To think I don’t smell?

[Romeoalpha]

Prompted by the other thread about being smelly, but I have been wondering this for a while.

I can remember as a teen and young adult being aware of having smelly pits at the end of the day. I would sniff my clothes and they would be a bit stinky. Tops only got worn once, then straight in the wash.

I am now 35. I never smell myself any more. Clothes get a little fusty / less fresh if I wear them multiple days, but not a BO smell. I use deodorant daily (Sure aerosol) out of habit, but if I run out or for some reason forget - I don’t notice a difference. I don’t feel sweaty or smelly at all.

What is most likely:
That I have stopped smelling so much now that I am in middle-adulthood and less hormonal (YANBU)

Or that I do probably smell but I’ve got used to it and am one of those people who never notices their own stench 😬 (YABU)

I have to admit my personal hygeine standards dropped a little during lockdown, so I am a bit paranoid about it being the latter…

I think it’s probably that you run around less? People do get less active as they get older.

If you are just toddling about the house/car/office most women wouldn’t get that sweaty unless it was hot.

Not washing as much following lockdown and being meh about anti perspirant, what do you think? Seriously this and fusty, get a grip and clean yourself and your clothes.

😂 that’s me told!

Your response has cracked me up op 😂😂

I think we all get used to our own ‘personal scent’ if that’s what you can call them.

People with really bad BO can’t smell it on themselves, because they’re so used to it.

So you either stink and can’t smell it, or have a pleasant personal scent or just don’t smell
full stop.

If you’re really concerned ask a trusted friend if you smell or not. Someone that’s not going to lie.

Are you Batman?

I think... personally I'm going through a more smelly phase, so changed deodorant as was having to top up but before I never had to. My son is prepubescent so sometimes smells, but honestly he always smells worse after a shower and hasn't used deodorant. Everyone's so different

I agree with this

in the kindest way possible, things start going downhill when you get older so it could be the case that if anything, you’re worse now. I mean, it’s normal for teens to be hypersensitive about things like this. I doubt your natural bo simmered down.

🤣🤣

Hmm. Okay then, message received! Dread to think how much I may have been reeking!! Don’t think I have a friend who would answer honestly if I asked, I better smarten up my act 🤥

I’m pretty sure I don’t smell on my normal hygiene routines. If I can’t shower on my usual schedule, or get sweatier than usual, I DO notice I pong a bit (like when we had a leak in the bath, or when the thermostat went loopy) so I think that shows that my current routine is adequate and that I’d notice if it wasn’t. And I definitely have friends that would tell me.

I don’t shower daily, unless it’s very hot or I’ve been doing something strenuous. I don’t think it’s a given that you stink and don’t know it if you don’t, although it’s possible of course. There are definitely pongy people who don’t know it (or don’t care). Mostly to save money, I shower every other or every third day, whichever’s convenient. If I go a fourth day, I’ll notice I’m a bit whiffy under the arms, although I wouldn’t voluntarily go four days. I don’t think even that would be noticeable to anyone else unless they were literally sticking their nose in my armpit. I work from home and don’t have a partner, so I shower before I go out and don’t bother when I’m just home by myself. So even if I did smell, I’m not inflicting it on anyone else. I’m confident I don’t though. Both my teen and my mother (the only people I see without prior notice and are possibly around on day three) would not pull any punches. They both love bluntly criticising me for my own good!

How often do you wash?

OP- I don't think I smell.
Answer- you smell.

Please, you are 35, not 105. Up your act and take steps to smell nice. Shower, deodorant, clean clothes, simples.

Some people just smell/sweat more than others. I don’t wear deodorant and can still usually rewear my tops because they just don’t smell after a day. I don’t shower daily either because I have eczema and value my skin staying on my body.

DP on the other hand is much stinkier! He can rarely rewear things and has a semi-permanent armpit smell (not unpleasant though) which I put down to the hair trapping it there, whereas I shave my armpits.

Hormones are also a factor. I definitely smell different when I’m on the pill vs when I’m not.

I’m not totally minging btw, I usually shower every other day and wear clean clothes each day! I’m jyst suspicious that I never feel whiffy.

Op I don't think you'll smell. It's actually quite hard to smell really bad, would be days of not showering and changing your clothes. I'm super active and even on a hot day it's just my armpits that smell a bit but nothing major. I think the responses on here are hilarious 🤣

@Eeksteek, in regards to family, we often smell like each other and like how each of us smells, so don't notice, or become nose blind. It's the same with our houses, we stop noticing smells. If you visit somewhere that smells when you first go in, after about an hour, you don't notice it anymore. Part of choosing a partner is liking their personal smell.

Hormones go haywire in teenagehood, so you can smell more. Likewise peri and menopause. I was worried that I would always smell like that, but now post menopause things have settled right down.

Well it depends on your lifestyle. I sweat loads as I exercise and push a heavy pram up hills. I don't smell when I've used deodorant - not BO but I know by the end of the day I'm unclean.

If you think your clothes smell “fusty”, other people will notice that.

My mum never used deodorant and didn’t smell at all. Some people don’t.

However… I used to work with a bloke who absolutely reeked. Someone started a conversation about deodorants in the staff room (mineral v sure etc) and we were all absolutely astonished when he proudly exclaimed that he’d never needed deodorant, as he didn’t smell! I’m not kidding- you couldn’t stand close to him because of the stench!!

I always wonder this too. I get so hot in the summer when I'm walking a lot and pushing the pushchair. Although my young kids are brutally honest, so I like to think they'd tell me!

I.think it's entirely possible that many of you saying you don't shower daily & don't use deodorant daily & don't wash tops daily & can smell armpits by the end of the 3rd day or what ever ARE activity pretty whiffy to everyone else!

A few years ago I worked with someone who was an incredibly nice person & really good her job but she was 100% a soap dodger & my god could you tell!

On any mild to barely warm day by mid afternoon she would literally stink out the office with BO. She had v thick hair which she washed v rarely so as she got warm it radiated a hot oily unwashed hair smell. Her fingernails were never entirely clean either

However at a glance or on first meeting her she was really presentable. Immaculate make up. Eyebrows manicured. Nice jewellery etc. She was married with young children & I often used to wonder about the general hygiene at home

She didn't believe in deodorant (thought it was unhealthy ) & she said once she only washed her hair about every 10 days to 2 weeks because it was a faff being so thick. She also didn't believe babies & small children needed daily bathing.

Working near her was challenging. Asxi walked up the corridor to the office I could tell if she was in before me by the smell of fusty unwashed clothing that frequently smelled of cooking.

I'm in my 50s & have worked alongside many people over the years but she was the hardest

Clothes get a little fusty / less fresh if I wear them multiple days, but not a BO smell.

Don't wear your clothes multiple days, wash them!

Did anyone take the chap to one side and tell him the truth? Surely HR could have had a quiet word?

Quite possible. Since menopause and no longer eating meat I barely sweat and when I do its odourless. Not my imagination as I'm very sensitive to smell. I can smell my hair needs washing after a couple of days for example, and my trainers are not the best. But armpits, daisy fresh.