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.

I'm living in Tokyo, which is sweaty hell in summer. If you can find a uniqlo, get some of their airism vests or tshirts and wear them under your tops. You'll still need to wash your tops daily but it will help stop them stinking. You can also pre-wash the armpit areas on your tops in the sink when you get home.

Make sure you're staying hydrated. When I'm not fully hydrated, the stink really kicks in as sweat becomes more concentrated. Cold green tea is great if you're getting bored of water.

I don't know if you can get Neil's Yard in Singapore, but they do a tea tree and lavender body powder that's great for sweaty pockets like under boob and crotch area. It smells lovely too.

@Firesidechatter can you explain more about the medication please?

Where’s the hotel and where’s the office? (Vaguely!)

99% of Singapore is walkable in a/c if you use the link malls and what have you. If your hotel is, IDK, Raffles Place and office is Marina Bay Finance Towers or Raffles Quay, or vice versa etc, you can do that walk almost entirely underground in a/c.

Hotel is about 10 mins walk from MRT (Havelock) with no AC option to get there and back. Office end is easier near Bugis but even here there is a long walk from the actual MRT train to the office and not much of it is AC. Oh well.

Omg, that’s an awkward commute to boot!

Taxi at the buttcrack of dawn?

Obviously no idea how you'd go about getting things over there but my DS has huge sweat problems. No supermarket deodorant helps. He is now using sweatguard which has been amazing. We also use antibacterial soap never shower gel. Hard if you can't wash your own clothes too as they might not actually be getting the sweat out. I use white vinegar under arms on clothes or Dr Beckman sweat and deodorant remover. However again I realise none of this probably helps you going forward there, sorry. I will say since DS has been using sweatguard I don't need to spray his clothes before washing!

Are you using a parasol to keep the sun off you on your commute? Won't help on overcast muggy days of course. Get a dark coloured one, they block more UV

Oh and don't power walk! You gotta move at a more relaxed pace

I used to use Mitchum but it changed the colour of my armpits to a grey colour so I had to stop! I now use sanex roll on and surprised how good this is

I live in SEA and it’s normal to get hot in the humidity but air con at work should be sufficient to keep reasonably clean and fresh. Change into office wear at work if your commute gets you sweaty, but a factor 50 umbrella helps (uniqlo have cheap ones). Use stronger deodorant (there’s Boots in Singapore which should stock the 24 or 48 hour level brands) and keep a deodorant spray at work to freshen up. Cotton underwear and pant liners. Darker clothes attract less heat. Obviously floaty over very fitted is best here. Good luck!

Dove is awful. Until you find something else that works for you, Rexona (sure) antiperspirant is available in all Watsons, guardian etc and works a lot better than others. Dove makes everything wet and sticky.
Also, not sure what you’re wearing to work but it completely usual to get changed after commuting in.

I used to live in Singapore too, was also a sweaty mess initially. The good news you do acclimatise (well, I did) but that might only be just as you’re finishing the month! Apart from the deodorant etc people have recommended, I’d say having a face fan blasting away (can get them in supermarkets or stalls in malls, that sort of place) really helps keep the rest of your body cooler, worth a try. Go slow. Without knowing the exact location of the hotel and office, is there not a bus route that starts/ends closer to each one? They’re airconned so if there is, less time spent outside. Again not knowing exactly where you’re walking, maybe pop in and out of shops, as you go, to keep your temp down. Or finally, cabs are really cheap in Singapore (download one of the apps). NGL, I used them a lot while I lived there! Maybe get one in the am so you arrive fresh and just get the MRT back after work?

Try a pharmacy rather than a supermarket and, as others have said, buy a (very good quality) bar soap that is vegetable oil based, preferably olive oil based. If you can get olive oil bar soap from Marius Fabre (a French brand) and, even better, their savon noir, you will go a long way to solving your smelly sweat problem. There are a lot of French people living in Singapore so I expect that somewhere there has to be a good French-stocked pharmacy.

Remember when choosing natural fabrics to include bras in that.

I am an active commuter and always need to change at work due to sweat (wetness rather than smell) and the difference in sweat on my bra strap for polyester (soaked) Vs cotton (barely damp) is huge. The plastic clothes are like a greenhouse.

dricilor Is magical

Wild deodorant has been the best i've ever tried. Was dubious at first but it is fantastic. They do roll on or the stick (I use the stick). Unsure if they sell it in Singapore though but definitely have a look for it xx

For soap I think people are over egging it. Go to the supermarket and just buy a bar (I think we used Camay but haven’t lived in Singapore fore a couple of decades so may not be available now). Cotton is cooler than anything synthetic and you need to accept that it takes your body a while to adjust its sweat patterns. Drink loads of water and hot water in the office aircon it will mysteriously cool you. It’s normal to freshen up once you arrive in the ladies, blot sweat, reapply deodorant, use the toilet and run hands under cold water. No different than shedding coats and hats, fluffing hair and drying off in wet miserable climates.

Might not work but we swear by zinc supplements too. More for general BO but may be worth a shot. My OH exercises a lot and can get very very stinky. Two days of zinc and there’s zero BO, it’s amazing. Works for me and my sister too when we get stressed.

Try probiotic wipes - we have previously bought in Watsons or Guardian. They are called “once a week” and stop your sweat smelling by changing bacteria balance. Otherwise if you can find Fussy, this is a daily probiotic deodorant. Agree with spraying on alcohol on clothes (some hand sanitizers are alcohol based and work well). Wash lots, wear cotton or Uniqlo and buy a solar parasol (again Watsons or Guardian will sell basic ones of these )

Make sure you are wearing all natural fibres.

In a pinch, hand sanitizer (the really good high alcohol content stuff) on your pits will remove any smells during the day. It’s the bacteria that smells, so hand sanitizer removes it. You can then reapply deodorant.

Deodorants on their own are useless in really hot climates. They only provide a scent to mask the smell of sweat. You need an antiperspirant to stop the sweat. I'd second the (unscented) Mitchums. I come from a hot country and we do use cold water for washing and don't seem to smell but I think natural fibres are important. I once went to a Greek wedding in a polyester dress in summer and it was just awful.

Is Dove not a proper soap? I am curious.

Driclor use once daily for 1-2 weeks. IMO let your armpits /body get cool after a shower before you apply it (if you can) and let it fully dry. It can be irritant and you might apply it for a few hours first, then wash it off, ideally do before bed and then wash it off in morning. Once you have been using it for over a week/ it is working you can do twice a week to maintain, regardless of when you are showering.
I wouldn't use it on face but would on chest, I'm not sure if it is for everywhere. I suppose your body is sweating to cool down. I would find armpits are the part that smells!

Also as pp said previously sweated in clothes can be fresh out of washing machine but then quickly smell of previous BO when reworn. Pre-soaking the smelly clothes in dettol antibacterial laundry. Hopefully if the above works, you won't have to keep on doing this.

As pp already said, soap, not showergel.

Also a neck fan as you are walking, even if you are still sweating, you feel better