To be miserable about how badly i smell?

[fireworksinthesky3]

Hey

name changed but longtime poster

really hoping this post resonates with someone and I can get some advice or help 🤞

bit of an embarrassing problem but I smell really badly and don’t know what to do. I’ve tried everything I can possibly think of to fix it and it’s not helped. I’ve heard of things like fish odour syndrome but I don’t think it’s that because I don’t smell of fish- I just smell really musty/BO. It’s genuinely making me so depressed- I’m only 26 and I’m so embarrassed and miserable about it. I’ll post below everything I’ve tried

• I shower every single day without fail, I tried showering twice a day but it made no difference whatsoever. At first I smell fine, then after a few hours I smell musty/BO/as if I haven’t even showered in days

• I’ve tried every single combination of deoderant/antipersperant I could access. Mitchum was highly recommended but wasn’t any help disappointingly, in fact I think I smelled worse with it. Right now I’m using dove stick which is bearable but not great either. As I said above- fine at first, then after a few hours I smell again , badly enough to be noticeable by other people

• I’ve tried every shower gel, scrub, body wash, lotion, soap (bar and liquid), even tried using dettol soap- no difference. I shave every 2nd day.

• i wash my hair every 2-3 days, I change my bedding every week without fail

• i wondered if it was possibly my clothes which smelled rather than me so I got rid of EVERYTHING, and started all over again (new underwear, new pjs, completely new clothes etc) but same problem literally no difference

the only thing I can think of that I haven’t tried is the Driclor range which I’m going to try and I’m praying it works. I’ve always had this problem- I remember being so embarrassed about it as a teenager. It’s definitely not something I’m just paranoid about either- I’ve asked my friends / family to be completely honest with me and they’ve agreed with me. I don’t have any hormonal problems and sweat like a normal person as far as I’m aware but for some reason I just smell so much quicker than the average person

does anyone have any tips or product recommendations I could try (in case driclor doesn’t work)?

sorry for the long post, I’m just so down about it x

The OP literally says that she’s asked friends and family and they’ve agreed with her.

Eating too much meat and dairy and not enough plant foods can make you smell unpleasant too.

So sorry your dealing with this. I had this up until 4 yrs ago. here are some of the things i tried that worked for me:

Botox - worked to reduce the wetness more than the smell. prob helped with the smell around 30%. every treatments helped more, treatments 6 months apart

Miradry - Helped reduce the smell by 60%

Nuud - wonderful natural deodorant - really works well on the smell

Driclor - did help a little but really hurt to use. suggestion is to make sure your under arms are really dry before use. use talc to ensure they are bone dry

Hisbus scrub - Antimicrobial Skin Cleanser, better than any soap i have used

Probiotics - really feel they help fight the issue from the inside

I belive the issue can be a hormonal imbalance, can you have your hormonals checked / tested?

I used to work with a manager who had a terrible musty smell about her. But not everyday. It was a clothing firm and she often wore new sample clothing so I imagine it was laundry related.
One day I had to collect something from her at her home. I noticed washing drying on backs of chairs racks and over doors( they were renovating ) and I think this was the cause.
I once lived temporarily in a very old furnushed house . The clothes in the wardrobe had a musty smell . I found that the back of this huge piece of furniture was mouldy.
I used to wear polyester trousers for work as part of a suit. I noticed they could smell by the end of the day.
Hope you get some answers OP

Try using bicarb of soda...

What clothes washing detergent do you use OP and have you tried a few different ones to see if it makes a difference? Maybe your natural smell is reacting with the smell of the detergent? Have you tried unscented detergents or a non bio like Fairy. You could also add white vinegar to the wash to remove smells. I do it all the time as it also helps to keep the machine smelling clean and reduces limescale and it doesn’t make the clothes smell of vinegar.

Hibi scrub might help as it kills bacteria on skin for about 6 hours after use but use a small amount on a sponge as it can be harsh on skin and is expensive and quite thin so you don’t want to use loads.

Could it be something like a yeast overgrowth? You can try including fermented foods in your diet like kefir, sauerkraut, miso soup, kombucha tea etc daily to see if you notice a difference. Lots of fluids and try an elimination diet reducing yeast products like bread, meat and spicy foods for plain foods like rice, potatoes, veg, fruit, lentils, beans etc. Is there anything particular in your diet that you eat regularly that may be a cause?

Do you have any skin issues like a patchy skin, sores etc?

Do you do any exercise that makes you sweat on a regular basis? I had very smelly armpits when going through menopause that smelled within minutes of showering and no deodorant got rid of. I started going to the gym due to joint pain and found that solved the problem within a few weeks. I don’t even smell that much after sweating heavily! Exercise balances hormones and gets rid of toxins in the body as well so I’d highly recommend that.

Have you tried something like Hibbi Scrub? It’s anti-micro able. I wouldn’t use it everyday for ever but for a week or so it might help.

I have found good things from glycolic acid under my under arms.

when I shower, I use a new flannel with a bar soap like Dove. Then rinse. Then go in with a nice smelling shower gel. Once/twice a week I’d used a scrub. You don’t have to but I also use those Fem-Fresh gels. When you get out , make sure you dry really well. Then add a light body lotion (I use Dove or The Ganier tub ones). Then deodorant. I tried loads until I went with Mitchmum- but the roller or the rub on ones. Don’t sweat at all with them! Use glycolic acid at night with no deodorant once a week then build up to more(check bottle).

For clothes, try a sanitiser wash . Detol do one . I also found adding two pods ( Like the Bold ones) worked better than adding fabric softener or those pellets.

clothes need to be fully dry or they will smell. Have you got a tumble dryer? Failing that, get one of those Dry Buddies. Takes longer but is worth it. Have you checked if your towels smell too? As that would lead me to it not being you but your washing system. Check your washing machine draw. I didn’t know you had to clean it and mine was black at one point. Once a month I clean it with hot water. The purple Cilit Bang is good(Mould remover). Leave the door open after each load too.

I would go back to the GP and ask them to investigate as well . Be firm.

I have stopped using all normal deodorants and use this. Not like normal stuff and its been amazing..

www.getfussy.com/?msclkid=834a66fb7f3f1b2a3eb901a8450a361d

Here's what works for me.
Olive oil soap. That's the only ingredient. Magnesium oil spray on a night. A bicarb based deodorant in the day. Earth conscious or we love the planet. All other deoderants have just smelled of bo plus scent after a few hours.

Where is the smell coming from? Could it be hpw you store your clothes? Does you place have a damp problem?

Omg wow I didn’t expect to get so many replies helping me- thank you so much! I’m just home from work now so going to read through them all. Thank you very much everyone x

@fireworksinthesky3 I've not read all the replies but have you tried Triple Dry?

I'd second the diet thing. Reduce sugar and alcohol. Also meat. Dp doesn't eat meat and always smells so lovely.

Also I'd recommend trying a probiotic capsule from Holland and Barrett - there are loads and they sorted out a case of BV for me last year when nothing else seemed to shift it .

It is fantastic.

Antibacterial soap with an abrasive mitt/cloth over your entire body, flannel for intimate bits and between the cheeks, then shower gel over your body.

If you use body oil, it goes on damp skin. Pat all intimate areas and under the arms dry, then wipe on glycolic acid/witch hazel under the armpits with a cotton pad. Witch hazel is also safe in more sensitive areas, externally.

I'd recommend eventually moving to a non aluminium deodorant but get the smells under control first because your pores do purge the aluminium for 2/3 weeks after changing to a more natural deodorant. Like PP, I also use Fussy and it's not been like any others so far, I absolutely love it. However, you might find that you don't smell by doing the above though.

Wear natural fibres, cotton, linen, etc. Materials like polyester don't allow your skin to breathe and can make you sweat and smell.

Dettol. Big glug in the tub, bobs your uncle.

Make sure to wash your butt crack with soap.

IYKYK

Bleach bath might work — I don’t know the correct amount but I’d see my gp about it.

Quite possibly it is something in your diet!
I had an issue with bad odour and was mortified by it - I took a good look at my diet and I stopped drinking coffee (I used to drink a lot of it) and within 24hrs there was a massive difference.
I have not had even a sip of coffee since and that was 15 years ago!

I think this is a problem for your Doctor.

You might be washing too often - have a look at some of the advice about washing / skin oils for people with eczema and see if any of that might apply to you. May be worth experimenting with showering every other day.

Driclor can irritate the skin - try using it ever 2-3 days. Alcohol hand gel may well hurt armpit skin without cleaning any better than soap / shower gel.

If you remove armpit / pubic hair, consider stopping for a while (my experience and YMMV is I smell a lot worse if I shave my armpits).

My friends was like this... Showered daily and all the things meant to do.
She just needed to wash her clothes on a higher temperature. Whatever bacteria there was from her arm pits the ordinary washes like 30 degrees just wasnt enough.

From what you’re saying you definitely need to see a doctor for this as the issue is of a medical nature, aside from showering and using deodorant and washing your clothes after every wear there’s nothing you can realistically do. People do not start to smell from every pore of their skin - like you’re describing - a few hours after they’ve showered, so it’s 100% a medical problem and only a qualified doctor can help you.

Apply a salicylic acid facial wash, such as The Ordinary to arm pits and other sweaty areas. Leave this on for a few minutes and shower it off, this will kill the bacteria causing the odour. Deodorants can't kill the bacteria they just plug the pores keeping you dry.

I used to have this problem for YEARS. My GP had me start taking a zinc supplement and my BO went away.