We always want our body to smell beautiful. It enhances your confidence and, not to mention, people will want to be around you more (post-COVID, of course). But not everyone is a perfume fan—especially when it’s overwhelming.
If you fit the bill, but you also want your body to smell beautiful all day, you’ve come to the right spot. We’ve consulted experts for the best way to smell nice and pleasant without going overboard. And it begins unsurprisingly from inside.
Our body’s odour depends on various factors. These include diet, sweat, bathing duration, and the natural accumulation of bacteria on the skin.
One person’s idea of smelling nice may bring an enchanting canopy of soft French perfume to every room they reach. For someone else, that could mean not getting a body odour after a long day of sweat-inducing work.
If you want your body to smell beautiful or just a healthy, natural self, we’re going to tell you how to do it and make it last all day.
Make your perfume or cologne last
A little fragrance is going a long way. Applying it properly will help you make the most of your fragrance.
- Apply to the pulse points. This will allow the perfume to integrate naturally with the chemistry of your body. The fragrance will be activated and released as the body heats up. Resist the urge to rub the scent in the skin.
- Use a roll-on version. A rollerball is a perfect way to get the fragrance exactly where you want it to be without over-spraying. It’s even cheaper than a bottled version of your favourite perfume or cologne.
- Spray on a hairbrush. To add a fragrance that lasts all day, spray your hairbrush with your favourite perfume before brushing your hair dry.
Pulse points to spritz include the following:
- The back of the neck
- The crooks of the elbows
- The wrists
- The small of your back
- Behind the knees
Perfumes and colognes are available as roll-on models in stores. You can also apply your perfume to a rollerball bottle that you can find online using a small funnel.
Shower and reach the right spots
Your body’s fragrance has a lot to do with cleanliness. But genetics and even what you eat can also affect your body’s smell.
There’s nothing you can do with genetics. And maybe you don’t want to take out a lot of food that might cause you odour, like lettuce, garlic, and fish, because it’s tasty and healthy for you. However, you can control cleanliness.
How much you should shower depends on your skin type, exercise level, and preference. Shower once a day, then if you don’t want to, need to, or can’t, then take a sponge bath. If you do a fast cleanse, concentrate on the areas of the body with the most sweat glands, such as the:
- Armpits
- Groin
- Butt
Be Careful with Soaps
Your skin microbiome also takes a major part in your smell. Your microbiome is your skin’s “friendly bacteria” environment. And as we’ve always heard, our mothers tell us—you don’t want to kill off the good bacteria!
Avoid the use of specific antibiotic or topical cleaners to reduce bacteria. This can induce resistance to other strains, and it can damage your skin’s microbiome.
BE CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU EAT
If you want to smell good, it’s necessary to care about what you put in your body. A diet full of spices, onions, and garlic can release odours from your pores. This stuff can come through your skin for up to 48 hours.
You might overlook this one. But the diet comes into play here, and it makes a huge impact on most of your body’s functions.
As food digests and nutrients circulate in the body, it may impact the smell of our sweat.
While specific foods that create poor B.O. are individual for everyone, certain foods—like garlic—cause a bad body odour.
Studies have shown that consuming a carbohydrate-rich diet can lead to unpleasant smells of sweat. While beef, eggs, and tofu lead to more pleasant smells of sweat. Cruciferous vegetables (think cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and broccoli) can add to an unpleasant smell. They may also cause a bad breath.
These vegetables raise the nitrogen content of sweat such that as it is released from the sweat glands and broken down by bacteria on the skin, it can have an extremely foul smell.
But that doesn’t mean you should stop these foods. Just practise proper hygiene after you’ve eaten them. And if the extra garlic knot is what you want, do it! It’s all about balance here.
Try Fragrance Substitutes
Now, if you have to add a little more flavour to this routine, but still want to avoid heavy perfumes or colognes, there are a few alternatives. You can use essential oils. Make sure the kind you purchase is suitable for direct contact with your skin.
Most dermatologists suggest peppermint oil on the tongue to help enhance the body’s odour. The idea is that the oil can enhance the natural scent of sweat when it breaks on the skin’s surface.
If you like the smell, use it as long as you are not allergic or sensitive. Subtle smells work best for some. It depends on what you like in it!
Apart from all the scientific facts, it all comes down to getting clean by the end of the day. And there’s nothing wrong with expanding the freshness with a little perfume when there is no time for the shower. But please, try taking a bath!
Healthy habits
Here are the habits to make sure that your body smells beautiful:
- Use antiperspirants or deodorants. You can use store-purchased deodorants, more natural ones, or even make your own. Anything you like, these products will help you handle your sweating and control the smell of your body.
- Take care of your feet. Make sure your feet don’t stay in a damp place for a long time. If your socks are getting wet, change them. It will also help make sure your shoes fit properly and use a pumice stone to reduce foot calluses for healthier feet.
- Practice good oral hygiene practice. Brush your teeth with your tongue. Dentists typically advise brushing twice a day for two minutes at a time.
- Gently clean sensitive places. Sensitive areas can include the genital area, anus, and ears. Don’t douche; just use gentle cleansers to keep your genitals clean. Gently rinse your ears with warm, not hot, water to help loosen your earwax and clean your ear canal.
- Create a shower schedule that would work for you. It’s up to your preference how often you shower. So, if you’re feeling an unwanted body scent, you might want to improve how often you bathe. Showering rinses dead skin cells, soil, bacteria, and oils.
The Bottom Line
You don’t need to be scented in a designer’s perfume or bathe in cologne to smell good. Practicing proper hygiene habits can keep your body odor at bay and leave your body smells beautiful.
There are items available to help you refresh your breath, your armpits, your lips, and your dangly bits on the go.
Talk to the doctor if you are worried about your breath or body odor and nothing seems to work, or if you notice a sudden change in your body odor. In certain cases, bad breathing, heavy sweating, or unusual smells may be symptoms of an underlying condition.
