Being partly of Mediterranean descent, I have that special combination of dark handsomeness and excessive armpit hair. This leads to significant but manageable body odor. So I have spent my post-adolescent years trying various strategies for keeping my pits springtime fresh and was wondering if anyone had similar experiences they’d like to share.
There are two vital components of my B.O. prevention regimen: a deodorant with some kind of moisture absorbent (i.e. the white stuff), and keeping my pit hair trimmed to about an eighth of an inch. If I let either one go, I smell like I’ve been sleeping in a bus station men’s room for a month. The white deodorant is definitely the more important of the two. I recently bought an expensive, “cologne-scented” but transparent deodorant. After two days of use I smelled like roadkill. So it’s back to the cheap stuff!
Hmm. Well I believe there are additional components of combating the dreaded b.o. Be sure to bathe daily, sometimes twice. Use an antibacterial soap. Make sure you wear clean clothes every day. Use good laundry detergent, I am partial to Tide, and make sure to wash your bed linens often as well.
Be aware of foods that are heavily laden with garlic or onions. Use caution when eating those foods. And see a Dr., because if its that bad maybe he can get you a prescription type of deoderant. Also- make sure its not all in your mind- ask a friend- or maybe a complete stranger if you smell.
Hyperelastic, now that summer’s waning, do you picture yourself wearing many sleeveless shirts in the coming months? If not, try giving shaving a whirl. No one will know, (except anyone who sees you shirt-less) and you can motitor your fragerence level to see if there’s a noticable change.
The only avantage to shaving one’s under arms from a non-astetic point of view, is that having hairs of any length there is supposed to provide a breeding ground for stink-producing bacteria. No hair, less bacteria, less smell.
Have you considered shaving your armpits altogether? It really does make it easier to keep odor down. With no hair at all, there’s nothing to trap odor-causing bacteria in your pits. Also, having shaved (or waxed, although I’m not nearly that brave) pits makes it much easier to use anti-perspirant effectively. If there’s no sweat, there’s no sweat-stink.
Of course, not all deodorants (clear or otherwise) are created equal. Price doesn’t seem to make any difference, really, as there are good brands and crappy brands in all price ranges. Experiment till you find what works for you.
Make sure you scrub well using a deodorant soap or body wash. (Dial is nice.) I’ve tried non-deodorizing body washes in a variety of scents and price ranges, and I can still stick my fingers in my pit and have them come out smelly while I’m still in the bloody shower. It’s a pain in the ass to have to wash your pits three times in one shower, but it’s better than smelling rotten before you even get dressed.
You might want to add OxyClean or a similar product to your laundry regimen, just to make sure there’s no lingering smell in your clothing or bedding adding to the problem.
I just want to say, I have no sense of smell, and reading threads like this scares the hell out of me! I just know I stink, have stunk, or will stink, and I have no idea how to prevent it. Good thing you guys are so far away.
Alright, I’m not proud of this, but I’ll admit it.
I’ve got bad pits. I can only use Mitchum brand deodorant. I’ve tried many, many times to switch to another product. Speed Stick, Tom’s of Maine, Arrid, Old Spice, and all of their “extreme” versions. They all leave me smelling like a primate house in a couple of hours. You might want to give that brand a try.
