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

Sorry if its been mentioned already but I swear by removing all underarm hair as each hair gives a lot of surface area for bacteria to grow on

For underarms I recommend Trust. Also, what are you eating? Have you looked at your diet? Also wash clothes regularly, obvs. Good luck.

Tried sticking to cotton only clothing?
or take baby wipes and mini deodorant and having a freshen up at lunchtime?

I've no advice sadly but I just wanted to post to say I really hope other PPs have been able to help as it sounds utterly miserable and I really feel for you. Wishing you a quick success

I haven’t read through all of the replies. But please, please try this!!

Benzoyl peroxide cream (branded Acnecide on Amazon) 5% cream - under your pits for a few minutes before showering.

BO is caused by bacteria, not sweat - this will kill the bacteria.

use elbow grease spray, directly on your clothing before washing.

it’s a tried and tested method, will cost you about £10 and could change your life x

Have a DS & DSD that through teens had a problem, Driclor Def works but stick with it. At first they needed it quite a bit but DSD only uses it once every fortnight and it's enough to hold it off. Good luck 👍

i would recommend first getting an African net cloth! They make you feel so clean then start with using Dettol antibacterial soap all over your body except your intimate areas. Then go over with a dove body soap (I love the Shea butter/vanilla scent) then body wash, use the African net cloth for these steps

once out of the shower use either witch hazel toner and dab some on your armpits or try Ordinary Gylcolic Acid Toner. Then add your deodorant and other steps.

Clothes can still smell of BO if not washed properly so I put in white vinegar into the drum or dettol antibacterial which gets rid of the smell.
try scent boosters aswell and a good bio washing pod

Hand sanitizer is full of chemicals! The armpits are a really delicate area with all the lymph nodes in direct reach. I am a firm believer that deodorants full of chemical rubbish cause a lot of harm. I tried every one of the natural ones and found one that is brilliant. But very expensive and shipped in from abroad but I feel it’s worth it as this one works brilliantly.

For washing your clothes, bedding and towels I would recommend Dettol laundry cleanser - you use it in the washing machine like you would use softener. My husband’s towels used to smell dreadful and this has sorted them out. I do also think you need to speak to your GP specifically about this. I would be a bit concerned it’s an underlying issue that needs checking out. Another random idea - is it worth taking some long hot baths or visiting a gym with a sauna on a regular basis? Helps to sweat out toxins etc. Take care.

A friend of mine can't wear garments containing or made from synthetic fabrics (polyester, acrylic, nylon etc). They make her skin smell like petrol. Not really surprising when those fabrics are an offshoot of the petrochemical industry. Have you tried wearing only natural fibres and laundering your things on a pure, mild soap,?

What about your towel? Could it be that it isn’t getting dry properly and transferring smells to your body?
Hope you find an answer to it soon

Hey!
I really for you, I had a similar problem and had tried everything too. Driclor is incredibly painful, so really isn’t a viable long term option.
I went the other way and I stopped using deodorant and anti perspiration for 3 months to get all of the aluminium from the products out of my system. I also used and continue to use anti bacterial hand wash on my underarms to wash away all the sweaty bacteria.
I continue to use the anti bacterial handwash and have started using a natural deodorant. I’m using fussy but there are loads about.
I now smell fresher than I ever have.
Good luck 🍀

Not to alarm you but people with Parkinson's disease have a musty odour that no amount of washing shifts See your GP again

Rubbing a bit of shaving gel and washing off is good as it's basically condensed soap, then a bit of medicated talc? Just ideas I've used at festivals and help. Also roll on deodrant seems to last more and smells better. Xx

Tl:dr, so not sure if its veen mentioned. I'm a long time lurker but had to reply here. My daughter is 19 and was suffering a lot with BO. Her clothes would smell even after just trying them on. I bought hibiscrub for her. The liquid and the wipes. Both available on Amazon. Its done wonders for her confidence. She showers every morning with the liquid and uses in all "nooks and crannies" and keeps the wipes in her bag for emergencies.
Pls try it. X

A few years ago I realised my clean clothes/towels etc stunk when I took them out if the drawer/cupboard. After a lot of investigation I found it was using liquid detergent not powder. When I started using powder the smell went. Good luck 🤞

Am probably committing the cardinal sin of not reading the whole thread but my daughter started getting smelly pits at a crazy young age (7) and we had to go down the Mitchum route. This works but a lot of her clothes end up with an ingrained smell that is really hard to get out and often doesn’t reappear until she’s worn them after a few hours

The only thing that worked to get it out was the HG Sportswear laundry additive.

You're not alone, I smell too and my sister has confirmed it (and occasionally my darling children will tell me too!)
I've tried all sorts, but have ultimately come to terms with the fact that I'm just one of the world's smellier people. I sweat a lot - all over, not just from my pits - and I can't change that. When I'm in work I'm mindful to keep a window open and one of those stick diffuser things on my desk and a body spray in my drawer. When I'm at home I relax about it - my family are used to me and nobody has ever actually complained, even boyfriends who obviously get much more intimate with my body.
I would highly recommend acceptance.

I think this is diet related. Write down what you eat each day for a week and the try eliminating certain foods - sugar, dairy etc. I’m certain your diet will be influencing this.

Also - years ago, my boss’s PA had issues with terrible body odour. She got Botox under her arms and it stopped the smell in her case. She also removed all synthetic clothing and only wore natural fibres. It all worked.

The doctors? It might be a disorder like Trimethylaminuria ?

I was so unwell after child birth that eventually I went on an exclusion diet to try and get to the bottom of it. It was magic. After a couple of weeks I was well enough that we all went out for a whole day. Not only did the immediate pain and fatigue clear, and intermittent things like migraines, but loads of things I had hardly been aware of, like extremely stinky sweat.
I slowly re-introduced foods until I had a manageable diet. Organic, no synthetic additives. No wheat. No legumes. We checked all chemicals in the house, and got rid of most. Once things were fairly good, a long-awaited appointment with a clinical ecologist came through. He blamed it on an episode in which I was heavily exposed to a pesticide, which was confirmed some years later when they developed tests for it. He told us how well we had done, and gave us more things to try. Some were ineffective. Those that really helped were getting rid of down and feathers, wearing all natural fibres, going all-electric, and taking gas out of the flat.
Don't drink alcohol that is based on anything one is allergic to - he reckoned that linked to becoming alcoholic.
I would go very simple, OP, organic, natural, minimal. It's almost impossible these days, but you may get far enough to be effective.
Be prepared for periods of getting worse before you get better, as toxins work their way out of your system.

PS Also recommend Trust deodorant, which really does work.

My boyfriend and I use Lume- their body wash and deo both keep odor at bay for 48hours. I use the body wash every other day because I also like to use a moisturizing soap. I only use the deo every couple days, but my boyfriend uses it daily, and it works for both of us. You can use Lume on your entire body - pits, feet, chest, and privates. Anywhere you think may need it.

OP, PCOS can have body odour as symptom. Look it up. Don't be ashamed. Definitely don't rub sanitiser on your armpits!

I used to smell of grapefruit even after washing and I discovered my deodorant and bodywashes were making it worse. These days, the best thing for my underarms is actually antibacterial handwash or just plain water, and I only use deodorant if I am going out for more than a couple of hours.