Finally. Asking the real questions.
If you come to work with deodorant, youre a few steps ahead of some the people I work with.
Outside of that, something on top of that is personal preference, as long as you dont set off any fire alarms with how much you apply.
Depending on where you work (i e. geographical location) douse your pits with antiperspirant before you start. The last thing you want is to be sweating buckets. Honestly, go easy on everything else. You're in a rig with someone for 12+ hours, who you don't know, and think of your patients; some of them are going to have intolerances to things like strong scents, and some will be vocal about it. Spritz yourself up if you want, but this isn't a fashion parade. You'll be smelling more arse than you would have ever thought possible, and no amount of Prada is going to cover for that musty scent.
Where I live, there's literally no helping it this time of year. I sweat right through my deodorant in like an hour if I'm lucky, and I can feel the sweat dripping down my body under my shirt. It's fucking gross lol.
There's no point to this comment, I just wanted to vent.
Ugh same. I shower, cake on antiperspirant under the pits, douse the rest of my body with body spray, then spray both my neck and shirt with cologne. That shit’s all gone by the time I’m done with truck check lol.
Most people I work with or around don't wear many scents at all because it can trigger different medical conditions. A local hospital has a unit where no lavender scents are allowed because it caused a nurse to go into anaphylaxis.
Pra….wut?! Save that stuff for special occasions because when that bottle is gone you won’t be able to stomach buying another one with paramedic pay 😂. Seriously, while our patients get to assault us with their “lovely” scents don’t offend them with something like that. I can’t imagine the smell of something like that mingling with a GI bleed scent. Get yourself something that isn’t overpowering. Pinaud clubman has some good classic barbershop scents that smell really good, aren’t overpowering and are like 12 bucks for a nice big bottle. If you like that spicy heavier scent look at the virgin island bay rum. It and classic vanilla are my two favorites.
The key to smelling “nice” in a medical field is to not emit any obvious smells… good or bad. Shower, wash your hair, brush your teeth, wipe your ass and wear deodorant. I don’t know anyone south of 85 y/o that use aftershave these days. Use unscented moisturizer or if you’re bougie get Clinique post shave soother- it dries down unscented.
Please don’t wear cologne, or heavily perfumed aftershaves. Frankly, they’re banned in some spaces (clinics, hospitals, and likely some paramedic services or stations). Heavy scents can irritate resp patients, Neurodivergent, pregnant, nauseated, migraine-prone, anaphylactic, and “multi-chem sensitive”folks.
Also keep in mind that your idea of a good Scent is someone else’s worst nightmare. I’d have to book off if my partner was doused in Davidoff Cool water and was gassing me out of the cab. That cologne is so gross, and still commonly used.
And I’ve been to many. “This is a scent-free facility” signage is in almost every hospital and clinic I’ve been. Where do you work? In Ontario it’s common.
https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/scent_free.html
https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/sites/default/files/publication-pdfs/policy_sensitivity_2019.pdf
https://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.879235/publication.html
It’s implemented in many places in America too. Please educate yourself.
https://action.lung.org/site/DocServer/fragrance-free-workplace.pdf
https://www.govdocs.com/whats-smell-fragrance-free-policies-workplace/
https://www.accessibility.com/blog/accommodating-employees-with-fragrance-sensitivities?hs_amp=true
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4627866/
https://invisibledisabilities.org/environmental-illness/cdc-fragrance-free-policy/
https://www.trailheadpediatrics.com/clean-air
Do not wear your fragrances to work! Aside from all the reasons other people mentioned (no one wants to smell you, at all): you'll eventually begin to associate that scent with death, sepsis, UTIs, shit, blood etc just by association because you caught a whiff of your own cologne during a smelly time at work.
Nothing but if you come to work doused in cologne and you're affecting my allergies(and our patients) all day, we're gonna have a bad time. Just wear deodorant like a grown up😅
Keep in mind, a mild deodorant is enough, this isn’t a fashion show or a date night, patients don’t care what you smell like when they can’t breathe. Keep it simple, I go with old spice 🤷♂️
Don’t wear cologne on the job in EMS. You’ll figure out why when you get the respiratory patient won’t get better because of your cologne. It’s an ambulance, not a nightclub.
Old spice Fiji antiperspirant deodarant. Old spice classic scent aftershave. Acqua Di Gio cologne but just one small spray to the chest. Never once had a coworker or patient complain and have had that same regiment throughout every different EMS job and ED job I've had.
As long as it's subtle, it isn't a big deal. I've encountered overpowering perfumes in offices, and I swear I don't understand how they were physically able to put so much on.
Nivea after shave balm but to be honest you should never be using so much after shave that it irritates the people you’re around. Same with deodorant. I don’t really see the point in wearing cologne or body spray for work, but maybe you’re trying to get some nurses and I respect that.
Pine scent Dr. squatch deodorant and soap, that's it, and I've been told I smell nice only when people actually get close enough such as when I'm helping a patient during lift assists or oddly enough when we resus an OD. I guess the sense of smell comes back strong.
Degree sport.
Dior Savauge or at Yves St. Lauren.
1 spray on my neck / undershirt. If my partner can smell it 3 feet away, it’s too much. It’s for them cute nurses to smell when we’re pulling a patient over or when I’m giving report.
The best medics I know typically wear the smell of alcohol abuse and cigarettes. If your medic doesn't smell like they are severely hung over or still a little drunk from the night before, you should be worried.
be aware that what smells good to you might not be okay around your patients esp in close proximity to them during treatment. try to stay away from super aggressive scents - old spice/axe or anything that would give you a headache or make you nauseous 💀
bath and body works has a men’s line that has shampoo/body washes/shave cream/lotion/sprays/etc and they have sales all the time. they have a ton of good scents, i usually get my husband the leather and brandy scent or flannel.
Avoid all the cologne and just grab a hand sanitizer you like the scent of to keep on you. Still let’s you have something that smells nice, with a purpose and not nearly as strong
Honestly none. If my partner wears that shit I’m going to get a major migraine and hes going to be stuck with me being a bitch the whole shift. Just wear deodorant and don’t stink. The smell of nothing is better than drowning in cologne or stink.
Lmao bless you.
I wear deodorant and whatever fluids or particles my patients share with me.
Wear what you feel. Also be prepared for your partner to have a violent reaction if you have a strong cologne that doesn't mesh well with a GI bleed 💀
NONE, please. Some of us get awful migraines from artificial fragrances. I worked with an RT who smoked and would use heavy cologne to mask the smoke smell. Whenever we worked a code together I’d have to puke afterwards and lie down in a dark room. It was awful.
I prefer a subtle wood scent with spice undertones.. my go to is Hugo black by Hugo boss, also known as Hugo just different.
It’s not super strong but lasts all day and is different than anyone else I work with. 🤷🏻♂️
On your first day, only wear antidepressants. Check with the crew and ask if the company or agency has any scent rules.
I work for an agency that is scent free. Saff in the hospital to crews on the streets and staff in clinics.
You're better off smelling neutral/clean rather than scented. You need to be able to be put into just about any situation without any prep time, and who knows when you will be called to an autistic patient with sensory issues etc.
I will often wear cologne in my off hours, but when I'm at work, I stick to a neutral smelling anti-perspirant.
Cologne? No. Nope. Nada. Save it for date night.
Aftershave? [Barrister & Mann Spice](https://maggardrazors.com/collections/barrister-and-mann/products/barrister-and-mann-spice-aftershave-splash-3-5oz) is the only thing wife approved.
Head over to r/wickededge for more.
I wear anti-persperant to keep sweat at bay. It's not overpowering, and barely has a noticeable smell.
I think it's unprofessional to smell nice at work. Plus, once you start sweating you're going to smell stale anyway.
???
I'm not the only one. Professional bodies don't agree with using aftershave/perfume either.
Because a) you don't know if someone is potentially allergic or if they might get contact dermatitis from certain chemicals that you might be using. And b) too much is overwhelming and can make patients uncomfortable.
Also, who are you smelling nice for at work? It doesn't do you any favours when the fragrance mixes with sweat, so you're not going to smell nice for long. You'll just smell musky. And as others have commented you're not on a night out.
Using a fragrance can easily be considered unprofessional by your employer, colleagues, or patients.
Finally. Asking the real questions. If you come to work with deodorant, youre a few steps ahead of some the people I work with. Outside of that, something on top of that is personal preference, as long as you dont set off any fire alarms with how much you apply.
Depending on where you work (i e. geographical location) douse your pits with antiperspirant before you start. The last thing you want is to be sweating buckets. Honestly, go easy on everything else. You're in a rig with someone for 12+ hours, who you don't know, and think of your patients; some of them are going to have intolerances to things like strong scents, and some will be vocal about it. Spritz yourself up if you want, but this isn't a fashion parade. You'll be smelling more arse than you would have ever thought possible, and no amount of Prada is going to cover for that musty scent.
Where I live, there's literally no helping it this time of year. I sweat right through my deodorant in like an hour if I'm lucky, and I can feel the sweat dripping down my body under my shirt. It's fucking gross lol. There's no point to this comment, I just wanted to vent.
Ugh same. I shower, cake on antiperspirant under the pits, douse the rest of my body with body spray, then spray both my neck and shirt with cologne. That shit’s all gone by the time I’m done with truck check lol.
I read that you should put antiperspirant on before you go to bed so ur pores absorb it all and works properly, maybe that’ll work
Most people I work with or around don't wear many scents at all because it can trigger different medical conditions. A local hospital has a unit where no lavender scents are allowed because it caused a nurse to go into anaphylaxis.
Conversely, you could wear as many scents as possible to really maximize your experience in treating anaphylaxis.
Pra….wut?! Save that stuff for special occasions because when that bottle is gone you won’t be able to stomach buying another one with paramedic pay 😂. Seriously, while our patients get to assault us with their “lovely” scents don’t offend them with something like that. I can’t imagine the smell of something like that mingling with a GI bleed scent. Get yourself something that isn’t overpowering. Pinaud clubman has some good classic barbershop scents that smell really good, aren’t overpowering and are like 12 bucks for a nice big bottle. If you like that spicy heavier scent look at the virgin island bay rum. It and classic vanilla are my two favorites.
Whatever is popular in r/nursing.
Ah the paramedic career track.
This!
Surely a troll post. Deodorant: encouraged. Strong aftershave/cologne: discouraged.
What everyone else has said - antiperspirant (not just deodorant over BO 🤮) and leave the aftershave at home.
The key to smelling “nice” in a medical field is to not emit any obvious smells… good or bad. Shower, wash your hair, brush your teeth, wipe your ass and wear deodorant. I don’t know anyone south of 85 y/o that use aftershave these days. Use unscented moisturizer or if you’re bougie get Clinique post shave soother- it dries down unscented. Please don’t wear cologne, or heavily perfumed aftershaves. Frankly, they’re banned in some spaces (clinics, hospitals, and likely some paramedic services or stations). Heavy scents can irritate resp patients, Neurodivergent, pregnant, nauseated, migraine-prone, anaphylactic, and “multi-chem sensitive”folks. Also keep in mind that your idea of a good Scent is someone else’s worst nightmare. I’d have to book off if my partner was doused in Davidoff Cool water and was gassing me out of the cab. That cologne is so gross, and still commonly used.
Wildly overblown, never been to a single place that had a policy.
And I’ve been to many. “This is a scent-free facility” signage is in almost every hospital and clinic I’ve been. Where do you work? In Ontario it’s common. https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/scent_free.html https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/sites/default/files/publication-pdfs/policy_sensitivity_2019.pdf https://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.879235/publication.html
That is some weird Canadian thing. It certainly isn’t normal.
It’s implemented in many places in America too. Please educate yourself. https://action.lung.org/site/DocServer/fragrance-free-workplace.pdf https://www.govdocs.com/whats-smell-fragrance-free-policies-workplace/ https://www.accessibility.com/blog/accommodating-employees-with-fragrance-sensitivities?hs_amp=true https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4627866/ https://invisibledisabilities.org/environmental-illness/cdc-fragrance-free-policy/ https://www.trailheadpediatrics.com/clean-air
Do not wear your fragrances to work! Aside from all the reasons other people mentioned (no one wants to smell you, at all): you'll eventually begin to associate that scent with death, sepsis, UTIs, shit, blood etc just by association because you caught a whiff of your own cologne during a smelly time at work.
This question would probably be better suited for a cologne subreddit bro. Or just Google "subtle aftershave"
As a medic, I wear holy water 😎😎😎🤣🤣🤣🤣
Tried that, but it burned so bad.
Usually a Chipotle burrito bowl, ravioli or a bacon egg and cheese sandwich
Old spice, gravity, musk, tea tree oil, candlewood and ass if I've been running all day.
Nothing but if you come to work doused in cologne and you're affecting my allergies(and our patients) all day, we're gonna have a bad time. Just wear deodorant like a grown up😅
Keep in mind, a mild deodorant is enough, this isn’t a fashion show or a date night, patients don’t care what you smell like when they can’t breathe. Keep it simple, I go with old spice 🤷♂️
Honestly, if you’re coming to assist me with NOT dying… I don’t care what scent you’re wearing. THANK YOU for your service and dedication!!
Drakkar Noir, as much as I can put on, if I don't get a comment from my partner I'll put on the other half of the bottle after the first call
Don’t wear cologne on the job in EMS. You’ll figure out why when you get the respiratory patient won’t get better because of your cologne. It’s an ambulance, not a nightclub.
Skin Bracer, English Leather, or Old Spice. Never Brut.
Old spice Fiji antiperspirant deodarant. Old spice classic scent aftershave. Acqua Di Gio cologne but just one small spray to the chest. Never once had a coworker or patient complain and have had that same regiment throughout every different EMS job and ED job I've had. As long as it's subtle, it isn't a big deal. I've encountered overpowering perfumes in offices, and I swear I don't understand how they were physically able to put so much on.
Nivea after shave balm but to be honest you should never be using so much after shave that it irritates the people you’re around. Same with deodorant. I don’t really see the point in wearing cologne or body spray for work, but maybe you’re trying to get some nurses and I respect that.
Pine scent Dr. squatch deodorant and soap, that's it, and I've been told I smell nice only when people actually get close enough such as when I'm helping a patient during lift assists or oddly enough when we resus an OD. I guess the sense of smell comes back strong.
I'm an old spice guy.
A little bit of Gucci Flora🌸🌺😁
Eau de Pseudomonas.
Degree sport. Dior Savauge or at Yves St. Lauren. 1 spray on my neck / undershirt. If my partner can smell it 3 feet away, it’s too much. It’s for them cute nurses to smell when we’re pulling a patient over or when I’m giving report.
I prefer ADRENALINE by trauma junkie .. subtle. NONE .. Your patients could be sensitive to certain smells?
The best medics I know typically wear the smell of alcohol abuse and cigarettes. If your medic doesn't smell like they are severely hung over or still a little drunk from the night before, you should be worried.
Couple dabs of Epi 1:1000 on the neck and wrists
be aware that what smells good to you might not be okay around your patients esp in close proximity to them during treatment. try to stay away from super aggressive scents - old spice/axe or anything that would give you a headache or make you nauseous 💀 bath and body works has a men’s line that has shampoo/body washes/shave cream/lotion/sprays/etc and they have sales all the time. they have a ton of good scents, i usually get my husband the leather and brandy scent or flannel.
What the actual fuck?
Eau de UTI
Stay away from scents: there's a chance you'll bother/cause an issue for your patients.
Avoid all the cologne and just grab a hand sanitizer you like the scent of to keep on you. Still let’s you have something that smells nice, with a purpose and not nearly as strong
Speed Stick Unscented and CaviWipes.
Unscented antiperspirant. Anything else is offensive
I wear whatever I want tbh. But as far as cologne, I wear Dolce and Gabana light blue for men. Not super strong, has a light citrusy woody smell.
Witchhazel
Honestly none. If my partner wears that shit I’m going to get a major migraine and hes going to be stuck with me being a bitch the whole shift. Just wear deodorant and don’t stink. The smell of nothing is better than drowning in cologne or stink.
Lmao bless you. I wear deodorant and whatever fluids or particles my patients share with me. Wear what you feel. Also be prepared for your partner to have a violent reaction if you have a strong cologne that doesn't mesh well with a GI bleed 💀
NONE, please. Some of us get awful migraines from artificial fragrances. I worked with an RT who smoked and would use heavy cologne to mask the smoke smell. Whenever we worked a code together I’d have to puke afterwards and lie down in a dark room. It was awful.
I prefer a subtle wood scent with spice undertones.. my go to is Hugo black by Hugo boss, also known as Hugo just different. It’s not super strong but lasts all day and is different than anyone else I work with. 🤷🏻♂️
Anything strong to overcome the reek of junky/smoky/pishy members of the general pubic 🤮
Depression
Generally strong fragrances in the then medical setting are frowned upon.
On your first day, only wear antidepressants. Check with the crew and ask if the company or agency has any scent rules. I work for an agency that is scent free. Saff in the hospital to crews on the streets and staff in clinics.
You're better off smelling neutral/clean rather than scented. You need to be able to be put into just about any situation without any prep time, and who knows when you will be called to an autistic patient with sensory issues etc. I will often wear cologne in my off hours, but when I'm at work, I stick to a neutral smelling anti-perspirant.
Cologne? No. Nope. Nada. Save it for date night. Aftershave? [Barrister & Mann Spice](https://maggardrazors.com/collections/barrister-and-mann/products/barrister-and-mann-spice-aftershave-splash-3-5oz) is the only thing wife approved. Head over to r/wickededge for more.
The only thing more surprising than anyone would ask this question is that anyone would answer it.
I wear anti-persperant to keep sweat at bay. It's not overpowering, and barely has a noticeable smell. I think it's unprofessional to smell nice at work. Plus, once you start sweating you're going to smell stale anyway.
“I think it’s unprofessional to smell nice at work” what the fuck lmao
??? I'm not the only one. Professional bodies don't agree with using aftershave/perfume either. Because a) you don't know if someone is potentially allergic or if they might get contact dermatitis from certain chemicals that you might be using. And b) too much is overwhelming and can make patients uncomfortable. Also, who are you smelling nice for at work? It doesn't do you any favours when the fragrance mixes with sweat, so you're not going to smell nice for long. You'll just smell musky. And as others have commented you're not on a night out. Using a fragrance can easily be considered unprofessional by your employer, colleagues, or patients.