Body odor is also referred to as Bromhidrosis. This smell is very evident in individuals once they have attained the stage of puberty. No wonder it is uncommon with much younger ones to stink. There are various steps to take to help you eliminate or get rid of body odor entirely. Firstly, let’s see what causes body odor.
Body odor occurs when the byproduct of bacteria breaks down the keratin protein on the surface of the skin. It can be completely stopped if we get certain things correctly. Below are 16 effective ways that will help get rid of body odor.
1. Take care of your armpits: if you are reeking of body odor, the culprit here could be your armpits. A way you can ensure your armpits smell nice is to use deodorant. There are various kinds of deodorants in the market. Be careful in picking your choice. So you won’t get allergies.
Deodorants could be spritz onto your armpits, or you can use a roll-on. A roll-on is much better since you will be applying directly to the needed area, unlike spraying, where you may miss the target in the process.
2. Smelly feet and shoes: it can be so embarrassing for you to be in a public place, then you decide to let your feet out of those shoes for fresh air. Then everywhere begins to have a foul smell. And someone is busy rolling his or her eyes somewhere in disgust, wondering who has tampered with the fresh air in the place. You are smarter than that! Get shoe spray for your smelly shoe.
Try to spray it overnight so it can be dry for you to wear when you want to. Moreso, it would be best you put on clean absorbent socks that would be able to dry up any sweat coming from your feet as you go about with your daily activities. Furthermore, you can get foot powders to rid your feet of the unpleasant odor it has.
3. Wash more: you can eliminate body odor when you engage in regular washing of your clothes. If possible, before repeating any outfits, try to wash after wearing once. Unclean clothes are breeding grounds for bacteria. Apart from body odor, you could infect your skin with some diseases as well.
4. Use natural Fabrics: when trying to eliminate body odor, you should be selective about the kind of material used in the clothes you want to wear. Some fabrics encourage odor to ooze from your body, such as polyester, spandex, nylon, and rayons, by trapping the odors inside your body. However, natural materials such as wool, cotton, silk, or linen allow your clothes to get properly aerated even when you sweat.
5. Spike the laundry: improve your style of washing clothes. Incorporating substances like vinegar/baking soda into your soaked clothes is beneficial. It removes all traces of body odor from your clothes.
Additionally, stay away from the dryer when trying to get rid of this odor. Dryers will only worsen the situation since it locks in the odor in your clothes. What is the point of doing laundry without getting fresh fragrances on your clothes?
7. Dump the fabric softener: Fabric softener is another thing you use that would not help you to eliminate body odor. It has a lot of counter effects. Firstly, it prevents air from flowing in your fabrics. Secondly, it makes it hard for detergents to penetrate your fabrics to make it clean. Moreover, it is unfriendly to the skin.
8. Have a change of clothes: Especially after a workout, it would be best to change from your sportswear into something else. As the sweats stick on your body with bacteria coming to act upon it, it will give you that pungent smell. Even you’ll be able to feel the smell.
9. Diet:Â The kind of food you eat could worsen or eliminate body odor. A lot of spicy stuff in your food like ginger, garlic, turmeric, onions, curries, etc. For instance, just eating garlic could give you a bad odor. The smell is so strong that it can come out of your skin.
It is usually provocative to others around you. It will help if you entirely forgo consuming such spices in your meal or eating little quantity of it. Also, drinks such as alcohol and caffeine can contribute to or affect body odor. It’s better to forego them.
10. Excessive sweating:Â This condition is also known as hyperhidrosis. People suffering from it are always sweating. We all have a way we smell that is natural. This is usually what dogs use in recognizing a familiar person from a stranger.
However, the smell that emanates from you due to body odor is entirely different from your natural smell. You can use antiperspirants to control your sweat. However, research is still not conclusive on the side effects of using antiperspirants.
11. Use nicely, scented lotions or creams:Â There is a wide variety of body care products at your disposal. If you are using any cream or lotion that smells terribly, you will feel like a skunk. The way you can eliminate body odor is for you to get the right body care products with a pleasant fragrance.
For some, you may no longer need to use any extra perfumes on yourself after slathering on your skin.
12. Attempt reaching the right spots when showering:Â A proper bath is ideal for you to get rid of body odor. It is not just about washing yourself with soap and water. Taking adequate time to wash the areas with a higher concentration of apocrine glands than the rest of the body will do the trick for you.
These right spots you must wash thoroughly are behind your ears, armpits, breasts, belly button, groin, upper thighs, anus area—failure to wash these right spots when bathing results in odor.
13. Unkempt hair:Â Most times, all other parts of your body could be completely clean and smelling fresh. Yet, you can still perceive that foul smell. Check your hair, when was the last time you cared for it?. This is probably because you are trying to save some bucks or have been too occupied with other things.
Subsequently, your hair has become neglected. Using a good shampoo and other hair products to keep your hair neat would restore your appeal.
14. Bad breath:Â Failure to have oral care equals having bad breath. When you have bad breath, no one would like to stay close talking to you. Brush your teeth at least once a day. Furthermore, hunger could give you bad breath. Therefore, our mouth and avoiding unnecessary starving could eliminate this from you.
15. Avoid being overweight:Â The moment you get overweight, you will have skin folds. Skin folds also contribute to the odor you have because it can hold sweat and bacteria in that part of your body. Additionally, you may not be able to wash your skin folds well. Therefore, it leads to body odor.
16. Certain health conditions:Â Body odor could be a sign of other ailments in your body, such as kidney or liver problems. Even having diabetes could hinder you from eliminating body odor.
17. Shaving/waxing: if you are blessed with abundant natural resources known as hair. It will help if you do a lot of shaving/waxing appropriately as the hairs on your body could trap sweats and bacteria together. Therefore, shaving/waxing is so on point in helping you to eliminate body odor.
In a nutshellÂ
You can get rid of body odor through the improved lifestyles that I have mentioned above. Nevertheless, A person’s body odor could come genetically, which you may have little control over. If your efforts seem abortive after you have done your best to eliminate your body odor, you can get medical help to get your confidence back.
See also: How To Get Rid Of Acne Completely
