Aibu to ask how people manage to smell nice?

[Lostatseason5]

I'm a bit overweight and a bit sweaty :( I have been suffering from depression and although I was managing to drag my ass to work every day I wasn't always showering. :( My new year's resolution was to shower every day. I've been doing this but I still feel unfresh by afternoon, I have colleagues that smell AMAZING! I am too embarrassed to ask them how! Aibu to ask for those of you who are always smelling great your "secret" I now shower each morning wear deodorant but I don't wear perfume as I feel I put too much on, but I'd happily wear one of anyone can recommend a fresh one not overpowering - this will probably sound horrendous that grown adult is asking for help with this but depression can be really debilitating and .trying very hard so of you could be kind I would be grateful thank you (i'm.nearly crying writing this!)

My best tip other than regular showering and wearing clean clothes-- Don't wear clothes made from synthetic fibres! I get very hot and if I sweat even a little bit in a cheap polyester whatever from h&m or Primark, I get BO. They make you smell bad even if you are clean. When I wear cotton's the fabric is breathable so even if I get warm I don't smell.

I will wear my clothes max twice before washing (only once if I feel a bit grubby at the end of the day).

Unfortunately synthetic fibres are cheaper, so I try to buy second hand instead. I also don't do a lot of fast fashion, so if I do invest in something a bit more expensive because it's 100% cotton, I'll make sure to wear it a lot. Try charity shops, eBay and FB marketplace for bargains.

Driclor extra strong deodorant, not just armpits but other sweaty areas.
If hair a bit sweaty, or to make it last an extra day if you're not feeling up to washing it, dry shampoo. Some brands smell nicer/more natural than others. Klorane is nice.

Don't overdo perfume, it can give the people around you migraines and allergic reactions.

And do check any smell is washed out of your clothes. We wash 40 degrees and use eco-brands. Sometimes a cotton t-shirt or synthetic sports stuff will still smell after a wash. I've started using Dettol Laundry Cleanser in washes (in addition to washing liquid) with sports kit in, and always sniff check armpits of t-shirts as they come out of the wash.

You may not smell to your colleagues - we get used to our own scent. They probably can't smell their own perfume.
Go to boots or John Lewis and spray a few on yourself see what you think.

Really love Snow Fairy spray and powder! Also use bio washing powder on clothes, 40 degrees and Comfort fabric softener (I like the white one). I use the white Nivea lotion in a tub. Dricolor is great! I use it every other day it really cuts down on the sweat. Also washing your bedding once a week and pillows and duvets once a quarter at 60 degrees.

The holy grail of non smelling body is to use pitrok spray before your deodorants . I use that first and let dry them and Mitchum roll on then the matching spray . I have hyper hidrosis so these normal methods normal people use don’t work for me .
Scrubbing off dead skin from feet and behind ears and elbows shins back is a must Also really concentrate on that
And change towels frequently and really rub skin dry not lounge around damp .

And a nice matching body lotion and perfume are working really well for me the Caroline Herrera one good girl is lush

Well done @Lostatseason5, sounds like you've solved it. I hope your new products make you feel great and give you the results you want.

Well done for asking for help because for everyone that is brave enough to ask a potentially embarrassing question, there are twenty other people who daren't ask but who now have the right info

I’m always told I smell nice!
I shower at least every other day but probably only wash hair 1-2 times a week (very dry and doing curly girl)
Sure roll on
Layer perfumes so I use same fragrance moisturiser as perfume
I’m very conscious of sweating as menopausal rather than overweight
I use supermarket own brand washing powder non bio due to allergies and fabric conditioner but only wear socks and pants for a few hours ie if going out in evening change them, bras 2-3 days, tops wear once, trousers n dresses maybe twice, cardigans n jumpers can usually get away with 3 wears

I wuld say wearing natural fibres makes a big dffence. Some man made fibre trap odour even if you freshly showered with deodorant etc.

@Lostatseason5 so pleased! I have dove soap, but I’ll try the pear one next time.
Be kind to yourself! And come back whenever you need 🤗

Awesome, OP! I hope all your new things help you to grow in confidence and happiness.

The menopause has bought a whole host of body odor issues for me.!

Very many body odor which wouldn't go away.... I'd been put on the mini pill and discovered this was the culprit, it soon disappeared after I stopped but does come back from time to time. My solution... shave pits and meticulously scrub under arms in morning and night, mitchum stick deo, bar soap, fresh underwear daily (bra and, pants). Some months I change pant during the day due to leakage , but this depends monthly as to whether I need to.

I am incredibly conscious of smelling and out of all the expensive poncy soaps I’ve tried since ditching shower gel, Imperial Leather is the only one where the fresh smell lasts and I find the more sweaty I get the stronger the scent!

How do you dry your clothes OP? Drying clothes indoors doesn’t leave them smelling fresh especially if they’ve taken a few days. I find relatives who don’t have tumble driers often tend to whiff a bit in the winter. As the body heats them up they smell stronger.

Mitchum didn’t work that well for me after a while (peri menopausal). Now I use an aluminium free roll on called Bionsen (Tesco stocks it) which works all day and I used to smell within minutes of getting out of the shower! I also find applying deodorant at night after a shower makes it more effective during the day. I also put some on after my morning (2 min shower as wash hair at night) shower as well.

A body mist sprayed on clothes might be better than a perfume.

Sorry the Bionsen I use is the stick one not the roll on. Just an idea if the Mitchum doesn’t work. I was quite disappointed it didn’t work for me after the rave reviews on here .

Bionsen is better than Mitchum IME.

Driclor works very well too but can be irritating on skin.

I haven't read the entire thread but my two pennies of advice are:

When you have a bath or shower, try to use a flannel or one of these body mops with soap to help cleanse & gently exfoliate your skin.

www.wilko.com/wilko-fruits-white-body-mop/p/0347649

Use a moisturiser after showering everyday or every other day.

Try and keep any hair on your underarm & pubic area trimmed - when it's longer and you sweat you start smell stronger (I'm basing this on my personal experience).

Clean bedding, clean clothes,clean underwear. try to stick to wearing cotton or natural fibres.

Zara have a nice range of affordable perfumes that are influenced by designer brands. I use these I spray my body & lightly spray my tops and the smell lasts all day.

My current favourite's are oriental and black amber:

www.zara.com/uk/en/woman-accessories-perfumes-l1017.html

Lean hair and clothes, every single day without fail. Try not to wear man made fibres and stick to cotton for the layer nearest your skin. Wear deodorant and body spray. If perfume doesn't last, try spraying into your hair. Don't wear too many clothes in an effort to hide the weight and making yourself too hot in the process? Xx

Agree with all the posters above re Mitchum - always felt like that before I discovered it.
Also Balance Activ applicators and natural fibre clothing (avoiding tights especially) help as over showering or hot water can have the opposite effect for me. Good luck OP - lost of good tips here.

Oh odaban is the miracle stuff that stops you sweating
Available on line but never ever after shaving !

Mitchum is great but it started to make my underarms itchy and sore do I’ve stopped for a while. Will go back to it in a while as o swear by it.

Agree with what everyone has been saying, and just want to add that if you can get Downy Wrinkle Releaser spray for your clothes, it is well worth it. Smells like fresh washing powder, and one spray is enough to freshen up clothes (or curtains, whatever). Bought a bottle on holiday in America, and never had so many people asking what perfume I use..

Wipe it on with a cotton wool pad and or use some anti itch cream

Shower twice per day.
Shave armpits.
Use a good deodorant and wear nice perfume.
Wear clean clothes every day.
Apply extra deodorant and perfume during my the day, sometimes change my tshirt under sweater or cardigan during the day after a lot of sweating.

J-Lo Glow perfume is often mentioned on the str and beauty boards as smelling “clean” and I love smells so ordered some from Amazon, well under £20 and it’s true, it smells clean and fresh, I love it.

@Lostatseason5, thank you so much for starting this thread. I don't suffer with depression, I'm not overly sweaty, but I nearly obsessed with trying to figure out how other people smell lovely!!

I think I might be on my local department stores and pharmacies "one up watch" list because I'm constantly in sniffimg perfumes trying to find one that smells nice, but not overpowering. I still haven't succeeded!!

I love the suggestions here of body washed, and body lotions. I have bathroom cabinets bursting at the seams with gift sets and bottles and jars that have barely been used!

I am going to take some of the advice of here and take a leaf out of your book and make more of an effort to smell nice.

Thank you again. ♥️