Most people are surprised to learn that “water” is a fragrance, and a damn good one. No, not like, splash some lemon seltzer on your face, then call yourself fancy. “Water” is one of the 14 fragrance families, alongside more common classifications like woody, citrus, and floral. Scents with water notes evoke the open seas. They’re fresh and they’re clean, with ingredients like bergamot, mint, jasmine, and musk. Moreover, these marine-inspired scents are optimistic.
That “fresh and clean” sensation is precisely what I look for in a deodorant, too. So I was eager to get my hands on the latest assortment from Old Spice—to be exact, the Old Spice Sea Spray line, which bottles up the open-sea optimism of water colognes. The assortment launched with four products, all of which neutralize and prevent odd smells in proper Old Spice form, as well as delivering an uplifting scent to your skin—the essence of yacht party or coastal road trip. There’s a deodorant, as well as an antiperspirant + deodorant (with 48 hour protection), an aluminum-free body spray, and also a body wash.
The Sea Spray scent is best described as a day on the docks—but not docks with weird piles of sea lions barking nearby or rusty boats spewing fumes, and definitely not docks where salty fisherman are fileting questionably-fresh fish. The docks in this happy scenario have a cool breeze blowing in, as sailboats depart for a day at sea. The sun warms your ocean-fresh skin, and your hair has that perfect salty texture. That is the Old Spice Sea Spray essence, and it’s immediate as you apply the deodorant or the antiperspirant. Doubly so when you take a shower with the body wash and turn your bathroom into a Cape Cod set piece. Should you apply the 48-hour body spray, the effect smells as scintillating as a surf lesson, but promises the exact opposite amount of moisture (2 days’ worth of sweat and odor protection, exactly like the aforementioned deodorant and antiperspirant).
Whenever I use Old Spice products, I always do a “next day” test, wherein I sniff my underarms to see if the product is still working as promised. I’m happy (and impressed, as always) to report that the Sea Spray assortment stands up to the “next day” test. And I always appreciate, especially with antiperspirants, when I don’t have to apply a deodorizing product every day.
Again, it’s that scent that wins over in this assortment—even amongst Old Spice’s various existing fragrances. They’re the water notes that complement summer, or that can recall it during colder seasons. It’s this essence that turns an everyday deodorant (or rather, an every-other-day deodorant, per the 48-hour promise) and body wash into a veritable cologne itself.
Old Spice Sea Spray Anti-Perspirant Deodorant, $7 Buy Now
Old Spice Sea Spray Deodorant, $7 Buy Now
Old Spice Sea Spray Aluminum Free Spray, $6 Buy Now
Old Spice Sea Spray Body Wash, $7 Buy Now
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