Stinky teen girls

[ChocolateJam]

Do young teen girls go a bit stinky? DD(13) claims that she washes properly and puts on roll-on but I can smell her every afternoon when she gets in the car after school and all her shirts have to be soaped up under the arms before washing otherwise the smell doesn't come out. She also has a vaginal discharge (normal I think, not menstruating yet) which adds to the general BO.

[QforCucumber]

Glad you've found something - it is expensive but I've found it lasts forever and can usually be found on offer in supermarkets. No other deodorant works for me at all.

[ChocolateJam]

Mitchum worked today, thanks to everybody who recommended it.

Nooka thanks for your comments and to answer your question, DH and my mum have commented on it. We're not pressurising her, I just want her to be socially acceptable.

[nooka]

OP have other people commented on your dd's smelliness? If she is changing her clothes after school does it really matter if they are a bit smelly at the end of the day? All this focus on how she looks and the state of her body sounds like it could be putting quite a lot of pressure on her which could really backfire.

I also don't understand why everyone is convinced a bra is the answer. She says that she likes the smartness of the blazer and the handiness of its pockets. These seem reasonable things to like. Plus bras are (IME) uncomfortable, and often a bit embarrassing to buy, especially if you aren't that comfortable with your body changing (not at all unusual in puberty).

I think it's totally reasonable to make sure that your child has clean clothes and showers and washes their hair, but overseeing them shaving feels really inappropriate to me. Whether or not to shave is a personal choice.

I have teenagers. Neither wear antiperspirant/ deodorant. ds likes to wear several t-shirts, a shirt and blazer every day. Often a scarf too. It gets up to the mid 40s where we live. I think he is nuts, but it's his choice (no uniform at their school).

[VenusRising]

Use antibacterial hand gel under her arms at night.
Wash well and shave pits.
Make sure the armpits are completly dry before using antiperspirant.
Dove maximum is much better than Mitchum.

Reduce dairy and up green leafy veg.

Also, stop her from wearing her blazer. Get her to air out her pits. Strike a touchdown pose! Make sure she's not clamping her arms down to her sides.

[BertrandRussell]

"Most teenagers are a bit pungent, I expect it has a lot to do with hormones"

I reckon it's more to do with not washing properly, not using anti perspirant properly, and not wearing a clean shirt every day..............

[ClarenceTheLion]

Most teenagers are a bit pungent, I expect it has a lot to do with hormones.

My teenage son gives off a strong musky smell, especially from his upper back, and his bedroom reeks of it. As soon as he leaves for college I go into his room to fling the windows open and air it out!

[ijustwannadance]

I was one of those ridiculously sweaty girls. Not fun. Hated taking blazer off due to wet patches. I didn't have smelly pits though weirdly.
My feet were awful though. My mum would make me leave my shoes on the step and wash my feet when I came home from school.

[BayLeaves]

I hated taking my jumper off at school because I was really conscious of my sweaty underarms

Had a friend like this at school. She always held her arms tightly to her body as well, probably making her sweat more. We bullied her for smelling sweaty all the time (shit friends, I know, I'm not proud of it, unbelievably we are still friends as adults!)

If you are someone who smells, I don't think this means you have poor hygiene, it just means your body just happens to sweat more than most, and that you have to go above and beyond normal hygiene routines in order to prevent smelling.

[ihatethecold]

Wtf is that about???

[SlinkyVagabond]

Bed time children! Off you pop. Reported.

[BertieBotts]

Weird. Looks like a troll?

OP I think it's fairly normal at her age and likely to be hormone related. Vinegar in the pits of clothing can help remove the smell when washing.

[ScarlettDarling]

I don't understand the post above?

[SlinkyVagabond]

Ive got one too, but only under one arm (she is also older, but had the problem for a few years) showers daily, shaves pits,Mitchum, sure intensive, you name it. She has a couple of tops that no matter what I do, still whiff. I spray with white vinegar, but still not great. (Everywhere else is fine). How about panty liners? And maybe if you can't get sure, do other brands do intensive ones? And those little compressed sprays are great for during the day.

[ChocolateJam]

If only it was that simple Sue. DD is extremely strong willed and this will blow up into a fight if I try to force the issue. We've had some extremely unpleasant fights about dressing appropriately for certain occasions and I don't think it's worth it. I will buy some crop tops but I can't force her to wear them and I won't try because it won't work. I work very hard on picking my battles.

[SueLawleyandNicholasWitchell]

I think you need to say to her that she needs a crop top/bra and would she prefer to go and get one this week or next week. She's probably paranoid that people she knows will see her. Can you go to the next door town to get them?

[ChocolateJam]

Thanks for all the replies. I've bought some hellishly expensive Mitchum.

It only dawned on me this week that her blazer is smelling, I will wash it more often. At least we're moving into autumn now.

DD is a tomboy, a valid life choice, but definitely heterosexual. I also didn't follow the crowd as a teenager, not everybody has to be interested in the same things.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

That's strange because when I was at secondart school (90s) the snell wasn't really that bad.

but we wore jumpers. and took them.off whenever we wanted.

do you think.these expensive blazers that everywhere seeks to insist on now and overly strict uniform rules re taking them.off are to blame?

[JustABigBearAlan]

It sounds like pps have given you lots of good tips to help, but to answer your question, ime it is totally normally for teen girls to be a bit stinky. I used to teach this age group and the stench sometimes was pretty bad, after having 30 kids in a room in a hot day!
My dh was quite shocked when I told him, he thought it would be just boys who were smelly.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

And yy she needs a bra and to take the blazer off.

maybe get a white vest top for iver the bra and under the shirt.

but sweating under the blazer won't he helping

[Gileswithachainsaw]

how often do you wash the blazer?

tbh it sounds like she is really self conclusion amd isn't at all coming to terms with her body changing and the adaptations she needs to make re her clothing and hygiene accordingly

her hair needs to be washed a bit more. twice is not much and hair cab get really greasy in that time.

she needs a proper shower and washing her body properly.

are you sure she's changing her shirts and underwear daily?

I hate white school shirts fir this reason. at sone point Tey become conscious if the fact they are see through and people cab tell of they have a vest or bra or crop top.
etc

wearing a blazer in the heat is ridiculous she needs to take it off

[Sallyhasleftthebuilding]

When I read this my first thought was a bra issue -

Buy her a bra - they take some getting used to - even a practise at home till she feels comfortable

I was teased for being flat chested when others had huge boobs at that age - I had to beg my mom for a bra!!

[Trollicking]

I forgot to add that one of my DC had to shower twice a day when we lived somewhere hot, as did I - and that was with us using Mitchum

[Trollicking]

Mitchum is great but I suspect it's the blazer that's too blame. I'd be stinky if I wore one all day in that heat. Does she shave?

I find that some DC do smell more than others regardless of cleanliness.

Do you wash her blazer often?