The 2025 Men’s Health Smell Fresh Awards

This stuff lathers up foamy, so you need only a dab to feel clean. After a rinse, it leaves you smelling as if you just took a walk along the beach.

B vitamins, avocado oil, and mango seed butter join forces in this sturdy block from The Rock’s skin care line. Its leathery sandalwood scent is warm and earthy, yet subtle enough you can easily blend it with other fragrances.

Whether you’re traveling, hiking, or just sweating through a humid workday, funk can build up fast, especially below the belt. These wipes keep you fresh on the go, with a gentle formula safe for genitals and buttocks but strong enough for full-body use.

This gentle, plant-based body wash concentrate uses 30 percent glycerin and 20 percent aloe vera to deeply hydrate, soothe, and protect the skin barrier while cleansing. An energizing blend of citrus, mint, and eucalyptus backs it.

This 2-in-1 body and face wash uses activated charcoal to deeply cleanse and gently exfoliate, so you can cut your routine in half. The charcoal also gives it a satisfying earthy scent. At barely $5 a bottle, it’s a steal.

This sandy-textured hand wash gently exfoliates with fine beads, leaving skin soft, smooth, and freshly hydrated. Its calming fragrance opens with fresh citrus, then settles into cozy jasmine for a clean scent that lingers long after rinsing.

This fluoridated paste also prevents cavities with tea extracts. The scent is more N/A mojito than chemical blast.

Too many mouthwashes overwhelm with strong flavor—not exactly what you want first thing in the morning or before bed. This one keeps it subtle with a smooth, mild mint flavor that doesn’t overpower, while actively protecting sensitive teeth from heat, cold, and sweets.

At Men’s Health, we live for workouts but dread sweaty gym clothes—that’s why we love The Laundress Activewear Detergent. Its enzyme blend tackles sweat, stains, and odors on performance fabrics while the long-lasting Marine scent, a fresh mix of bergamot, mandarin, and oceanic notes, keeps gear fresh.

Of course, the best-smelling skin care brand for men is going to get a scent award. This earthy, mint shampoo not only smells incredible (though not overpowering, so you can still layer with other fragrances) but it adds volume to fine or thin hair.

Luseta’s Scalp-Balancing Conditioner, powered by salicylic acid, argan oil, and tea tree leaf oil, gently exfoliates buildup, reduces flakes, and soothes sensitive scalps without irritation. This is the perfectly scented conditioner—subtly fresh, leaving room to layer more powerful fragrances.

NOBS toothpaste tablets impressed traveling testers with just enough mint to leave the mouth fresh—without overpowering taste buds—and no messy tube to hassle with passing through the TSA.

Every Man Jack’s below-the-belt cleanser brings face-level care to your groin with gentle, natural ingredients like witch hazel and aloe. Designed for sensitive skin, it keeps things clean, cool, and funk-free all day with a naturally-derived fresh, earthy scent.

It’s exfoliating and soothing, with a woody-citrus scent that unfolds in a cozy, bright, and laidback way—like sleeping in on a Sunday. You couldn’t ask for more out of a body scrub.

Trainer David Pegram, NASM-CPT uses this wash to combat sweating between leading classes and client training. “If you want a serious clean with natural ingredients, a fresh scent, and acne-fighting power, go for Black Wolf,” he says.

For trainer Joe Rodonis, most products wrecked his hair or made it impossible to style—until Oribe changed everything, he says. Now he counts on the Gold Lust Shampoo to keep his hair healthy, strong, and easy to manage. Not to mention, the ruggedly elegant scent of sandalwood, jasmine, and bergamot.

Too many pit sticks go overboard by mixing multiple scents. This one keeps it simple with a woods-forward smell and just a touch of citrus.

This natural deodorant will leave your pits smelling of roses, without any residue, but with 12 hours of protection against stank.

Inspired by Noël Coward’s Hay Fever, this balm captures the essence of the English countryside with notes of marmalade, rose, and Earl Grey. Plus, a little goes a long way, delivering long-lasting freshness with just a dime-size amount.

This spray is gentle enough to apply to your feet and groin, and it delivers a creamy citrus-vanilla scent for up to 72 whole hours.

You can apply this stuff everywhere. It’s especially effective after a lunch break workout, when you’ll come back smelling like buttery ylang-ylang and grapefruit.

The latest scent from Salt & Stone, an oceanic blend of fresh rain, surf wax, and woody cedar, in the same sleek, durable containers as the brand’s other deodorants.

Suave’s Stress Protect Antiperspirant keeps you dry and fresh through humidity, workouts, and high-stress days. It glides on smooth, stays invisible, and delivers a calming scent that truly earns its name.

When Degree tweaked its OG Cool Rush scent, fans pushed back. The brand listened—bringing it back and also dropping it in this killer revamped spray.

Building a fresh scent goes beyond body odor and cologne—it starts with your space. This leathery, tobacco-rich candle makes your home smell like a spaghetti western scene, every day.

This diffuser promises three months of continuous fragrance, but our testers found it offers nearly double that. The mint and eucalyptus scent is awakening, comforting, and never overpowering—perfect for curating a chill, elevated vibe.

This quick-absorbing liquid hydrates, softens, and deodorizes with the relaxing vibes of lavender, papaya, and rosemary.

This high-performing hair oil nourishes scalp, strands, and skin, while its notes of white cypress, salted sea, and driftwood transport you to a breezy lighthouse with a glass of scotch in hand.

The pine tar post-shave lotion, packed with shea butter, resurrection plant, and bisabolol oil, soothed irritation, prevented bumps and ingrowns, and left us smelling great—like a smoky forest at dusk.

Dermatologist Corey L. Hartman, MD, says this body lotion delivers deep, nongreasy hydration with shea butter, olive oil, and vitamin E. Its bold scent—featuring cardamom, red cedarwood, and patchouli—leaves skin smelling as good as it feels.

Dermatologist Alexander Witkowski, MD, PhD, has relied on this antiperspirant for years, trusting its clear gel formula for all-day sweat and odor protection. It leaves no residue and delivers a clean scent that keeps him feeling fresh.

Yeah, it’s over-the-top. But we promise that its deep, intense, leathery smell is unforgettable. And it has staying power.

More portable and longer-lasting than its liquid counterpart, this cologne layers tropical fruit, lush florals, exotic spices, and smoky tobacco over fresh bergamot and amber, evoking spice markets and sun-soaked vacays.

This fresh-smelling hair spray blends lemon, verbena, lavender, and mimosa over a warm, woody amber base, creating a soft yet engaging scent. Designed to linger, it unfolds with each movement—subtle, intimate, and quietly captivating.

Sure, this is technically a body mist, but it performs like a stronger body spray by offering a woody, leathery cedar scent with just a hint of vanilla that lasts up to four hours.

Sex Musk blends rose, tonka bean, and soft musk into a warm, floral scent that stays seductive and wearable all day. Its sleek rollerball design delivers precise, mess-free application on pulse points—perfect for layering or quick touch-ups.

Slightly less potent than a cologne, body mists are great when you need a quick hit. The campfire scent of this one works best right before a night out.

Imaginary Authors blends unexpected notes into bold, story-driven scents, and Sundrunk captures this with vivid charm. It evokes sunlit gardens and late-summer breezes through neroli, rhubarb, honeysuckle, rose water, and orange zest.

Not too woodsy, not too sharp—it’s right down the middle. But don’t mistake that for boring. Herbal patchouli, earthy vetiver, and sweet iris all do their thing.

Inspired by the dreamlike intensity of Vittoria Aganoor Pompilj’s poetry, Sogno Notturno blends cumin, osmanthus, cistus, and vetiver into a warm, luminous scent that feels both intimate and otherworldly.

This classic blend of citrus, rosemary, and musk—now in a longer-lasting formula—wafts in like a Mediterranean breeze.

Dossier’s Winter Kiss wraps you in a cozy blend of warm amber and soft florals, creating a scent that feels like a gentle embrace on a cold day.

The highlight of D.S. and Durga’s first men’s fragrance line, GolfJazz is like the Caddyshack of cologne by winking at ’80s culture on the links while also being inspired by it. Its grassy, warm notes invoke a vintage clubhouse overlooking a freshly cut course on a beautiful spring day.

Bleu de Chanel takes its iconic blend of grapefruit, cedar, and sandalwood and transforms it into a luxurious balm. The subtly masculine scent is perfect for daytime wear when you want something more understated.

Our testers with sensitive scalps loved Fatboy’s Honey Putty’s ability to style hair without aggravating the skin underneath. Powered by natural ingredients like manuka honey, pawpaw, and kiwi extract, it provides a strong, natural-looking hold without shine, grease, or irritation.

According to dermatologist Chris Tomassian, MD, this scent, a blend of oakmoss, pink pepper, and jasmine, can work for everyone and suits all seasons. It absorbs smoothly into the skin and lasts for hours.

With notes of cardamom, toffee, and amber wood, trainer Mathew Forzaglia says this cologne delivers a fresh, intelligent scent. He applies a couple of sprays for a bold impression or a lighter mist for subtle sophistication.