Like, I travel around for work and I’ve met plenty of people from all backgrounds.
Why is there a demographic of people who don’t seemingly bathe regularly, or at the very least wear something to cover up their BO? I could understand if it’s an allergy, or even religious reasons (though the people I’ve met that smell bad are usually you’re average American young adult man) but recently (like in the past week, recently) I’ve met a concerning number of people who don’t seem to wear any kind of deodorant or possibly don’t even bathe regularly; it’s starting to become an issue for me, as I don’t even want to interact with them when I can smell them walking up from 3+ feet away yet I need to for work.
Does anyone have any possible insight?
Depressed.
I was this kid all throughout my school years.
Parents never taught me any kind of personal hygiene, and my house was filled with a thick smog of smoke, so my sense of smell is still shot to this day. To give an idea how bad it was, I was asking for dentures when I was 14 because my teeth were literally falling out. The water in our house was spotty at best, on top of the hygiene thing, so baths were maybe once every 2 weeks or so. My parents always had a fridge stocked with Coca Cola, but almost never drinkable water.
Besides pointing at my parents, I don’t really have an explanation for you, but I’ve definitely “been there.”
It took a lot of effort, but I’ve come a looooong way since then. Like… unrecognizably so, thankfully - other than the dentures, at least.
If anyone is reading this, and in a situation where their home life or depression or whathaveyou is putting you in this kind of situation: Just know that things can and will get better. I know how difficult and embarrassing it can be when you’re deep in it, but all you gotta do is be a little bit better than yesterday (when you’re able). It takes time, but it’s totally worth it.
Wow thank you for sharing. I grew up poor and grubby too, but my folks were health food nuts, so I think I got spared the worst of it compared to some people I’ve seen.
I’m so glad things have got better for you.
People should shower regularly, but I find the aromas wafting from people who use many fragrance products far more offensive and offputting than someone smelling like a human. Some people’s shampoo, laundry detergent and deodorant (not to mention body spray, cologne or perfume) are so strong that I can smell them from 5 feet away, and the odor lingers for several minutes after they leave an area. I don’t really care what it smells like as much as that I seem to be allergic to these fragrances, and sneeze, get red eyes, my nose starts running my lips swell a bit. This is why some places have instituted a fragrance-free policy - as many as 25% of people have an allergy to various components of these perfumes. Unfortunately it’s a very touchy thing to explain to people as the average person thinks they’re doing something virtuous by wearing a bunch of fragrances and it makes them more appealing to be around.
Every single day, when I am out walking my dog, a jogger comes by smelling of like a shit-ton of soap/perfume/deodorant/body spray - I nearly gag. These guys (and sometimes girls) are so terrified they might smell sweaty when doing something, you know, sweaty, like jogging a couple of miles…it boggles my mind.
Who taught people we have to smell like artificial bouquets of flowers all the time, even when exercising, ffs?
Yeah, and when your body wants to sweat, you MUST stop it. I’ve wondered with all the different scented products people wear at the same time, why they want to smell like the average of 12 different synthetic flowers.
Who taught people we have to smell like artificial bouquets of flowers all the time, even when exercising, ffs?
Detergent and perfume companies
And this is why I don’t do deodorants and perfumes.
And I don’t explain as well, I just steer away from that person.
I don’t think you’re going to find anyone that admits to smelling bad. I assume people who smell bad do it because they don’t know that they smell, so they don’t try to change anything.
I just don’t like them. I like the natural body odors, even with women, I hate it when they cover that up with some heavy perfume.
you don’t like showers
I do, but not excessive showering. Sure, once a day in the summer, 2 or 3 times a week in the winter, I think that’s fairly normal.
I shower once a day. I don’t generally wear deodorant. I get away with it because body odor is largely impacted by meat intake. I swear I don’t smell bad, I’ve asked others. This is the Internet and so no one will believe me unless OP comes to my house and smells my arm pit.
I get away with it because body odor is largely impacted by meat intake.
I’ve encountered plenty of smelly vegetarians and vegans.
I swear I don’t smell bad, I’ve asked others.
How sure are you they weren’t just being polite?
I am 100% sure that I don’t smell bad and people are not just being polite. I definitely would have been called out by now.
And again, no one will believe me either way. This is the Internet.
Vegans are always hilarious. They blame so much on meat and pretend they’re better for not eating it.
I had a vegan ex once, I remember her getting drunk and throwing up going “This can’t happen I’m vegan” as if somehow her super diet made her beyond a mere mortal and gave her a super stomach.
You remind me of her.
I’m not claiming I am better than anyone else. I have one perk to this lifestyle. I have many more downsides. I need to take supplements because I’ve been anemic. I fart constantly.
I’m allergic to eggs and lactose intolerant. I will eat dairy. I usually have to stick to yogurt. I don’t eat meat because as a child we had to push expiration dates and got sick a lot. Meat just grosses me out. My wife is not a vegetarian. I’m not in this for moral reasons. I don’t fault anyone for eating meat. I’m not pushing a lifestyle here. I’m just saying I don’t smell much.
And, I do throw up. I’m a lightweight when it comes down to drinking. I also generally don’t like other vegetarians because they do act superior. I like to point out random facts that are in opposition of their view, and call them out. Then when they play the moral high ground card; I can do the same.
I eat a lot of meat and have confirmed with people that I don’t smell (I don’t wear deodorant). Diet can play a part I’m sure, but meat isn’t it.
I was told by others that it was diet. But I never cared much to do research on that.
I shower regularly. I do not wear deodorant/anti-perspirant. I got tired of it ruining my clothes/just buying it, and as I’ve gotten older and further away from puberty I found that just regularly showering does most of the heavy lifting. I don’t need to smell like sunshine and rainbows all the time lol
That being said, I often keep a stick around for nicer events and such or maybe a really important meeting
I live in a tropical country, showering daily or more than once/day is a necessity (at least it is to me). As for a decent and safe deodorant, try Milk of Magnesia.
I shower regularly. I do not wear deodorant/anti-perspirant. I got tired of it ruining my clothes/just buying it, and as I’ve gotten older and further away from puberty I found that just regularly showering does most of the heavy lifting. I don’t need to smell like sunshine and rainbows all the time lol
That being said, I often keep a stick around for nicer events and such or maybe a really important meeting
I found antiperspirant to stain clothes, but not deodorant.
sorry, i shower twice a day and wear deodorant but i just sweat so damn much that i end up smelling within a few hours no matter what :(
You might want to try a medication for hyperhidrosis.
My advice is to use a body wash or soap with salycitic acid. It’s in products for preventing or treating acne - the salycitic kills the bacteria that causes body odor. You can also apply a toner with salycitic acid directly to your armpits (Stridex pads work well for this - they even make ones that are larger for use.in the body). I do this and have zero B.O. Some people use other antibacterial soaps like Hibiclens or Paroxyl.
Also make sure that you are wearing clean clothes (wearing the same tshirt a couple of days in a row is taking a chance).
ETA: This won’t help reduce sweating but it will help with the bacteria that feeds on the sweat.
Believe it or not, most of us don’t actually need to shower every day. If you’re not doing a lot of physical work or don’t work in a place with a lot of grime, you can honestly get away with showering less often. Technically the same goes for deodorant but I wouldn’t go a day without it lol.
I personally shower once every day, but I don’t shampoo my hair nor use body wash all over my body every day. I’ll usually use conditioner only for my hair and I will regularly wash my pits, feet, privates, butt, and ears with body wash, but I only really use shampoo and use body wash everywhere like twice a week or so. I also apply deodorant every day. No comments about bad smells from everybody including a people who will straight-up comment on stuff like that, and I’ve actually got a lot of compliments about my hair :)
I do sort of agree, but also there’s a lot of people who don’t think they need to shower but really do. I know people who will argue that they only need to shower 2 or 3 times a week but they stink.
I’m not surprised. I forget when I looked up the research, but several hair typed definitely don’t need shampoo as much as people think they do. That we have another product (conditioner) yo undo the damage shampoo does to out hair is astounding.
As for the overall bathing thing, I agree. It depends on what you do day to day, your environment, and genetics. With all three of those factors, some people need to bath more often than others need to.
Most of my washing routine is actually for chronic pain. I don’t need to scrub for smell too much, but hot water feels good on pained areas.
am not need deodorant
I know I will let myself go when I’m in the midst of being deeply depressed, but then again I usually don’t get much past my bed then. So that could be some of it.
I used to have a buddy that stank to high heaven, good dude overall, but damn did he smell. Turned out that he never washed his clothes. Once he got in the habit of doing that the problem resolved itself quickly.
The only other thing I can think of would be some Andrew Tate types going on about some made up benefits of 'natural male musk ’ or something like that. Not sure if anyone is doing that, but I could see some men taking to that advice.
I had a workmate who was quite eco consious and used to rinse his clothes in cold water and then put them on the line. He was fine mostly, I never noticed a smell, but we had to have a chat when his 14 year old son got a meeting at school about how badly he smelled.
Some people just don’t know the norm.
Never tried using deodorant. I didn’t like the idea of using it. Showering has been enough for me. (I’m 32)
Nowadays I have a skin condition in my armpits so I don’t think it would be wise to use that stuff anymore anyway.I’ve noticed a lot of people don’t do things the way I do them and it bothers me too!! Stomp your right foot with me if you agree!
