Dealing with body odour

Body odour, just like mouth odour, is an unpleasant thing that anybody can grapple with.

Physicians say no one is born with body odour, but that if a newborn wasn’t cleaned properly at birth, it could result in skin issues that can lead to body odour.

“As far as we know, body odour happens at puberty because of increasing hormones called androgens. These hormones are not active until puberty, which is why body odour is never a problem among young children,” scientists say.

Bathe with warm water in the morning, at night and after any strenuous activity. Warm water kills off bacteria that are present on the skin.

 Use an antibacterial soap to wash areas that are prone to body odour.

  Dust your underarms, your groin area and beneath the breasts with baking soda. This will absorb odour and prevent moisture that provides the ideal environment for odour-causing bacteria.

  Soak a wash cloth in apple cider vinegar and wipe down areas of the body that contain bad odour. Be sure to get in-between fat rolls and other areas where moisture can accumulate.

 Follow the vinegar application with a clean dry wash cloth to remove excess moisture. If the skin is not thoroughly dried, odour-causing bacteria can accumulate and fungus may grow.

 Use a crystal rock stick in place of deodorant. It will not reduce perspiration, but it will balance out the pH level on the skin, thereby reducing the development of odour-causing bacteria.

  Chew parsley to neutralise body odor. The chlorophyll will even out the body’s pH levels.

 Carry baby wipes with you so you can wipe areas where odour occurs. Throughout the day, use a wipe under the arms and around the groin area.

 Clothing: natural fibres allow your skin to breathe, resulting in better evaporation of sweat. Natural-made fibres include wool, silk or cotton.

Gradually, the odour ease off and becomes a thing of the past.