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Old Spice Deodorant Review: Swagger, Fiji and Which to Buy

Old Spice deodorant is one of the cheapest, best-smelling options in any supermarket, but which one you should buy depends on where you live. The Swagger and Fiji sticks that dominate American reviews aren't on UK shelves, and most UK Old Spice is deodorant rather than antiperspirant. Here's what's in each product, which ones contain aluminium, and which to buy.

How we score. Scores are our editorial judgement from research, not a lab or wear test. Effectiveness: how the product works (antiperspirant or deodorant), the strength of its active ingredient, and how consistent large numbers of user reviews are. Scent: the range of scents, including a fragrance-free option, and how users rate them. Value: price, and how easy it is to buy in the US and the UK. Skin Safety: known irritants in the formula, sensitive-skin options, and how often irritation is reported. The overall score is the average of the four. We will update scores if we test products ourselves.

1Who Makes Old Spice?

Old Spice began in 1937 as a women's fragrance from the Shulton Company, and the men's line followed in 1938. Procter & Gamble bought the brand in 1990 and turned it from a classic aftershave into a mass-market deodorant and body-wash brand, helped by its famous advertising.

P&G also owns Secret, Gillette and Native, so Old Spice sits alongside some of the biggest deodorant brands in the US. In the UK, Old Spice products are distributed by Procter & Gamble UK in Weybridge, Surrey, and the UK sticks we checked are made in Poland.

2The UK and US Ranges Are Different

This is the most important thing to know before you buy, and most Old Spice reviews miss it because they're written for American readers.

UK listings make a point of the aluminium-free formula: Tesco's description of the Captain stick says it contains "0% aluminium salts". More recently, Tesco, Boots, Superdrug and Morrisons have also stocked a small Old Spice antiperspirant range, including the Sport Power stick and spray, Cold Spice clear gel and spray, and a Captain clear gel. UK labels don't state the strength of the active ingredient the way US drug-facts labels do, and there's no UK clinical-strength version. The US Sweat Defense and Clinical products appear in the UK only through import sellers, usually at a higher price.

3★ Deodorant, Antiperspirant, Sweat Defense or Clinical?

In the US, the same scent can come in four very different products. The name on the front tells you how much sweat control you're getting, and the drug-facts label on the back gives the exact strength of the active ingredient.

The Clinical version is applied at bedtime (three or four clicks, rubbed in until clear), when sweat glands are less active. Old Spice says it gives protection equivalent to a 6.25% aluminium chloride prescription product. If you're not sure which type you need, our guide to antiperspirant vs deodorant explains the difference.

4Swagger, Fiji, Captain and the Rest: Which Scent?

Scent is why most people buy Old Spice, and it's the most consistent theme in user reviews. Here are the main ones and where you can buy them.

Boots describes Captain as the UK's best-rated scent, based on an Old Spice survey of 121 men in 2021. That's a small, brand-run survey, so treat it as marketing rather than evidence, but Captain is the easiest Old Spice scent to find on both sides of the Atlantic. For how Old Spice compares with other men's brands, see our best deodorant for men guide.

5What's Inside: Ingredients

Aluminium-free sticks (US). The US aluminium-free Swagger stick lists dipropylene glycol, water, propylene glycol, sodium stearate, fragrance, poloxamine 1307, PPG-3 myristyl ether, tetrasodium EDTA and a blue colourant. This is a classic clear "soap gel" stick. Sodium stearate sets the gel, and the glycols keep it smooth. There's no baking soda, which is good news for people who react to natural deodorants.

Antiperspirant sticks (US). These pair the aluminium zirconium salt with silicone (cyclopentasiloxane), stearyl alcohol, mineral oil and petrolatum, which is why they go on dry and leave less residue than older formulas. Some versions add kaolin clay, and the Clinical soft solids contain cyclodextrin, an ingredient that traps odour molecules.

UK range. UK retailers confirm the deodorant sticks contain 0% aluminium salts, and the deodorant body sprays are alcohol-based aerosols with butane and propane propellants and fragrance. The UK antiperspirants (Sport Power, Cold Spice and the Captain clear gel) are separate products marked "Anti-Perspirant" on the pack.

Whole Body (US). The aluminium-free Whole Body range is a different formula. The Vanilla and Shea stick uses magnesium hydroxide, tapioca starch, coconut oil, shea butter, magnesium carbonate and piroctone olamine, an anti-dandruff ingredient that also targets odour-causing microbes. It's marketed as dermatologist-tested and aluminium-free, and there's an unscented version.

6The 2021 Benzene Recall: What Happened?

In November 2021, P&G voluntarily recalled specific Old Spice and Secret aerosol antiperspirant sprays in the US, plus Old Spice Below Deck powder sprays, after benzene was detected in some batches. Benzene can cause cancer with long-term exposure. It isn't an ingredient; it came from contamination in the spray propellant. The recall followed a petition from the testing lab Valisure, which had found benzene in sprays from several brands, not just Old Spice.

The recall covered all lots with expiry dates up to September 2023, so those cans should have been used up or thrown away long ago. Old Spice sticks, gels and the UK range weren't affected. P&G said it had no reports of harm, and the FDA said daily use at the levels found wouldn't be expected to cause adverse health effects. For the full history of deodorant recalls, see our FDA deodorant recall list.

7Does Old Spice Actually Work?

For odour control and scent, the evidence from buyers is strong. When we checked in November 2026, the US aluminium-free Swagger stick had a 4.6 out of 5 rating from more than 3,800 Walmart ratings, the Swagger antiperspirant stick had 4.7 from more than 9,000, and the aluminium-free Fiji stick averaged 4.7 from about 2,500 reviews at US grocery chains. Ratings at that volume are a useful signal, although some reviews on US retailer sites are collected through promotions.

The recurring complaints are consistent:

• Underarm irritation, most often with the aluminium-free sticks. Switching to an antiperspirant or the Whole Body range fixes it for some users.
• The scent is too strong for some people, especially if you wear aftershave or cologne too.
• Aluminium-free means no sweat control. Some buyers expect the deodorant sticks to keep them dry and are disappointed.
• UK shoppers can't find Swagger and pay import prices for it online.

If you sweat heavily, you'll get better results from an antiperspirant than any deodorant. US readers can step up to Old Spice Sweat Defense or Clinical. UK readers can try the Sport Power or Cold Spice antiperspirants, but for heavy sweating a clinical-strength product from another brand is a safer bet; our guide to the best deodorant for excessive sweating covers the options.

8Where to Buy Old Spice in the UK and US

In the UK, Old Spice sticks and body sprays are sold at Boots, Superdrug, Tesco, Ocado, Morrisons and Asda. When we checked in November 2026, sticks such as Captain were £3.75 at Boots and Tesco, and Boots and Superdrug were running a "save 1/3" offer that brought many sticks and sprays down to about £2.50. The newer antiperspirants cost a little more: the Sport Power stick was £3.75 and the Cold Spice clear gel £5 at Tesco. Swagger, Fiji and the US Sweat Defense and Clinical products are only available from import sellers online.

In the US, Old Spice is everywhere. Aluminium-free sticks were $6.99–$7.99 at Target, the Swagger antiperspirant stick was $7.97 at Walmart, and multipacks bring the price per stick down further. The Clinical Sweat Defense soft solid costs more, at about $10–$11, and Whole Body sprays were about $13.

Our buy link is in the score card near the top of this review.

9Who Should (and Shouldn't) Buy Old Spice

• Anyone who wants a strong, long-lasting scent for very little money
• UK shoppers who want a cheap aluminium-free deodorant from a normal supermarket
• US shoppers who sweat heavily: Sweat Defense and Clinical are good-value antiperspirants

10Our Verdict

Old Spice earns its loyal following on scent and price. Swagger, Fiji and Captain are some of the best-liked fragrances in men's deodorant, and almost everything costs less than £4 or $8. The catch is that "Old Spice" means different things in different countries. In the US, you can choose your strength, from aluminium-free to 20% clinical. In the UK, it's mainly a cheap, pleasant-smelling aluminium-free deodorant, with a small antiperspirant range for everyday sweat. Sensitive skin should tread carefully. Overall, we give it a research score of 7.8 out of 10.

11Frequently Asked Questions

QIs Old Spice deodorant aluminium-free?+

It depends on the product. Old Spice deodorant sticks and body sprays sold in the UK are aluminium-free, and so is any US product labelled "Deodorant" or "Aluminum Free". Anything labelled "Anti-Perspirant" contains aluminium, including the UK's Sport Power and Cold Spice ranges. In the US, antiperspirant, Sweat Defense and Clinical products contain an aluminium zirconium salt at 15–20%.

QIs Old Spice Swagger an antiperspirant or a deodorant?+

Both exist. Swagger is a scent, not a product, and in the US it's sold as an aluminium-free deodorant, an antiperspirant (17% aluminium zirconium), a Sweat Defense antiperspirant and a Clinical Sweat Defense antiperspirant. Check the front of the pack: "Anti-Perspirant" means it contains aluminium.

QWhat does Old Spice Fiji smell like?+

Old Spice describes Fiji as "Fiji with Palm Tree", and retailers list coconut, palm and lavender notes. In user reviews it's usually described as fresh, tropical and lighter than Swagger. Fiji is a US scent, so in the UK you'll mostly find it through import sellers.

QCan you buy Old Spice Swagger in the UK?+

Not in normal UK shops when we checked in November 2026. Boots, Superdrug, Tesco and Ocado sell the UK and European range, led by Captain, Original, Deep Sea, Night Panther and Rockstar. Swagger and Fiji are sold in the UK mainly by import sellers online, usually at a higher price.

QIs Old Spice bad for sensitive skin?+

It can be. Old Spice products are heavily fragranced, and the US aluminium-free sticks are based on propylene glycol, which irritates some people. If you have reactive skin, patch test first, or try the unscented Old Spice Whole Body Deodorant in the US. Stop using any product that causes a rash.

QWas Old Spice recalled?+

In November 2021, Procter & Gamble recalled specific Old Spice and Secret aerosol antiperspirant sprays in the US after benzene was detected. The recall covered lots with expiry dates up to September 2023, so those cans should be long gone. Old Spice sticks, gels and the UK range weren't part of the recall.

QWho owns Old Spice?+

Procter & Gamble, the company behind Secret, Gillette and Native, bought Old Spice from the Shulton Company in 1990. Old Spice launched in 1937 as a women's fragrance, and the men's line followed in 1938.