The Top 4 Causes of Crotch Odor and How to Prevent It

causes of smelly balls

There are certain things that virtually every guy has to deal with at some point, but that few of us talk about. No, we’re not talking about relationship problems or the emotional turmoil that you might be going through during the playoffs. We’re talking about something even more personal: groin odor.

Maybe you’re changing clothes in the locker room after an intense gym session, and the smell hits you -- which is saying a lot, considering the ambient smell in that room. Or, maybe you’re taking a trip to the men’s room in the middle of a first date...and the smell wafts up while you’re standing at the urinal. Not exactly a confidence booster, is it?

The problem here, though, is that most guys experience a kind of impasse when it comes to groin odor. After all, what are your options? Are you really going to go see a doctor about it? Imagine how that experience might go. The doc walks in looking at your chart, and passively asks you what’s brought you in today. Your response? “Well, you see, I have groin odor.” Yeah, right.

First and foremost, the fastest way to get results in reducing your crotch odor is to start using a quality body powder.  This will get you at least 80% of the way there.

Here’s some more good news.  There are additional steps you can indeed take to help eliminate the stench coming from your smelly balls. But first, you need to understand what’s causing the odor to begin with. From there, you can actually take the steps necessary to stop the odor before it starts.

Ready to put an end to that crotch odor once and for all? We’ve put together this guide to help you make it happen. Let’s take a look at the top 4 causes of groin odor, and how to prevent it.

1. Your Diet and Crotch Odor

Did you know that the food you eat can have a major impact on the way that you smell? This isn’t that surprising when you think about it. If you’ve ever eaten a meal full of garlic, you know exactly what we’re talking about.

The thing is, though, these odors aren’t just limited to your breath or armpits: your crotch can develop certain smells based on your diet, too. Let’s take a look at some of the foods that can contribute to odor, and what you can do to address them.

Cruciferous Vegetables

We commonly think of cruciferous vegetables as some of the healthiest things you can put in your body. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and other plants in the brassica family carry with them all sorts of health benefits. So, it follows that you’d want to eat as much of them as possible, right?

Actually, these vegetables can contribute to body odor if eaten in large enough quantities -- and especially if eaten uncooked. As it turns out, cruciferous vegetables contain quite a bit of sulfur. That’s the same chemical that can result in the unpleasant body odor (not to mention the breath) that you develop as a result of too much onions and garlic. Sulfur is excreted through your body’s sweat glands, which means that eating enough of these sorts of vegetables can actually create a full-body sulfur-like smell. Doesn’t sound too pleasant, does it?

Of course, there are a couple of major caveats here. The idea isn’t to cut down on the number of vegetables you eat, as that will actually have the opposite effect (more information about junk food below). Instead, you’ll just want to keep an eye on any connection between these kinds of foods and your level of body odor. If you notice that you smell particularly strong after eating a big plate of broccoli salad, your particular genetic makeup and internal chemical balance might be predisposed to harboring sulfur-related odors.

Instead of removing cruciferous vegetables from your diet, though, the solution is often simply to cook them before eating them. This can help you cut down on the amount of sulfur ahead of time, as sulfur is partially eliminated during the cooking process. Remember, too, that men who eat lots of healthy vegetables actually “smell attractive” -- so be sure to include plenty of these in your diet.

Fish and B.O.

It’s a commonly held belief that eating too much fish can make you smell fishy. In reality, this isn’t typically the case. Sure, handling a bunch of raw fish and not washing your hands is going to leave you smelling like the ocean. But eating some lightly sautéed salmon? Not so much.

In some instances, though, fish can indeed cause body odor. In particular, people with a condition called trimethylaminuria can exude a fishy odor after eating seafood. This is a very rare condition, though, and can be minimized by avoiding the offending foods. If you suspect that you have this condition, its probably best to see a doctor. Again, it’s very rare.

Junk Food and Smelly Crotch Syndrome

There’s no question about it: eating a lot of processed food is going to up your odor level. Sorry to say, but artificially flavored corn chips and regular trips through the fast food drive-in aren’t going to do anything to alleviate your smelly groin problem.

The thing is, scientists aren’t entirely certain why it is that junk food can cause an increase in body odor. Currently, though, the hypothesis is that all of the refined sugar is to blame. Believe it or not, high levels of refined sugar coursing through your bloodstream can actually start to change the composition of your sweat. With enough sugar coming through your pores, the odor-causing bacteria on your skin have an extra source of food, meaning that they can multiply at faster rates and create even more odor.

Plus, processed food doesn’t have the natural deodorizing capabilities that other foods do. It’s true: vegetables containing chlorophyll, for example, actually help to cut back on your body odor.

The bottom line here is pretty simple. Eat more vegetables and fruits, cut back on the junk food, and watch for any direct correlations between certain foods and an increase in body odor.

2. Sweat and Groin Odor


Some guys hate sweating. They don’t want to go outside in the heat, much less “work up a sweat” at the gym. The whole idea is anathema to them. Other people love to sweat, though as it makes them feel healthy, cleansed, and fit.

Whichever camp you fall into, one thing always holds true: sweat is directly connected to body odor. And when it comes to preventing groin odor, sweat is one of the major things you’ll need to address.

The thing is, sweating is important. It’s completely normal and healthy. For one thing, sweating helps to cool the body. If we couldn’t sweat, we wouldn’t be long for this world -- we’d quickly overheat rather than maintaining a healthy homeostatic temperature. On top of this, sweat can eliminate certain toxins and other impurities from the body.

This is one of the reasons that you don’t want to smear groin deodorant all over your crotch. Many deodorants contain aluminum ingredients that actually prevent your sweat glands from functioning properly. That’s not a good thing. You want your body to produce a healthy amount of sweat, as it was intended to do. What you don’t want, though, is major build-up of sweat, bacteria, and stench conditions around your groin.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at what we can do to cut down on the odor that sweat causes.

3. Clothing and Smelly Balls


There’s a lot you can do to reduce sweat in a normal, healthy way if you want to. If you keep your office, your car, and your home at a comfortable temperature, you won’t be sweating constantly. You can also avoid exercising when it’s 90 degrees outside and save the yard work for early in the morning.

Sometimes, though, sweating is going to happen whether you like it or not. If you go to the gym regularly, you know just how sweaty your balls can get after a particularly intense workout session. Here’s the thing, though: your groin doesn’t have to stay sweaty. The right clothes can make a big difference in how much sweat you’re carrying around with you, and how stinky you do or don’t get as a result.

More than anything, you want clothing that wicks moisture away from your body and allows your skin to breathe properly. Some fabrics are good at one, but bad at the other. One classic example is cotton. While cotton is an incredibly breathable fabric, it basically soaks up sweat like bath towel. If you’re wearing 100% cotton underwear and you go outside in the heat for a five-mile run, your balls are going to end up a sweaty mess by the time all is said and done.

To cut down on the odor that sweat can cause, consider switching to breathable, moisture wicking synthetic fabrics. Making the switch from cotton underwear and shorts or pants to a more high-tech option -- something designed specifically for exercise, ideally -- can make a world of difference. These fabrics will allow your body to sweat the way it’s supposed to, but they won’t trap the sweat against your skin. You’ll stay dryer, more comfortable, and a lot less smelly as a result.

4. Proper Hygiene and Groin Odor


While you can cut down on the amount of sweat hanging out around your groin area, you can’t eliminate it completely (nor would you want to, as we’ve mentioned above). You’ll always have some sweat accompanying warm temperatures and/or physical activity. Once you’ve taken steps to fix any issues that your wardrobe might be causing, then, the next step is to reassess your grooming habits.

There’s some interesting science behind the relationship between sweating, proper hygiene, and body odor. As it turns out, sweat itself doesn’t really smell all that much. If you were to just sniff a handful of sweat (not the most appealing thing to consider), you wouldn’t detect much of an odor.

Instead, it’s the bacteria on your skin’s surface that ends up actually causing the odors you associate with sweating. That odor-causing bacteria actually ingests your sweat for food, and subsequently breaks it down into chemical compounds called thioalcohols. These chemicals are what actually cause the groin odor you’re looking to eliminate.

So, what’s the solution? As we’ve mentioned already, groin deodorant is not the answer here. You balls need to sweat every now and again, and you don’t want to completely prevent your body from sweating. Instead, you want to remove the bacteria that cause odor on a daily basis. This will dramatically cut down on your smell.

It’s important to use the right kind of cleanser, though. Common bar soap can dry out your sensitive skin down there, resulting in redness and irritation. Chassis® offers a premium 5-in-1 Shower Primer that’s designed to gently cleanse your balls of odor-causing bacteria while leaving them soft, fresh, smooth, and properly moisturized.

How to Prevent Groin Odor

So, now you know exactly what’s causing your crotch odor. You’ve decided to avoid certain foods, make some changes to your wardrobe, and start washing your balls daily. But, there’s one last thing you can do to prevent groin odor: you can apply Chassis Premium Powder to your undercarriage each day after you hop out of the shower.

Unlike potentially harmful deodorants, Chassis Premium Powder is designed to reduce excess sweating and moisture naturally. Chassis is free from talc, aluminum, and other questionable chemicals, and it contains natural ingredients designed to keep your balls fresh, smooth, and clean all day long. Click here to see what Chassis has to offer when it comes to preventing groin odor.