To be miserable about how badly i smell?

Oh! And exfoliate! Two or three times a week to get rid of dead skin cells. They trap bacteria and can build up and cause a lot of smells.

You only need to do this if you have really greasy skin. If you don’t, or if you have dry skin, you’ll damage it. .

Look at your diet. If you have skin folds it could be a fungal issue. If you are overweight you could be running hot and sweating a lot. If you have an inflammatory condition you could be running hot and sweating a lot. Is the smell coming from a particular area?

yep, second this. I only wear cotton now or natural fibres. With synthetic clothes I’d get sweaty quick and the clothes never seemed to get clean. I’d try asos because most clothes on boohoo ect are polyester. Be vigilant about it, even some expensive brands use polyester. Start with getting 100% cotton t-shirts and jumpers.

It could be a chemical reaction to something in your clothes?
Try all natural fibres, pure cotton, wool, bamboo.
Avoid polyester, rayon, nylon, synethetics.
Try a washing product that has BIO in the brand name.
We have Biozet. It breaks down enzymes.
Add cup of Vinegar to the wash, also breaks down.

We had a nanny for the kids and she did this and the smell was awful! The kids refused to go near her by lunch time. We stopped using her after that as it wasn’t working for us. I am sure it was her clothes as it was an awful damp smell. So please do check your clothes. Lenor scent boosters are fab maybe add some to your wash and you could also use some good quality long lasting perfume on your skin.

Buy a washing machine cleaner and clean the machine. Don’t air dry your clothes. Or at least tumble dry part way.

Use a soap bar and an African net cloth in the shower. Get a good lather on the cloth and scrub. I mean scrub too not just a swipe over. Scrub every area and every nook and cranny. Relather soap when needed. Then use a body wash to go over. Double shampoo your hair, really scrubbing your scalp on the first go over.

Once dried get glycolic acid on a pad and swipe under armpits- I like The Ordinary one. When dry add deodorant. I also use a scented body lotion with a body oil on top. Spraying a bit of perfume on top of your lotion freshly out of the shower makes it last longer. I carry a body spray in my bag too. Spraying it on your hair helps as it clings to hair.

I’m a really sweaty person. Especially at this time of year due to layers. If I shower before bed I wake up smelly. I have to really keep on top of it. This is my routine and I am always complimented (even by strangers) on how nice I smell.

There is a genetic condition where individuals synthesize proteins in a different way leading to the person smelling . I worked with someone like that and it was distressing for her and unpleasant for us although we certainly did not make an issue out of it. Speak to your GP and see what they think. I think there are tests for this but I don't know what the treatment is. Look up metabolic disorders which can cause body odours. Good luck, x

Do a detox

Juice and veg cleanse
Drink lots of water

Starts from the inside

Synthetic fibres are likely a cause; try wearing all natural fibres.
Also, consider your diet; do you eat lots of processed food? Lots of sugar?

Have you tried looking at your diet? Particular foods that you could be reacting to etc? Could you try stripping your diet back to a very small variety of basic foods and see if you see a difference? Sometimes it’s what we’re putting into our bodies that’s the cause.

Oh OP I could have written this myself! The best thing I did at the start of this year was swap to Wild deodorant. It's expensive and will take a couple of weeks to get used to, but I honestly smell SO much better and would never ever ever touch another deo like Dove, Mitchum or Sure.

DH and I were on a cost-cutting mission last year which meant shopping at Lidl - the deodorant from there eventually left me smelling like a leftover takeaway. The same with the body wash. So these have all been replaced with Wild products.

I also agree with other PPs about the clothes you wear - go for natural fibers. Linen, cotton. They are dearer but I've managed to find a good few go-to shirts/jumpers on Vinted from the likes of M&S and Next that make me feel and smell a lot fresher.

Wishing you luck and love from a fellow smelly one 💐

There was a thread on here not too long ago about a poster’s teen daughter who smelled even after a shower. People were suggesting all sorts of weird and wonderful remedies, powerful deodorants, GP visits etc, but it turned out that she just wasn’t shampooing her hair properly.

She was just slapping shampoo on the top of her head and the lather wasn’t touching her scalp. Once she started to properly scrub her scalp, the odour was gone.

I expect the most simple solutions are the answer here. Make sure you’re showering really thoroughly, maybe try bar soap instead of shower gel for a few weeks. Use a shower puff or washcloth instead of your hand. Shampoo really really thoroughly.

Apologies if someone else has already advised this but try Glycolic Acid. The Ordinary one is cheap and good.

Just a little bit on the cotton wool pad and swiped under your arms 2 - 3 times a week. Apparently what it does is it reduces the ph level which helps to stop bacterial overgrowth where body odour can thrive.

I know this helps because I have a reaction to most deodorants so I use this method to try and avoid having to use anything else.

Our older washing machine was practically making everything smell terrible even though it was all washed on high temperatures.

Once we had replaced it with a new very modern Samsung one, it made such a difference and none of our clothes smell now. Plus it has the added bonus of a drum cleaning setting that reminds you when you need to clean it!

Clothes can smell if your washing machine isn't cleaned regularly.

-Clean out the filter

-Use a washing machine cleaner /descaler now and then

-Don't overload it- the drum shouldn't be full.

-Take clothes out of the machine as soon as they are washed - leaving clothes in after the spin cycle (for a few hours or overnight) can make them smell very musty and 'unwashed'.

No one needs to use anti-bac stuff in their laundry. It's a marketing con, feeding a hygiene 'phobia'.

Hot water and detergent are enough. The whole anti-bac thing is a con - the air is full of millions of bacteria, many of which are essential for our health.

Once your clothes are out of the machine they will be covered in normal (healthy) bacteria that's in the air all of the time.

Try this perspi guard set OP.

www.amazon.co.uk/Perspi-Guard-3-Step-Sweat-Deodorant-Bundle/dp/B0CMV4BMQN/ref=asc_df_B0CMV4BMQN/?

I've always struggled with sweating too much. I have tried every deodrant out there, this combo has been a game changer for me. I put Perispex comfort on at night (other overnight deodrants itch and sting like mad), then use vichy comfort after a shower in the morning.

I only buy Fairy washing products now as I found Ariel etc would stink if the clothes weren’t dried asap. Leaving them on an airer in this weather and they would be awful. I never have this problem with Fairy.

Since it’s musty it sounds like it could be smells from your home and clothes. Are you storing them in an old cupboard/drawers? Is your home damp?

Here would be my advice:

• Use a body scrub 3 times a week
• Use an antiseptic soap like cidal and use a puff or flannel to wash with - don't just use your hands
• Make sure your towels are clean when your using them
• Use some femmine flushable wipes war-time you use the loo
• Use a body lotion everyday
• Use a roll on deodorant followed by a spray one
• Get breathable bedding and buy a new duvet etc if you haven't changed or washed it on a while
• Use a washing machine cleaner and wash on 60 degrees, also use some of those unstoppable scenes balls
• Try and wear loose fitting clothing (cotton if possible)
• pack a kit into your handbag that includes deodorant, spray, wipes etc)

Good luck and hope you get it sorted

I could really smell it myself and on my clothes

Have you serviced your washing machine? Got the drawer out and scrubbed it and the cavity too? Used a cleaner in a hot empty wash? You should really be doing this once month.

Clothes need to be dried quickly,they get musty smelly otherwise.

Have you tried Sure maximum protection stick?

What do you use to wash yourself in the shower ? Scrubbie,wash cloth , sponge?

Try washing your hair every day to see if that helps.

This is good advice. I would also run some white towels through the hottest wash possible with a dishwasher tablet to get rid of any mold/smell in the machine. Also leave the washing machine door open between washes so no mold and smells build up.

Do you know anyone in real life who would 100% honestly tell you if you do smell bad? I have a friend who is convinced she is a bit fat, she is a size 6 to 8 at 5ft 6. It has always been like this since we stopped being very young as she was a size 4 back then.

to be honest I don’t think the NHS would prioritise resources into this, which is why they’re telling you it’s not a concern to them. A private doctor may be able to get you some answers, particularly a dermatologist.

It could be a number of things.

For example some people naturally are more oily than others and produce excess sebum which could smell.

it could be that you’re allergic to something that comes into contact with your skin, producing a bad odour

It could possibly be your diet - maybe you’re intolerant to something or are lacking in something

It could be your weight or medication you take or other conditions you have, are you otherwise healthy?

It could be dodgy plumbing or appliances.

Have you tried showering much more frequently? I know you said twice a day didn’t help, but if you notice the smell after a few hours, maybe just showering again after a few hours would give you peace of mind.

Hi OP,

I read something years ago (sorry, cannot find the specific link) about protecting the microbiome of our skin and how sometimes, odour can be linked to our overuse of soaps/detergents/deodorants/etc.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jun/23/the-happy-microbiome-how-to-nourish-all-of-yours-from-mouth-to-gut-to-vagina

https://www.theguardian.com/la-roche-posay-supported-skin/ng-interactive/2024/may/23/how-to-keep-your-skin-microbiome-balanced-and-what-to-do-if-its-not

As you describe is as an all-body problem as opposed to specifically your underarms, perhaps an all-body approach might help. I also remember in the un-finadable article there was a series of microbiotic/bacterial deodorants that were helpful in elliminating odours because they rebalanced the body's natural bacterial balance.

In absence of this fantom link, I have also heard great things about the Sam Farmer skincare range and it won "best teenage deodorant" so that might help short term. Good luck.