By Edherigho Efemena
Odour is a distinctive smell. Odour can have a nice and specific smell to the individual, and can be used, especially by dogs and other animals, to identify people. Odour can also be a bad and offensive smell. Below are examples and what you can do about bad odour.
Foot odour
Most of us wear shoes and socks, making it much more difficult for the sweat to evaporate, giving the bacteria more sweat to break down into smelly substances. Moist feet also raise the risk of fungi developing, which can also give off unpleasant smells.
In other to avoid this unpleasant smell, scrub your feet with soapy water and clean them with a dry towel. Then rub hand sanitizer on your feet. This may sound weird but it helps to kill germs. You could also rub your feet with baking soda, corn starch or talcum powder.
Try as much as possible to wear open shoes like sandals, to enable the flow of air. If you have to use socks, choose absorbent socks made of cotton or wool. Non-absorbent socks (like nylon) trap moisture around your foot, creating a nice warm place for bacteria to grow.
Body odour
Body odour is a perceived unpleasant smell our bodies can give off when bacteria that live on the skin break down sweat into acids – some say it is the smell of bacteria growing on the body, but it really is the result of bacteria breaking down protein into certain acids.
Ensure you shower at least once a day. Sweat by itself is virtually odorless. But when microscopic bacteria that live naturally on your skin mix with sweat, they multiply quickly and raise quite a stink. Choose an antibacterial bath soap. Washing thoroughly with an antibacterial soap bar will reduce the bacteria count, and in turn reduce the odour.
Once you’ve showered, be sure you dry yourself completely. Towel off and make sure you dry any areas where you sweat a lot. Once you are clean and dry, use a strong deodorant or antiperspirant on your underarms. While deodorants do not prevent sweating, they mask the smell of bacteria on your skin. Antiperspirants contain aluminum chloride, a chemical that reduces sweating, and often also contain a deodorant. Stronger deodorants and antiperspirants are available without a prescription. Look for products that say on the label they are higher strength due to ingredients.
Each person’s unique body odour can be influenced by diet, gender, health, and medication.