Body odour is one way or another a menace to society and to those who have them. A lot of people have body odour and obviously do not wish to have it, because it affects them negatively emotionally and socially. Some people are not even aware they have body odours where as some people, for some reason of the other, do not have the power to curb it. it is also a sensitive topic. Just to clarify, the meaning of body odour, body odour is the unpleasant smell that occurs after perspiration. There are numerous body odour causes which include diseases and as such there are many body odour remedies. A lot of people look for how to cure body odour permanently, however, it is a continuous process. Body odour treatment does not produce results instantly, it takes commitment and real changes. Also, there is no such thing as a sudden change in body odour, it stems from a build-up.

Body Odour Causes

1. Lack of personal hygiene

a lack of hygiene is one of the foremost causes of body odour. Not that it directly causes the odour, but it creates a good atmosphere for such foul odours to thrive. A good personal hygiene includes bathing regularly, brushing your teeth, cleaning your ears, washing your clothes, underwear and generally keeping your personal space clean. Some people fail to practise a good hygiene not only because they are dirty but because they cannot afford to, do not know how to or do not have the capacity to do so and this will create a body for foul scents to thrive. Your underwear may be worn beneath your clothes but failing to wash them along with your clothes regularly will result in a bad odour which will stick with you. This is because the sweat and dirt from the previous wears have not been cleaned and properly dried to evaporate.

2. Medical conditions

Contrary to popular belief, general uncleanliness is not the only cause of body odour, medical conditions can cause body odour too. Some medical conditions have the capacity to alter a person’s body odour, to scentless appealing than most perfumes. Conditions like genetic disorders, diabetes, liver and kidney dysfunction and thyroid can have parts of your body and breath smelling foul. With this, the best anyone can do is manage these odours with other forms of care and precautions.

3. Excessive sweat

This is the root cause of body odour, sweat and the excess of it. Body odour is caused by the breaking down of sweat by bacteria into foul-smelling substances. This odour comes from the apocrine glands because they are scent glands. If you know where odours potentially stem from in the body, you would know where to find these glands. You guessed right. Apocrine glands can be found in the armpits, genital area, eyelids, ears and breasts. Body odour can be largely attributed to apocrine glands because the sweat they produce his high in protein which bacteria breaks down easily.

4. Spices

Foods that are heavy in spices such as garlic, ginger, curry and the likes can cause body odours. This is because these spices release sulphur-containing substances when they are broken down. These gases sure do not smell like lavender. These smelly gases are released somehow, through the pores, leaving your body with a bad odour post meal. This odour lasts for a few hours.

5. Booze consumption

What’s a night on the town without alcohol. As much fun alcohol adds to a fun time, it has a bad effect on your body’s odour. Most alcoholics or drunks smell bad. You can always smell alcohol on their breath. This is because, when alcohol is consumed, the body treats it as a toxic substance, therefore, it must be broken down and excreted as quickly as possible. The liver does most of the metabolising of alcohol and when the alcohol consumed is too much for the liver to handle it is excreted not just in urine but via sweat and breath, leaving you with a foul odour.

6. Not wearing socks

Not wearing socks is the major cause of smelly shoes and horrific foot odour. Sweating in your covered shoes leads to moisture stemmed from sweat. In that condition, the sweat cannot evaporate allowing bacteria to break enough of it down into smelly odours. Socks, on the other hand, absorb the moisture and save the bacteria from more tasks. Airing your feet out of your shoes will allow your shoes to air themselves and ward off bacteria growth. A build-up of this process will result in a bad foot odour that can be perceived from across the room.

Body Odour Prevention/Treatment

• Practise better hygiene

A better hygiene will go a long way. Bathing twice daily will help you get rid of the dirt and the likes deposited on your body after a day’s stress. It is not enough to just bathe, you must bathe well and wash all intimate parts properly. Brush your teeth regularly and wash your clothes and undergarments regularly as well. As these items enable an atmosphere for bacteria to break down sweat.

• Use deodorant/antiperspirant

Antiperspirants and deodorants are the real heroes in the odour stories. They work hand in hand and can prevent body odours. Antiperspirants keep the sweat at home. That is, they prevent you from sweating, leaving no sweat for bacteria to break down into bad odours. Deodorants, on the other hand, alter the smell of your sweat so as to prevent the bad odour that occurs when it is broken down. Today, most deodorants are also antiperspirants giving you double action. Using this under your arms and feet can eliminate foul odours.

• Use anti-bacterial soap

Anti-bacterial soap is just what the name implies. It fights bacteria. Bacteria break down of sweat being the root cause of body odour makes it appropriate for treating and preventing body odour. Anti-bacterial soap will help rid and ward off bacteria and reduce any foul odours.

• Diet adjustment

Foods are capable of causing body odour, especially foods with spices. Spiced up food may be your favourite or a major ingredient in your cultural meals, however, a better-adjusted diet which reduces the intake of spices will go a long way in prevention and treatment of body odour.

• Wear socks

Wearing socks is a major step in fighting foot odours. socks absorb moisture, preventing sweat from being deposited in shoes and on your feet. Bacteria will struggle to break down sweat and eventually lessen the odour and prevent it.

• Surgery

Sometimes, odours cannot be treated with regular lifestyle changes. It requires medical intervention. There is/are procedures that can adequately take care of odour causing problems, to give anyone suffering from it a more desirable scented body.

• Dry clothes properly.

A lot of people develop a bad odour because of their clothes. This time, it is not because they fail to wash their clothes, it is because these clothes do not dry properly. If clothes are not dried in proper conditions before it is packed or ironed, such clothes will develop a bad odour which will stick with you, once you wear it.