You Stink! How to Tame Your Body Odour

We all have that one friend, colleague or family member who just seems to stink. Whenever they get within a few feet of us we recoil in disgust, scrunch our noses and try to get away from them. But sometimes, people have that reaction to us as well. We become the offending smelly party.

Why don’t you notice your own body odour when other people do? Simply put, it's because you are used to it. Your nose is designed to detect new smells which are different, and when you stink for so long your brain simply filters out that information since it gets used to the smell and doesn't consider it abnormal.

But fret not, for there are various ways through which we can combat and tame the beast of body odour. Some are more effective than others, but all are useful in some way.

Having a Bath

Possibly the simplest way to reduce your body odour. In our wonderful country, with its abundance of heat and humidity, we often find ourselves drenched with sweat before the clock has even struck 7 AM. Having a bath is definitely something that is needed daily to cleanse ourselves of the odour producing bacteria that resides on our bodies.

And if it is the peak of summer, one bath a day is not enough. I would recommend at least two, one in the morning and another in the evening. Using a specialized antibacterial soap is not really necessary. Any normal soap or shower gel would suffice in cleaning the body effectively.

Anti-Perspirant Deodorant

I would not recommend regular deodorants to combat body odour. While they may make you smell good for a few minutes, over the course of the day, the chemicals in them will mix with your sweat, producing a lethal cocktail which stinks even more than your regular, ‘normal’ body odour.

Instead, if you are going to use a deodorant, use one which is labeled as an antiperspirant. These contain aluminium based compounds which react with the electrolytes in the sweat glands to plug in the ducts and reduce sweating. Less sweat of course means less stink.

One big downside of such products is that they do end up staining your shirts at the armpit area, especially if you use them for more than a few weeks.

Shave your armpits

I was unfortunate enough to be born with enough body hair to make a bear feel envious. That of course also means a lot of hair in the underarm region. Underarm hair is a big contributor to body odour, primarily because it traps moisture, thereby creating an environment that bacteria can thrive in. Hair also traps the odour, thereby making you smell for longer periods of time.

When you shave your underarm hair, you don’t allow the sweat to remain trapped. It can thus evaporate more quickly and you feel drier. A drier environment is less conducive for body odour producing bacteria to thrive in. Ergo, you smell less.

Alum

An alum block is a crystal-like stone made from potassium alum, a naturally occuring mineral. When moistened and rubbed over the skin, especially after shaving, it acts as an antiseptic and stops bleeding from small cuts.

In addition, Alum has antiseptic properties which kill surface bacteria, including the bacteria that produces body odour. I find applying alum to be a very effective means of stopping body odour. Based on my experience, I would recommend applying alum to the underarms after a bath, gently rubbing it over the skin a few times.

It does not stain clothes like antiperspirants and creates a neutral, odourless smell. Thus, you can apply deodorants over it as well without worrying if the smells will clash.

You can find a 100 gram Alum block at your local Kirana store or pharmacy. It is quite affordable, costs around Rs. 25, and lasts for at least three months with daily usage.

Losing Weight

If you are a bit on the heavy side, you will find that you do sweat more. This is because you need to exert yourself more for doing simple tasks. Additionally, the body fat traps heat, thus making you sweat even more. Also, sweat does get stuck in the thick layers of your skin, creating an environment for bacteria to thrive in.

Losing weight will result in you sweating less, thereby reducing body odour. Since I lost 15 kgs, (refer my article: How I Lost 5 kgs with Seven Easy Steps

https://www.onebighappyfamily.in/post/how-i-lost-15-kgs-with-seven-easy-steps) I find that my sweating has reduced, and by definition, my body odour as well.

Changing your Diet

Certain foods do have a tendency to increase your body odour. Based on my experience, I find that when I consume fewer fatty foods and refined carbohydrates (think of junk foods like maggi, soft drinks, samosas etc.), my body odour and sweating tends to be less. Basically, eat healthier, with more fruits and vegetables, and drink more water.

Conclusion

Body odour is an embarrassing problem that few people want to discuss, or think they have any control over. I used to be like that, until enough people told me to do something about it. The steps I listed in this article have all been tried and tested. If you implement some or all of them, you can be guaranteed that your body odour will definitely reduce, and everyone around you will appreciate that.