Help! I stink!

[Singapong]

NCd for this (hence the very appropriate name).

I have come to Singapore for work for a month. And my god is it hot and humid. They said it would be but this is insane. My glasses steam up when I go outside.

Anyway, I am getting so sweaty. I am showering twice a day and using my UK Dove deodorant but I still reckon I stink at the end of the day. I'm really conscious about it at work and wonder what I can do. Is there a particularly hard working deodorant that anyone can recommend? I am also just so sticky all the time. Any tips?
My hotel is so lovely and cold. As are a lot of places here where the Aircon works so beautifully. But out on the street and where there is no Aircon I am just sweating buckets.

Ps, Dove, being so creamy, might be the main culprit. The film it leaves behind is unreal. My mother uses it and every time she comes to visit, the shower drain is clogged by the 4th day!

My son lives in a hot, humid country and he too says shower gel is no good. He buys soap on Amazon. He uses L'Oreal Thermic Resist deodorant/antiperspirant.

Reiterare what @Nightmanagerfan said. Not sure if its an age thing but even Mitchum wasn't doing the job for me.

Look up Glycolic acid toner, wash your pits using something with friction on it to exfoliate.

Then use a cotton wool pad to slosh some of this toner on (ideally before bed). The Ordinary is the big brand name but there may be local brands or Amazon may do some.

Just leave it to stay there overnight. It doesn't completely dry off but it neutralises odour and helps quickly kills any existing build-up.

Clothing - can you get Dettol detergent to rewash things?

I had a problem with stale antiperspirant which was embedded in my clothes and remerged after the initial wash.

Using Dettol in all my washes now. Some tops have had to be thrown out, as I didn't want to spend ages washing and treating.

I've switched to Old Spice which doesn't prevent wetness.

But also I understand the strong antiperspirants I was using were creating a film and getting stuck in my clothes which meant they retained bacteria.

Mitchum is the only thing that ever worked for Mum and I.

You need to wear linen and cotton only

You need to ditch any synthetic material clothes and get natural materials.
Take slower walks to the office / stick to the shade / grab taxis (at least on your way into the office, as presumably you can shower at home). Carry a hand held fan and a flannel.

PS: Enjoy the experience!

Hello! ex-Guildford resident Singaporean here and getting a lot of smiles with your post. Two things

• cotton and linen are your best friends here. Polyester, rayon and satin, pls avoid

• try and get these two products that almost all locals buy and keep to manage sweat; The Ordinary Glycolic acid toner, works wonders in your armpits when you use cotton pad and dab them under after showers, and Alum Rock salt bars (chinatown sells loads of these), just rub after showers, it kills bacteria and you will smell like nothing, which is what you want. Feel free to write back if you need more help. Welcome to Sg!

read someone’s post before on mumsnet and somebody recommended one called secret you ca get on Amazon. Honestly a game changer for me I’ve tried loads and I don’t smell at all with it

The only thing that has worked for me & it always works is Sure for men. Mitchum didn’t work at all. Dove isn’t strong enough and you need to wash with a good bar soap. Not Dove.

Hibiscrub and Mitchum or Sure 96h

Dove is crap. MENS dove cream stick roll on is brilliant though. Mitchem also good and def get proper soap to wash with.

Second driclor. I buy mine from amazon.

Surely the hotel has bar soap in the bathroom?

Won't OP be smelling of booze when she's at work?

Get some of those gel packs that can be frozen or microwaved for cold/hot pain relief. Sit with a frozen one between your thighs under a loose dress. It goes right up the femoral vein and is like internal air con. Keep a spare in the freezer if you have one at work and keep swapping.

Benzoyl peroxide (acnecide or panoxyl) is your best friend. It's used for acne but if you wash your armpits with it, leave it on for a few minutes, it kills the bacteria that feed on your sweat. Sweat doesn't smell, it's the bacteria that feeds on it that causes the BO smell. Benzoyl peroxide will stop you smelling. Just a warning though - it bleaches towels, so maybe use white or cream ones.

I use that one too. It’s brilliant. Micham did nothing for me.

Glycolic acid by The Ordinary or whatever local brand you can get. It makes such a difference. I put it into a little spray bottle and spray my underarms and underboobs with it. Once it’s dry I use Mitchum Men’s clinical gel antiperspirant.

Definitely use a proper plain soap. Use a flannel or exfoliating gloves to really get all nooks and crannies clean, especially your armpits.

If you can find somewhere to do your own laundry then add some antifungal/antibacterial rinse like Canestan to it to help kill any bacteria and stink.

Definitely wear natural fabrics.

I’m obviously the odd one out, Mitchum brings me out in a rash, and does absolutely nothing for sweat.

Also, apply antiperspirant before you go to bed as well as after your shower. Your body cools down while you sleep and antiperspirant is most effective.

I've never been to Singapore but my best friend is from there and she says that everyone showers a lot.

Benzoyl peroxide bleaches everything, including bed linen. Avoid it and use something else that won’t ruin the appearance of fabrics.

I always wear sleeveless stuff when I'm in Asia, and only cotton or linen which helps hugely. I never wear antiperspirant- it is pretty ineffective in 35°.

Get some hibiwash and use under pits in the shower a few times a week, you have to let it sit for a minute. It will nuke any bacteria.

Apply a good roll on antiperspirant twice a day - morning and evening. I use Uriage, pricey but French deodorant is much better than ours.

Also as others have said wash with bio, and spray pits of shirts with white vinegar just before they go in the wash, removes any buildup that can smell over time.

If this doesn’t work use Driclor once a week - it will burn a little the first few times though, it’s not for the weak!

Like pp have said.

Wash daily with bar soap and dry thoroughly.

Have a look at driclore. It's medicated antiperspirant and it actually stops you sweating! It does sting initially so avoid using it on freshly shaved armpits. You put it on at night after a shower and wash off in the morning. Wear your regular antiperspirant if you need the extra protection white your body adjusts to the change.

After a week it should fully be working and any oder and sweat will be a thing of the past!

I now only need to apply it once per week as my body has adapted to it. I also apply a little on my top lip as I'm always over sweaty in this area and my makeup melts off. It works a treat.

Honestly I found I got so stinky when breastfeeding I switched to male deodorant. I’m no longer feeding or stinky but I like the smell so have stuck with it and it’s way better than women’s deodorant. I use Mitchum

SE Asia humidity is something else isn't it 😅 I was there for a month last year and yes was a dripping mess within 2 minutes of being outside, I can't even imagine how people work in it! I genuinely looked like I'd had a bucket of water poured over me if I had to leave the aircon