area is often associated with sweating in the genital region.

Sweating is a natural process of the human body that helps regulate body temperature. When it occurs in areas with a high concentration of sweat glands, it can lead to unpleasant smell.

You probably know that there are many sweat glands (where sweat comes from) in the armpits, hence we all sweat more or less from the armpits.

But there are also many sweat glands in the groin and genital organs!

Moreover, the crotch area is not well-ventilated, due to the anatomical shape of this region and clothing. This reinforces the fact that we sweat a lot, and the sweat has difficulty evaporating.

What is the link between sweating and a bad smell? Here’s how it happens:

1. Activation of apocrine sweat glands in the crotch: Apocrine sweat glands are particularly abundant in the genital region and armpits. Unlike eccrine glands that produce clear sweat mainly composed of water and salts, apocrine glands secrete thicker sweat rich in organic compounds.
2. Sweat secretion: In response to factors such as heat, physical exercise, stress, or hormones, apocrine sweat glands secrete sweat that contains proteins, lipids, and other substances.
3. Bacteria on the skin: The skin naturally contains bacteria, and they feed on the components of sweat, especially lipids. When these bacteria break down the lipids in sweat, a bad smell can develop.
4. Odor: The odor compounds resulting from bacterial activity can create an unpleasant smell.

Is It Normal to Smell Myself Through My Pants?

Yes, it’s normal to catch a whiff of yourself through your pants, especially if you’ve been active or if the fabric doesn’t breathe well. Body odors can be trapped in clothing, and factors like sweating or wearing tight garments can contribute to this.

It’s generally a common experience and doesn’t necessarily indicate poor hygiene or an illness.

Why do some men have a stronger smelly groin area than others?

We need to distinguish between two main types of factors that can explain why some men have a stronger crotch odor:

• Genetic reasons, which we cannot control.
• Factors we can act upon.

I will briefly discuss the reasons we unfortunately cannot control. Although we can always try to mask odors, I will delve into that further.

Some people (both men and women) may have a genetic composition that makes them more prone to excessive sweating (see this article on the genetics of excessive sweating, coming soon in english) or sebum production, which can influence body odor. This is partly hormonal.

Certain individuals may also have a bacterial composition that promotes the breakdown of substances in sweat into odor compounds.

Some diseases can worsen bacterial proliferation and, therefore, unpleasant odors (Semkova 2015):

• Obesity.
• Diabetes.
• Intertrigo: Skin inflammation that occurs in skin folds, where the skin rubs against itself, including the groin area, inguinal fold, and buttocks.
• Erythrasma: A superficial skin infection caused by a bacterium called Corynebacterium minutissimum. It typically presents as pink or brown patches on the skin and may be associated with a characteristic odor.

Thus, the bad smell in groin area is rarely due to poor hygiene. If you are reading this article and are concerned about this issue, it’s likely that you have good personal hygiene:

Now, let’s explore the causes of bad smell from male genital area that we can address!

Can an illness cause this smelly male crotch?

In rare cases, a very bad odor in crotch may be due to bromhidrosis, which is the term used for having very malodorous sweat.

Generally, this doesn’t manifest onlyin crotch. If you have bromhidrosis, your sweat may also smell bad in other parts of the body, such as the armpits.

We refer to inguinal bromhidrosis when this bad odor is mainly localized in the groin.

There is little scientific research on bromhidrosis, with around fifty studies worldwide:

Affected people often describe the smell of their sweat as “nauseating,” likening it to the scent of “rotten fish.”

What are the causes of this bad odor that we can address?

Certain factors can contribute to intensifying these bad odors in groin, even if they are partly due to causes we cannot control.

Here are the things that increase the likelihood of having a bad odor in groin or crotch:

• Wearing tight clothes that promote heat and moisture retention.
• Underwear that does not facilitate heat and moisture evaporation (material, shape).
• Presence of pubic hair that can retain sweat.
• Sitting for long periods: the groin area breathes less.
• Infrequent clothing changes, giving them insufficient time to dry.

How to eliminate men’s crotch odor?

If you suffer from excessive sweating, you might consider treatment for this condition. It could have a positive impact on bad odors indirectly.

➡️ I’ve already written a comprehensive article on excessive sweating in groin and crotch area (it’s actually one of the most read on my site!).

Moreover, the treatments proposed for bromhidrosis (a condition causing a very bad odor in sweat) are the same as those for hyperhidrosis (a condition where one sweats “more than average” in a bothersome manner) (Malik 2023).

10 Tips to Mask Bad Odors in the Groin Area

Here are various things you can implement to mask or limit bad odors in the groin area.

1. Regular Washing: Ensure thorough cleaning of the genital region with a mild and non-irritating soap. Some people may need to wash (sometimes just with a cloth) multiple times a day.
2. Complete Drying: After a shower, dry yourself completely, especially in skin folds. Moisture promotes the growth of bacteria responsible for odors. If you engage in sports or experience sudden sweating, you can use the restroom to wipe yourself, making sure to always have a suitable towel or cloth on hand (see an example of a “cooling towel” on Amazon).
3. Frequent Underwear Changes: Especially if they are damp.
4. Use of Talc or Baby Powder: Apply a small amount of talc or baby powder to the genital region after drying. This can help absorb moisture. Be cautious, as for some, especially those who sweat the most, it may worsen the situation!
5. Choice of Breathable Underwear: Opt for underwear made of breathable materials like cotton and avoid synthetic fabrics that can trap sweat. I discuss this in more detail in my article on sweating between the legs.
6. Avoid Tight Clothing: Tight clothes can trap heat and moisture, creating an environment conducive to bacterial proliferation.
7. Avoid Crossing Your Legs: Crossing your legs reduces airflow to the groin area even further!
8. Don’t Sit for Too Long: Stand up frequently to “air out.”
9. Pay Attention to the Color and Material of Your Pants: On some, sweat is more visible!
10. Consider Using Washable or Disposable Period Protection: Some people opt for these. These protections (similar to those used for periods or urinary leaks) absorb heat and can limit bad odors, provided they are changed often (several times a day).

Best Deodorant for Smelly Groin and Excessive Sweating

There are specific antiperspirants designed for groin excessive sweating. To determine the best one for people dealing with excessive sweating, I conducted a survey within my Instagram community of people with hyperhidrosis in December 2023.

Here is the antiperspirant that received the most votes: Carpe Lotion (see on Amazon)

I hope I’ve addressed some of your concerns! Any comments, questions, or additional tips to share? Feel free to leave them in the comments; I always respond there 🙂!

You may also like:

• My blog on hyperhidrosis

📚 SOURCES

Malik AS, Porter CL, Feldman SR. Bromhidrosis treatment modalities: A literature review. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2023 Jul;89(1):81-89. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2021.01.030.Epub 2021 Jan 20. PMID: 33482257.

Semkova K, Gergovska M, Kazandjieva J, Tsankov N. Hyperhidrosis, bromhidrosis, and chromhidrosis: Fold (intertriginous) dermatoses. Clin Dermatol. 2015 Jul-Aug;33(4):483-91. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2015.04.013.Epub 2015 Apr 8. PMID: 26051066.

Written by Nelly Darbois

I founded this website in 2012. Since then, I’ve been providing information and positive support to people suffering from excessive sweating. I’m also a physical therapist and science writer, living in French Alps 🌞❄️.

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