to not be into this modern obsession with smelling of chemicals rather than like a human

[naturallysmelling]

I personally find it normal to have a human smell about you after a hot (28 degrees) working day.

I find the smell of peoples aftershave, perfume and cigarettes quite offensive. Really irrigates my nose and throat.

I seam to be in the minority, I use natural deoderants but after 12 hours I do smell like a human. I've been the one spoken to about my hygiene rather than the smokers or the heavy perfume wearers. I wash every morning, dry skin brush to remove dead skin and use a chemical free deodorant. But I do smell like a human at the end of the day, not like aritical chemicals. I seam to be on the outside in this modern world.

[Annunziata]

You are stinky. Buy some deodorant ffs.

[SqueezyCheeseWeasel]

"Human" = B.O.

[FenellaFellorick]

By smell like a human do you mean sweat / BO?
If so, you probably are.
I would rather smell clean and fresh than sweaty and muggy, and if I need a bit of help from soap, a flannel, sure and a squirt of perfume, I think people will forgive me

It's my experience that people find sweat, particularly stale sweat, more offensive than deodorant or perfume.

[VenomousVorpent]

I don't like to be able to smell other people at all. Natural deodorants are not enough if you are working in an office.

[alrayyan]

to be honest, even if they are a giant arse hole, I don't think many people enjoy the "dude people think you smell" conversations or have them unless you.....smell.

[FenellaFellorick]

I'm with you on the tobacco though.

Smokers stink to high heaven.

I smoked for years and never truly smelled it. After I stopped is when I realised what others had been smelling all those years.

[LashesandLipstick]

While I'm not a fan of extremely pungent perfume, it's preferable to B.O. "Smelling like a human" just accounts to you stink and don't want to do anything about it

[ilovesooty]

It's very likely that you smell unpleasant and need to address your personal hygiene if you've been spoken to.

[expatinscotland]

You smell of BO. Take a shower and buy some decent deodorant. Clean clothes, too. Or lose your job.

[RepeatAdNauseum]

You might smell "human" to you, but to other people, they smell sweat. Nobody wants to smell somebody else's sweat.

Smoking is a horrid smell too, and there are some perfumes that are so chemically that they make your eyes itch, but that's infinity preferable to that unwashed smell that some people have. You might be making sure you are clean each night and applying natural deodorant, but it's not enough.

It's excruciating to have to tell someone that they smell, so it's unlikely that the conversation would have happened if it was mild or not often.

[Bailey101]

Are the poster who works for an architect I think, and was pulled up on smelling bad and having very messy hair? If so, you were told then that BO is not socially acceptable and it's not fair on your colleagues.

[RoganJosh]

I find both BO and heavy perfume offensive. I can't see how you can object to unscented anti persperant though.

[KrispyKremeYumYum]

YABU. This obsession with 'chemicals' is daft. Human beings are made of chemicals.

[WorraLiberty]

What does 'smelling like a human' even mean to you OP?

I'm guessing perhaps in your case it was a bad smell, if you had to be spoken to?

If someone's perfume wearing or cigarette smoking is causing a problem to others, no doubt they would be spoken to as well.

[Gilrack]

I was with you until I got to the part where you've been "spoken to". People are terrified of saying anything about how someone smells - it must be quite offensive, I'm afraid.

Try a less natural deodorant.

[googoodolly]

BO is a horrible smell, and it's just unhygienic and unpleasant for everyone else. I've worked with people who have BO smell like a human and it's really unpleasant to be around.

Get a stronger deodorant - you obviously need it. Unless you do a really manual job in hot temperatures, there is no need to come home stinking after a day at work.

[Lollypop27]

I understand what you mean op. Could you possibly have a quick freshen up at lunchtime and put some more deodorant on?

I understand that the chemical smells are sometimes too overbearing but the in all honesty the smell of sweat is worse. If you have been spoken to about this it may go against you in regards to friendships/ promotion etc.

[SunnyBaudelaire]

plain deoderant and cheap lemon or lavender cologne smell a whole lot better than BO.
Depends who is around you? Are you strap hanging on the tube or tilling the soil?

[Moomintroll85]

It's pretty awful when someone is drenched in perfume and it nearly makes you choke but that's an extreme. Surely there are plenty of 'modern obsessions' as you call them that have made life more pleasant like, I don't know, toothpaste, shampoo, washing powder, etc.

Just because it's a 'chemical' doesn't automatically make it bad - I think you're using the term too loosely - chemical (elements) are what the whole bloomin universe is made up of after all... including humans so smelling like a human is smelling like... chemicals!

Also people smoke due to habit/addiction, not to try to smell a certain way.

[TwinkieTwinkle]

So you're preference is you prefer the smell of body odour instead of perfume. That's up to you. The majority don't agree so you need to do something about it.

[ShatnersBassoon]

Would you want a 5pm appointment with a dentist or optician who liked the smell of their own sweat?

[expatinscotland]

Tons of chemicals are used to make the clothes on your back and shoes on your feet. Maybe you should go naked, too.

[emwithme]

There is a difference between smelling like a person and smelling like a smelly person. I'll take person over overly-perfumed (whether it's a teenager who has bathed in lynx or whatever-it-is-they-wear-these-days or an adult in the world's most expensive perfume) but over-perfumed over BO.

[SurlyCue]

OP you dont need to smell of BO or chemicals at the end of the day. Wash.