The Real Reason Matthew McConaughey Doesn't Wear Deodorant

Celebrities may like to opine that they're just "regular people" — but they often differ from the norm in both income and lifestyle. Case in point: Many A-listers have spoken out in recent years about their more bizarre hygiene habits.

In a 2021 episode of Dax Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast, couple Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis admitted to not bathing their kids "until you can see dirt on them." Kutcher was transparent about his own bathing schedule, telling the host, "I wash my armpits and my crotch daily, and nothing else ever." When the couple came under fire for their remarks, they responded with a series of lighthearted Instagram posts to prove they weren't taking themselves too seriously, per Entertainment Tonight.

Likewise, fellow actor Jake Gyllenhaal spoke out about not being a fan of showers. "More and more I find bathing to be less necessary, at times," he told Vanity Fair in August 2021. And while there are other famous individuals — like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson — who skew on the other end of the cleanliness spectrum, infrequent bathing seems to be more and more of a trend in Hollywood. Whether or not it's a new fad, there's at least one person in showbiz who has long been open regarding his dubious hygiene. As Matthew McConaughey's fans likely already know, the actor hasn't worn deodorant in several decades.

Matthew McConaughey's hygiene habits came to the forefront when his "Tropic Thunder" co-star Yvette Nicole Brown spoke about him on "The Jess Cagle Show" in 2021. "I remember that Matthew McConaughey said that he did not use deodorant and that he didn't have an odor. So my first thought is, 'I'm going to get as close as I can to him to see if he's right,'" Brown said, speaking of their time together on set. The actor went on to confirm that McConaughey just smelled like "granola and good living." She added, "He has a sweet, sweet scent that is just him, and it's not musty or crazy."

Brown's filming experience with McConaughey wasn't the first time that his lack of deodorant was brought up in front of the cameras. In a Playboy interview (via Daily Mail), McConaughey revealed that Kate Hudson asked that he "give himself a spritz" while they were filming "Fool's Gold" in 2008. "[Kate] always brings a salt rock, which is some natural deodorant, and says, 'Would you please put this on?' I just never wore it. No cologne, no deodorant," the Oscar winner shared.

McConaughey defended his decision to eschew deodorant by explaining that he doesn't smell *bad* exactly. "The women in my life, including my mother, have all said, 'Hey, your natural smell smells, one, like a man, and two, smells like you,'" he said.

All of this begs the question as to why Matthew McConaughey is anti-deodorant in the first place. After he was crowned People's Sexiest Man Alive in 2005, the Texan native told the outlet that "a man should smell like a man." Later in the interview, he shared his opinion that the sexiest smell is "yourself. The way my woman smells when she wakes up in the morning, no perfume on."

However, McConaughey makes up for his lack of deodorant with his bath and shower habits. While in the shower, he told People that he regularly uses Cetaphil soap, shampoo, conditioner, and a tea tree hair oil to add texture to his locks. Per InStyle, McConaughey does occasionally use cologne, as he partnered with Dolce & Gabbana in 2015 to promote the company's "The One" scent. Refinery29 reported that he also teamed up with Kiehl's in 2017 to release a limited-edition facial rub in support of autism.

Though McConaughey stopped wearing deodorant long before it was trendy to do so in Hollywood, more and more stars are following his lead. Fellow heartthrob Bradley Cooper told Esquire in 2012 of his opinion that the body is "self-cleaning." "I don't use deodorant really anymore. I do take a lot of showers, so maybe that helps," he said. Perhaps BO is the way of the future.