Fighting Man’s Body Odour

Body odour is a measurement of your personality. When you are attending a party, meeting or social gathering, and people stay away from you because of body odour, it is an embarrassment.

Scientists believe that the body odour of cavemen helped them to attract mates. Today, body odour does not serve modern men this function. A man’s body odour is partly determined by genetics. Some men sweat and stink more. Body odour can also be altered by body weight, alcohol and spicy food. Vegetarians smell different from meat eaters and smokers from non-smokers Europeans consume a lot of milk and cheese which tinges the natural body odour with a rancid butter smell.

The Japanese diet is mainly vegetables, fish and rice, which leaves only a neutral smell. The Inuits of Alaska, as well as residents of fishing villages, have a fishy smell because of the large amounts of fish they eat. Although body odour can vary depending on many factors, it is caused by bacteria acting on sweat from the apocrine glands. These glands are found mainly under the armpits and around the groin. Steps to fight body odour are hereby discussed:

Consume chlorophyll:

Drink a glass of water in the morning along with chlorophyll tablets or liquid extracts which are available from pharmacies. The chlorophyll will help to control body odour.

Bath regularly:

The main step in fighting body odour is to bath (or shower) regularly. Most office executives need to bath at least twice. However, if you are an executive chef, fitness instructor or field surveyor or do field work, you definitely need to bath more than twice daily. But don’t scrub until the skin gets irritated or become raw. When that happens, more bacteria will grow on it so that defeats the purpose.

Rose water:

Put a few drops of rose water in your cistern in the bathroom. It will help to leave you smelling fresh after bathing.

Use an anti-bacterial soap:

Using an anti-bacterial soap not only washes away oily secretions but it also kills scent-producing bacteria too. Common anti-bacterial soaps are available from supermarkets while stronger ones such as scrub soaps used by surgeons can be bought from pharmacies.Apply a deodorant:Applying a deodorant on the underarm leaves chemicals on the skin that helps to kill bacteria; the chemicals also have a pleasant odour on their own.

Use an antiperspirant:

If a deodorant does not work, also use an antiperspirant to reduce the amount of sweat the body produces. Some counter products are a two-in-one – a deodorant and an antiperspirant – that are really effective.

Use a topical anti-bacterial cream:

A few deodorants and anti-perspirants contain aluminium salts and other drying agents that can cause allergy to the sensitive glands of some men. If that happens, try a topical anti-bacterial cream which can be sold over the counter at pharmacies.

Attack the underarms:

The principle behind sprinkling baking soda (or sodium bicarbonate) in the fridge – to kill odour-causing bacteria – can also be applied to your underarms. Try mixing a little sodium bicarbonate with talcum powder and slap the mixture under your arms. If you want to soak in a long bath, sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda in the water.

Separate clothes when washing:

Don’t dump a basketful of clothes into a single load of your washing machine. Socks, singlets, underclothes, and other pieces that are sweat-stained should be separated from the others and be hand-washed prior to being machine-washed.

Shave your armpits:

Underarm hair is like a sieve that traps secretions and bacteria. When the armpit is “bald”, there are no places for bacteria to get trapped.

Watch your diet:

Food like fish and spices like garlic, onion, cumin and sambal belacan produce extracts of proteins and oils respectively that can seep back out through your pores. A feast of fish head curry the night before can have you smelling like a garbage dump the next day. Avoid excessive consumption of these foods. Eat more green leafy vegetables and healthy food high in fibre.

Wear long sleeves:

Avoid wearing short-sleeved shirts if you perspire a lot. Short-sleeved shirts will make your smell more prominent.Avoid hot drinks:Hot drinks will make you sweat; therefore, if possible go for iced beverages and juices.

Shoes and socks:

Have multiple pairs of shoes and avoid wearing the same pair two days in a row. Carry a pair of spare socks in your briefcase daily and change them once a day if your feet sweat profusely.

If all the above fails, it is advisable to consult a dermatologist.

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