Men's hygiene

Everyone has a natural scent. This is really important in love and sex. You often find someone more attractive because you like the way they smell. So you don’t have to cover up your natural, clean body odour. Your partner will like it!

Did you know that we all produce scents designed to attract a partner? They are chemical signals called pheromones. You aren’t aware that you can smell them, but they still influence whether or not you find someone attractive.

Personal care for men

Sweating
During puberty you sweat more, especially under your arms. This means you’re likely to smell of sweat more. It’s perfectly normal – just wash every day and wear clean clothes. If you like you can also use deodorant.

Spots
Hormones might make your skin oilier and cause spots, or acne. If you get spots, use a skin cleanser to make your skin less greasy. Don’t use ordinary soap – it can dry your skin out. It will then make even more grease so you get even more spots.

Good hygiene and your penis
Whether you’re circumcised or uncircumcised you should wash your penis every day.

If you're not circumcised, gently pull back your foreskin and use warm water to clean the head of your penis. You can use soap on the shaft of your penis, but it’s probably not a good idea to use soap to clean under your foreskin. It can upset the natural balance of bacteria and actually make you more likely to get fungal infections. If you do choose to wash the head of your penis with soap, use a gentle one without strong perfumes.

It is important to wash away smegma. This is a white or yellowish sticky substance made up of skin oil and shed skin cells. It’s perfectly natural, but it can build up under your foreskin and smell, irritate, and cause infection.