5 Best Body Washes for Men
Question: What smells worse than a teenage boy?
Answer: A teenage boy doused in Axe body spray.
Every time I visit my nephew, a cloud of Axe meets me at the front door. The poor boy is starting high school, which means he's growing out of the adorable kid stage, and into the acne-covered, awkwardly tall, and smelly stage.
His penchant for the awful-smelling grooming products only makes his puberty-inflicted odor worse, but he's convinced the overpowering scent will get him the ladies.
Related: 8 Grooming Gifts Your Man Will Actually Use
And while my impressionable nephew will probably figure out that spraying Axe or using a pheromone-infused product won't make the girls' clothes come off, a team of lawyers in San Diego is making sure he (and everyone else) knows definitively. They're filing a class action suit against Dial Corp., claiming the company is fibbing about Dial for Men Magnetic body wash's lady-luring abilities. The soap is advertised to be "pheromone-infused," which has "attraction-enhancing" effects on women.
The suit says, "The few studies about androstadienone [the pheromone] that resulted in an effect on female attraction were small, poorly designed, and used concentrations of the ingredient as much as a million times higher than what occurs naturally."
Related: Sexiest New Perfumes for You (and Your Guy)
Instead of focusing on trying to lure women with pseudo science, why don't men go back to the basics and attract women just by smelling, well, good? While I appreciate a nice cologne on a man (Axe doesn't qualify!), I love the fresh shower smell even more. It's simple, clean, and can be quite manly. Here are five subtle, masculine scents to suggest to the men in your life. They may not be filled with seductive hormones, but we think they'll make you even more attracted to your guy. Or, you know, less repelled by your nephew.
Every Man Jack Body Wash in Citrus Scrub, $5.99
This body wash is made with natural ingredients and has a bold citrus scent that's not at all girly.
Molton Brown Black Re-charge Black Pepper Body Wash, $30
This bestseller gives skin a subtle, spicey scent that women say is extremely sexy. Bonus: It'll make your whole bathroom smell amazing.
Related: The Hair and Makeup Men Really Find Sexy
Dove Men+Care Clean Comfort Body and Face Wash, $6.99
This light, clean-smelling body wash is perfect for dudes who don't want any of that froufrou scent stuff.
Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Body Wash & Foam Bath in Energy Orange Ginger, $13
For the man who always steals your lavender-scented body wash, swap that for this Bath & Body Works cleanser. The orange and ginger essential oils make it a great unisex pick.
Old Spice Dry Skin Defense, $4.79
This body wash/moisturizer two-in-one is perfect for the low-maintenance guy. Better yet, its clean, manly scent isn't at all reminiscent of the classic Old Spice grandpa smell.
More from TotalBeauty.com:
Beauty Tips from a Man: What He Notices and Doesn't
12 Hair and Makeup Looks Men Hate
Date Night Dos and Don'ts
