How to Tell if You Have Body Odor
Smell yourself., Check your breath., Give your clothes a sniff., Assess your sweat., Ask someone you trust., Observe other people’s behavior toward you., Talk to your doctor., Wear an antiperspirant., Practice good oral hygiene., Wash your clothes...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Smell yourself.
Your first line of defense against troublesome body odor is a keen sense of smell.
Take a whiff of potential problem areas, including your underarms, feet and genitals.
While your own body odor is typically tough to distinguish, you may be able to pick up on it if it’s strong enough.See if you can detect any salty, musty or pungent notes.
The best time to do this is after the effects of bathing have worn off, since this is when odors will be most pronounced. -
Step 2: Check your breath.
Breathe out sharply through your mouth and into your cupped palm so that the gust is redirected to your nose.
Smell your breath as it bounces back toward you.
This can usually help clue you in as to whether your oral hygiene might be a source of unwanted body odor.Perform routine breath checks between meals so that you can rule out a particular type of food as the cause.Keep a pack of sugar-free chewing gum or mints handy to freshen bad breath. , At the end of the day, dig through your discarded garments and put them through a smell test.
As your body secretes sweat, dirt and natural oils, they can become absorbed into clothing fibers, causing them to stink.
In this way, your clothing may be responsible for trapping body odor and making it worse.Focus your attention on the underarms of your shirts and the crotch region of pants and underwear.
Make sure the articles of clothing you check are work or casual items.
Workout apparel is much more likely to smell already because of how much you sweat in it. , The bulk of body odor is caused by perspiration, and the way your sweat smells can tell you a lot about what’s going on in your body.
It’s not uncommon for body odor to seem worse in the summer months or after strenuous exercise.
If you find that your sweat smells unusually strange or intense, however, it could be the result of some lifestyle change you’ve recently made.You can get a better sense of how your perspiration smells by sniffing yourself in a place with poor ventilation, such as a closed shower stall or inside the neck of your shirt.
New medications, natural hormonal changes, chronic stress and conditions like diabetes are all potential causes of stubborn body odor., Entreat a close friend or loved one to give their honest opinion about how you smell.
Insist that they be straightforward with you, as their admission will ultimately be doing you a favor.
It’s much better to find out from someone who cares about your feelings than from a stranger.Dig for more useful information by asking a few follow-up questions, like when they first noticed the odor and how obvious it is.
Having someone else smell you is generally the best way to discover that you have a body odor issue., Take note of how the people around you react when you’re in close proximity.
For instance, if someone sits further away from you than normal or averts their face when you walk by, it might mean that they find your scent offputting.In an effort to be polite, most people won’t broadcast their distaste.
Pay attention to subtle cues like a pained smile, exaggerated blinking or an apparent eagerness to create space. , If your concerns have reached the point of causing you to feel self conscious, you can ask your physician or healthcare specialist flat-out whether you suffer from body odor.
These people are there to help you, so they won't be reluctant to give you an honest answer.
They may also be able to provide you with professional advice on how to overcome body odor or make it less noticeable.Dermatologists, dentists and general physicians are all qualified to inform you about the causes and treatment of body odor.
Your doctor may be able to trace your body odor to a specific habit, condition or dietary choice and help you come up with a lasting solution., Apply a strong antiperspirant to your armpits before leaving the house in the morning.
This suggestion may seem obvious, but the fact is that most body odor problems originate in the underarm region.
Try to get in the habit of using antiperspirant every day to safeguard yourself from surprise bursts of B.O.Antiperspirant and deodorant are not the same thing.
Deodorants help combat underarm odor but don’t protect as well against sweat, which is the leading cause of body odor.Clinical strength deodorants are also an option that can help keep persistent odor under control.
Reapply antiperspirant throughout the day as needed to stay one step ahead of frightful fragrances. , Bad breath is a prime contributor to overall body odor.
For this reason, it’s important to brush your teeth at least once a day (twice is preferred), and also get on a consistent regimen of flossing and using antiseptic mouthwash.
The cleaner your mouth is, the less you’ll have to worry about scaring others away when you get up close and personal.Brush for around two minutes, hitting all of the teeth’s major surfaces and the top of the tongue.
In addition to regular brushing, you should schedule an appointment twice a year to have your teeth cleaned by a dentist., Do a load of laundry a minimum of once a week, or more if you’re physically active or have a downsized wardrobe.
In most cases, it’s best not to wear the same item of clothing more than one day in a row.
Because your clothing soaks up all the odor-causing substances that your body puts off, they can quickly grow rank.Undergarments like bras, socks and underwear need more frequent attention because they’re worn directly against pungent problem areas.
Add a scoop of baking soda to the washing machine for extra stench and stain-fighting power., As the old saying goes, you are what you eat.
Choose foods that are rich in fiber and essential vitamins and minerals.
Avoid excess sweets and oily or aromatic foods—such as garlic, onions and curry—as these contain chemical compounds that are the perfect recipe for stinky sweat.Dietary fiber aids digestion and helps prevent and eliminate foul-smelling waste.
Be sure that you’re properly hydrated, as well.
Water plays an important role in regulating healthy bodily functions. -
Step 3: Give your clothes a sniff.
-
Step 4: Assess your sweat.
-
Step 5: Ask someone you trust.
-
Step 6: Observe other people’s behavior toward you.
-
Step 7: Talk to your doctor.
-
Step 8: Wear an antiperspirant.
-
Step 9: Practice good oral hygiene.
-
Step 10: Wash your clothes frequently.
-
Step 11: Change your diet.
Detailed Guide
Your first line of defense against troublesome body odor is a keen sense of smell.
Take a whiff of potential problem areas, including your underarms, feet and genitals.
While your own body odor is typically tough to distinguish, you may be able to pick up on it if it’s strong enough.See if you can detect any salty, musty or pungent notes.
The best time to do this is after the effects of bathing have worn off, since this is when odors will be most pronounced.
Breathe out sharply through your mouth and into your cupped palm so that the gust is redirected to your nose.
Smell your breath as it bounces back toward you.
This can usually help clue you in as to whether your oral hygiene might be a source of unwanted body odor.Perform routine breath checks between meals so that you can rule out a particular type of food as the cause.Keep a pack of sugar-free chewing gum or mints handy to freshen bad breath. , At the end of the day, dig through your discarded garments and put them through a smell test.
As your body secretes sweat, dirt and natural oils, they can become absorbed into clothing fibers, causing them to stink.
In this way, your clothing may be responsible for trapping body odor and making it worse.Focus your attention on the underarms of your shirts and the crotch region of pants and underwear.
Make sure the articles of clothing you check are work or casual items.
Workout apparel is much more likely to smell already because of how much you sweat in it. , The bulk of body odor is caused by perspiration, and the way your sweat smells can tell you a lot about what’s going on in your body.
It’s not uncommon for body odor to seem worse in the summer months or after strenuous exercise.
If you find that your sweat smells unusually strange or intense, however, it could be the result of some lifestyle change you’ve recently made.You can get a better sense of how your perspiration smells by sniffing yourself in a place with poor ventilation, such as a closed shower stall or inside the neck of your shirt.
New medications, natural hormonal changes, chronic stress and conditions like diabetes are all potential causes of stubborn body odor., Entreat a close friend or loved one to give their honest opinion about how you smell.
Insist that they be straightforward with you, as their admission will ultimately be doing you a favor.
It’s much better to find out from someone who cares about your feelings than from a stranger.Dig for more useful information by asking a few follow-up questions, like when they first noticed the odor and how obvious it is.
Having someone else smell you is generally the best way to discover that you have a body odor issue., Take note of how the people around you react when you’re in close proximity.
For instance, if someone sits further away from you than normal or averts their face when you walk by, it might mean that they find your scent offputting.In an effort to be polite, most people won’t broadcast their distaste.
Pay attention to subtle cues like a pained smile, exaggerated blinking or an apparent eagerness to create space. , If your concerns have reached the point of causing you to feel self conscious, you can ask your physician or healthcare specialist flat-out whether you suffer from body odor.
These people are there to help you, so they won't be reluctant to give you an honest answer.
They may also be able to provide you with professional advice on how to overcome body odor or make it less noticeable.Dermatologists, dentists and general physicians are all qualified to inform you about the causes and treatment of body odor.
Your doctor may be able to trace your body odor to a specific habit, condition or dietary choice and help you come up with a lasting solution., Apply a strong antiperspirant to your armpits before leaving the house in the morning.
This suggestion may seem obvious, but the fact is that most body odor problems originate in the underarm region.
Try to get in the habit of using antiperspirant every day to safeguard yourself from surprise bursts of B.O.Antiperspirant and deodorant are not the same thing.
Deodorants help combat underarm odor but don’t protect as well against sweat, which is the leading cause of body odor.Clinical strength deodorants are also an option that can help keep persistent odor under control.
Reapply antiperspirant throughout the day as needed to stay one step ahead of frightful fragrances. , Bad breath is a prime contributor to overall body odor.
For this reason, it’s important to brush your teeth at least once a day (twice is preferred), and also get on a consistent regimen of flossing and using antiseptic mouthwash.
The cleaner your mouth is, the less you’ll have to worry about scaring others away when you get up close and personal.Brush for around two minutes, hitting all of the teeth’s major surfaces and the top of the tongue.
In addition to regular brushing, you should schedule an appointment twice a year to have your teeth cleaned by a dentist., Do a load of laundry a minimum of once a week, or more if you’re physically active or have a downsized wardrobe.
In most cases, it’s best not to wear the same item of clothing more than one day in a row.
Because your clothing soaks up all the odor-causing substances that your body puts off, they can quickly grow rank.Undergarments like bras, socks and underwear need more frequent attention because they’re worn directly against pungent problem areas.
Add a scoop of baking soda to the washing machine for extra stench and stain-fighting power., As the old saying goes, you are what you eat.
Choose foods that are rich in fiber and essential vitamins and minerals.
Avoid excess sweets and oily or aromatic foods—such as garlic, onions and curry—as these contain chemical compounds that are the perfect recipe for stinky sweat.Dietary fiber aids digestion and helps prevent and eliminate foul-smelling waste.
Be sure that you’re properly hydrated, as well.
Water plays an important role in regulating healthy bodily functions.
About the Author
Diana Turner
Specializes in breaking down complex pet care topics into simple steps.
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