March 24, 2011
It’s a nasty one to approach but, how do we deal with body odour and prevent ghastly smells coming from regions we don’t need to mention?
Well men do tend to smell a little more than women, right? Middle aged men tend to produce a substance called Noneal which adds to the reproduction of “scent serious odours!” Testosterone can also be a contributory factor, excess amounts of the hormone can stimulate the sweat glands and induce heavy perspiration. Generally, men lead more physical lifestyles than female’s placid approach, so this may well influence the situation.
B.O. or Body Odour can be caused by a number of contributing factors. In addition to hormones (as mentioned previous,) diet, and hygiene are also to blame, but some chaps just can’t seem to “clear the air” for love nor money. These cases are few and far between and such occurrences should be addressed with the assistance of a doctor. For the guys who detect a sniff but aren’t plagued by the issue follow these simple guidelines to minimise the problem.
Bath More – It may sound obvious but you’d be surprised how lazy some guys are. Taking a hot bath is good, a hot shower – even better. The constant flow of water will help to rid the skin of bacteria.
Learn the difference between Deodorant & Anti-perspirant - both formulas have different approaches to tackling the enemy. Deodorants simply masks the smell and are only suitable for those who experience minimal moisture. So, I guess if you’re reading this, they won’t work for you. Anti-perspirants clog the pores to prevent sweat, so the bacteria which creates the aroma has nothing to interact with. Aluminium and Zinc are renowned for their odour fighting properties. If you’re looking to change your regular smell busting formula, look for these ingredients on the label.
Boric Acid – this approach is one of the most effective ways to reduce the bad smell. It can cause irritation to the skin so use with caution (do a skin test on a small area before use). It slows down the spread/reproduction of the bacteria responsible for the smell.
Finally, Nutrition – foods and drinks which contain caffeine stimulate the sweat glands and encourage the secretion of “fatty” sweat. Avoid coffee, chocolate, fizzy drinks and tea to minimise this.
If you’re still feeling the effects of the credit crunch your bathroom armoury may not be top of your priorities, but fear not, there are some great products available from the shelves of high st stores which won’t break the bank.
