Be very careful about deodorant in general

Several brands (Old Spice, Axe, the ones focused on being manly mainly) are really hard on sensitive skin

In my case, I got chemical burns from more than a few of them

And trust me, there's little worse than having your armpits basically blister up and flake off like fish food

It's why I use Dove Men+Care Ultimate, it's basically the only one besides Arm & Hammer unscented that doesn't irritate me

If you're looking for more than just body wash/deodorant recs, I like indie perfumes/perfume oils as an alternative to big commercial houses. You're supporting just one person (or sometimes a small family,) and you get more fun options. Do you want to smell like wet pavement? A taco truck? Gasoline? Dry leaves? (You can also choose something more traditional or get something made custom, if you know what notes you like.)

Some houses that stock scents for he/hims:

Mr Hex - I personally recommend Smoked Coconut, it's got a nice masculine base and the coconut isn't too cloying

Alkemia - 1891 is delicious, really strong on the citrus, ginger and amber. If you like aquatic scents she has one called Sailing to Byzantium that is also nice.

Fyrinnae - Maine (cat breed name that was removed bc it's also a slur) is lovely if you like sandalwood and amber.

Find a cologne you like and get feedback from friends to make sure it matches you. Then when you apply it don't spray it directly on you. Fold up a square of toilet paper to about the size of a postage stamp and spray it there. Then use this DIY "applicator" to do a quick wipe on the inside of your wrists, elbows, collar and the center of your chest. You get to smell good without it overpowering yourself or other people.

Step 2 is find a lotion with a smell you like. Use that for your face. Use a cheap unscented lotion for your body. If you have a beard some beard oil can be nice to keep it looking healthy and they usually smell pretty nice. A little goes a long way with beard oil, and it may smell super strong for a while to you but that's because if its combed into your face hairs it will be right under your nose so get some feedback from others about how intense it really is.

Step 3 is to make sure you are getting clean enough while bathing. Wash your belly button with soap and water every time you bathe. I work outside in boots a lot and my feet can get pretty funky so I use foot powder when I put on my shoes to help with the moisture as well as an old toothbrush to scrub between my toes during my shower. It helps a lot. Pay attention to your problem areas, which will vary from person to person. Some people don't have sweaty feet but they might sweat a lot in their arm pits. Hair can trap odor so the latter person might benefit from trimming their armpit hair short. With a good cleanliness routine and a little special attention to problem areas you should be fine.

Speed Stick is cheap and will make you smell neutral

I highly recommend using a natural deodorant first before dabbling in perfume. Native unscented works well for me, and the unscented means if you buy perfume/cologne, you won't be mixing scents with your deodorant.

There's a lot of perfume information on this reddit comment. Some of it is gendered bullshit, but the important things are what the product is called (Eau de Toillette vs Perfume) and how to apply it.

I'd recommend buying some microsamples of cologne/perfume and seeing what feels right to you. The popular brands might give you a headache, for example. Some scents feel more formal, others summery, others light, etc. See what works and what you vibe with and go from there.

Step one is what you put on your stanky pits. Keep in mind that there's a difference between antiperspirant (stops sweat) and deodorant (stops odor). You probably need antiperspirant. Gel and stick both work fine, I tend to find that spray doesn't last quite as long.

you probably smell fine if you shower every day

Antiperspirant like gilette cool wave 48 hr gel seems to not be obnoxious to people, if you want to be cleaner/less sweaty. Don't use axe, a lot of people don't like axe

Some of my pals shave their armpits because it makes antiperspirant work better (more of it directly on your skin). I don't though

CV: I have no sense of smell, but unless I just hiked a marathon nobody says I smell bad when I ask. My lack of smelling makes me oversensitive to how I might be perceived by people

Oh also my gf says the dr squatch soap smells really good

Male care and hygiene is one area I don't skimp (and I am mega-fucking-cheap). In general, I've found the Dr. Squatch deodorant and hair care to be exceptional. You can also use powders in lieu of deodorant which can be cheap and pleasant to the nose.

For smell in general: find a decent cologne or tea tree balm to smell yourself up with. Find something that's pleasant and natural smelling in medium to light doses. Try not to give off a scent that is stark or overpowering. I try to imagine that I'm trying to enhance what's already there versus covering myself up. If that makes sense.

Also I tend to stay away from lotions, and anything with parabens.

I haven't really used anything to manage my smell other than warm water and deodorant for several years. Someone with a good sense of smell that doesnt bother sparing people's feelings recently commented that I smelled fine.

Here's an article about it if you're interested. I sweat a lot at work and wouldn't feel clean without showering typically a couple times a day but it's still food for thought. https://bigthink.com/life/james-hamblin-clean/

My favorite indie perfume house is called Pineward Perfumes, they focus mostly on naturally scented and derived perfumes. They have like a dozen different forest scented perfumes which I personally love but also their summer time scents are out eight now which is stuff like a lychee mango perfume, a lime gelatto one, another that smells like clementines and tomato leaves. All kinds of stuff. And then during the winter they have perfumes that smell like mulled wine and stuff like that. Lots of good stuff.

I'm obsessed with Fragonard as far as scents go. I've been daily driving Concerto for years. It is an "eau de toilette" which means it's subtle unless someone gets up close. I get compliments all the time from friends and family. The bergamot oil is my favorite aspect. You can get a gift set to try out 5 scents here.

To apply, I just do a spray on one or both wrists or one spray directly on my neck. You don't want to rub it in.

Price-wise, it's highish but definitely far cheaper than any designer bullshit.

I was honestly using shampoo and very little soap on my body for years and nobody ever noticed a bad smell provided I showered daily and washed between my butt cheeks. I also use antiperspirant.

But recently I started using Sun Basin Soap which gives all profits to improve birth and motherhood mortality in Sierra Leone. It's good stuff at a decent price (cheaper on subscription).

For antiperspirant, I've never had a bad reaction. So I just use standard stuff, leaning towards sticks and unscented/neutral. Things I've tried and liked: Dove Unscented, Dove Men+Care. For something ultra cheap, Arm and Hammer ultramax unscented is good.

i use a couple sprays of this coconut oil hair stuff that doesn't really do much to my hair or beard, but it smells nice if you're up close

i also invested in a fancy cologne (versace eros) that i really like. i got a big bottle, and i use one spray a day (anything more and i get self-conscious about smelling too strong), and i've used maybe a quarter of it in the last year. that being said, i think you could get a great cologne or perfume without spending nearly as much, for example, in the fragrance section of a wal-mart or pharmacy type store. and really there's no objectively "good" fragrance, so i think going to a store and comparing the scents of some different options in a price range that's affordable for you is a great way to start on the smell good journey :) even spending a couple minutes smelling and comparing different body washes, shampoos, or lotions could go a long way to get you started!

If you shave then a cheap scented aftershave like pinaud which has that kinda cheap grandpa sandalwood scent that isn't overpowering or way to astringent like other perfumes/colognes. Also body wash that is simple scented is pretty good. For deodorant there's one's that provide scent and don't stop perspiration and those that do (note that some people get serious armpit breakouts from the anti-perspiration deodorants so try a test rub on one armpit).

Assuming you have figured out the "no bad smell" stuff and currently don't smell like anything:

Get a sampler pack of cologne. Surrender to Chance has some packs. Spend $20 or $40, get like a dozen colognes. Wear them a few times each, take notes, decide what types of scent you like. People shouldn't get more than a vague whiff if they're just walking around nearby. So cologne is mostly for you.

Old Spice has a lot of scents and they're mostly fresh-smelling and at least inoffensive. I like Swagger and use the moisturizing body wash in that scent, and antiperspirant in the same.