Help - my kid stinks

[NCgoingdry]

DD 11 is going through puberty at what seems to be a rapid rate. She looks like a young woman which is terrifying.

But she smells of BO no matter how much washing. Predominantly her hair and armpits.

I feel dreadful saying this - but even though I'm instructing her to wash her hair at least 3x a week, even when it is freshly washed I can still smell a horrible greasy BO smell coming off her head.

Straight out of the shower she still has this musty cloud.

I know the obvious answer is that she isn't washing properly - but she is. I've gone over it time and time again, and observed how she does it so I know she's doing it properly. She uses the same products as us so nothing particularly gentle.

I clean the hair brushes, change her pillow cases every couple of days, clean towels, always clean clothes daily. She wears deodorant.

Is there a super strong shampoo that won't break the bank that will be really tough on her hair?! Although it's such good condition I don't want to strip it.

What can I do?! I don't want her to be the smelly kid at school.

Driclor is a deodorant you can buy from a chemist which really stops sweating on armpits for around a week. Mitch am probably isn't strong enough at that age. Make sure she doesn't shave her armpit the same day as applying though or it'll itch when applied

https://www.mediceuticals.uk.com/product/mediceuticals-therarx-anti-bacterial-scalp-and-skin-wash/

I'd recommend this. I use it because due to a skin condition my scalp gets a build up and starts smelling (and still smells after washing). This whole range of products is brilliant but they are very pricey which is why I'm not recommending the whole kit of three products. This one tackles bacteria, balances PH and just does a brilliant job of cleaning your actual scalp rather than hair.

I definitely second washing her hair every day and drying with a hairdryer!

I’m not medically qualified and I know this is very awkward to navigate with a young teen, but there are a few conditions that can cause bo in people. It might be an idea just to get her checked out quickly to rule out anything untoward.

Biological powder. Check she is doing her ears. They often get missed and can harbour disgusting smells.

I used to wash my hair every day growing up. I know some people don't do it that often but honestly it doesn't sound like 3 times a week is enough.

Re the armpits, I find that only using Dettol soap thoroughly immediately before applying deodorant works to prevent the smell.

I guess it's because it's supposed to kill the bacteria in the sweat that cause the smell.

Bio washing powder and wash at 60. The expensive sure deo cream in a box, it's the only one that works! Wash hair every day, if she has long thick hair she needs to use enough shampoo not the same as someone with fine hair and a bob. Sounds obvious but it's not.

I wonder if overwashing could be having a deleterious effect on the skins microbiome and causing an overgrowth of something that is causing the smell. Washing hair three times a week seems reasonable but since stepping up the hygiene routine hasn't helped perhaps drop down to twice a week and find a product that supports the skins microbiome.

It’s unusual for a child of that age to be so smelly. I’d try the Nizoral and real soap for a couple of weeks and then a GP visit. There’s no reason why air drying hair should make it smell.
Here’s the Nizoral.
https://amzn.to/42FAu70

Have you checked if she's got any scalp issues? I've suffered from seborrheic dermatitis in my scalp and I occasionally get a recurring patch that stays greasy whatever I do. Maybe try a few washes with selsun or tar shampoo (smells like tar!) Or even just Head and Shouders.

The other thing is to mix up shampoo. If I use the same shampoo for too long, my hair starts getting limp and greasy. A couple of washes with a different brand/type seems to fix it.

Are you really really sure she’s washing her hair properly?

When you have thick hair it‘a surprisingly easy for the shampoo not to reach the actual scalp. I know I have to systematically target each part of my head, especially the back of my head, behind the ears etc. In the past I have washed my hair only to wonder why my roots didn’t feel completely clean afterwards. It’s easily done.

I also agree that maybe she needs to wash her hair more often too. I remember being in my early teens and having to wash my hair daily because it would get so greasy after a day and a half. It calmed down eventually but hormones can be brutal.

Honestly, I think you need to go for a better shampoo. And if it's really thick, a good quality shampoo and possibly more frequent washing will help. Thick hair in my experience doesn't tend to be as greasy so it's not being cleaned properly or, and I am fully aware this sounds weird, it's built up a "resistance" to her current shampoo - As a teen I used my favourite shampoo but every few weeks had to use something different for a few washes.

Personally, I'd use salon quality shampoos - L'oreal, kerastase, KMS, Redken etc. Find one she likes the smell of too. They're expensive but tend to last well and you can usually get them cheaper on amazon, especially if you buy the salon size.

Face wise for spots, no matter what your age, CeraVe face wash available from Boots, use either a flannel or some sort of gentle exfoliating cloth to give her face a good clean.

To then tackle the spots she needs a Salicylic Acid so anything labelled BHA which stands for beta hydroxy acid. We use Paula's Choice 2%.

Make sure her clothing is clean, we use Dettol laundry which removes that sweaty smell from clothes and definitely a biological washing powder or liquid. I prefer powder.

Soap bars rather than shower gel too, definitely scrub the pits with a body puff or flannel, you can't just soap the pits they need a good scrub too. I have two beautifully smelling teen sons.

Aww poor kid.

It might be worth a trip to the GP to see if their hormones are balanced because this sounds extreme. There might be something they can offer to balance everything out again.

@NCgoingdry definitely keep an eye on the fluid levels she’s drinking. If her urine is dark to mid yellow - it’s not enough.

I’ve had to avoid onions cooked in a certain way and some curries as I literally ooze a pungent aroma the next day. :(

Some other things to consider alongside the brilliant suggestions above -

Get her checked for hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating)
Any piercings that she's not cleaning properly?
Toenail fungus or athlete's foot that's not been treated - you can spray her shoes too with special spray/powder
Does she clean her navel properly?
Removal of bodyhair will usually help, if she doesn't shave already
Check she doesn't have an untreated yeast infection or similar, and is washing correctly with warm water down there, and letting it dry properly before dressing.
Use a finer dry shampoo like Klorane and really rub it in well
Absolutely NO conditioner further than the very tips of her hair

OH and get a shampoo brush that she can use GENTLY on her scalp (no hard scrubbing).

I find dettol antibacterial soap is really good, i use an exfoliating glove and this soap to gently scrub my underarms, really removes any build up.

My hair STINKS if I let it air dry. It’s like my scalp just starts sweating with all the excess moisture.

I use moroccanoil shampoo and conditioner which have a lovely ‘soap’ smell to them.

Id also recommend looking at a hair perfume

Soap and a facecloth for washing pits and pubes.

I’d second this - I developed terrible BO in my late 20s, and my clothes smelled musty no matter how often I washed them.

Turned out I had an issue with my thyroid and as soon as I was put on levothyroxine tablets, my BO problems disappeared. My doctor diagnosed me with a simple blood test.

I had to throw away all the tops I had worn during my BO phase, 2 years, there was no rescuing them - and I tried ALL the mumsnet tips 😅

Poor kid (and you!), what a difficult situation.

It sounds like you're doing plenty of washing. If the biome of the skin is out of whack or there's a fungal skin infection, as a PP said, more washing may not help. Some other things you could try without having to have a very difficult conversation could be:

• going to the swimming pool more often (the chlorine might help deal with residual smelly bacteria if there is some lingering on the scalp/armpits)

• putting salt (a cup of table salt) in her bath at home for her to have a long soak,including lying down so armpits, scalp, and hairline all get a good soaking. This can couched in terms of her overall skin health (it's good for dryness, eczema, all sorts) but is also good as a mild antifungal treatment and deodoriser

• including more probiotics/ live good bacteria in her diet, in case it's a gut biome issue.

Wash her hair for her just once and see if it still smells afterwards.

@NCgoingdry Look on line for an anti fungal body wash. For years I could never smell clean and my fave body lotion (with fav perfume) smelt like cabbage. Once I'd tried this anti fungal shower gel normal smells were returned.