DD and personal hygiene.

[AvonCallingBarksdale]

DD is 17 and to be blunt, smells 🙁. Her underarm odour is really strong and unpleasant. She showers every day although of course I’m not monitoring how effectively. She has Dove deodorant but again not sure how much she’s using. I washed some of her clothes today and even after drying on the line there’s still a faint smell in some tops.
She is a bit overweight but not significantly (just trying to give an overall pic)
She has a boyfriend and lots of friends but does struggle with anxiety and low mood. I don’t know if anyone’s ever commented.
So:
a) any recommendations for a better deodorant
b) any tips on broaching this with her that won’t end in disaster? She’s usually v unreceptive to any perceived criticism.

thank you.

She needs to wash her armpits and feet with proper soap to break down the odour such as imperial leather. Use mens deodorant. Shower daily.

A bar of soap not shower gel. Aerosol deodorant because it won’t all rub off on her clothes rendering it useless if she gets dressed before a roll dries. My best mate had this at the same age though and must have been linked to hormones because it stopped as soon as she went on the pill.

Ok soap we can definitely do that. Interesting re the pill. She had v bad skin previously which has improved a lot but not perfect so considered the pill back then

Proper bar of soap.
mitchem roll on is really good. I find dove useable on a cool day, but sport/sweaty/hectic day Mitchum wins hands down.

Mitchum is very good for stronger body odour I hear. Also removal of any armpit hair should help.

Mitchum roll on or gel.

Shield soap, scrub with a coarse flannel . Sure roll on, let it dry before deessing

Not heard of Mitchum, I’ll give that a look.
thanks

I find I smell awful the first 6 months or so postpartum, and the only thing that has worked is using a bar of soap, a men’s roll on and then a spray of something that smells nicer to me (e.g. dove).

You need to speak with her. Be direct. Don't pussy foot around.
If you can smell her then others can and they are possibly talking behind her back.

She needs to wash daily, using soap, roll on deodorant (mitchim), change her clothes daily (including bra) and ideally lose weight.

aside from the hygiene changes she’ll need to soak her clothes in biological powder. I do it with some gum kit that gets drenched in sweat repeatedly. Normal washes don’t necessarily get rid if the bacteria so every now and then I soak in a bio bucket as hot as you dare for the clothes.

I suffered excessive sweating when I was about that age which must have been hormone related because it cleared up and has now reared its head again now I’m perimenopausal. If that’s the case I recommend driclor deodorant. It completely stops you sweating and therefore stops you being smelly

3 things.
Bar soap.
Mitchum deodorant.
Soak her tops in Dettol antibacterial laundry additive.

It could well be that she is washing effectively and applying an ineffective deodorant but the bacteria is embedded in the armpits of her clothes and as soon as she wears them and warms them up, it becomes fragrant again.

And a kind approach, not one of disgust. Help her to recognise she will feel better if she can manage it by good hygiene and feel less conscious about it when amongst others.

Excess sweat doesn’t usually smell. Unwashed old sweat does.

No one’s born knowing how to deal with an
unruly whiffy body. Be nice when you give her products but tell her to
use them. Wash her clothes at 60.

Wash clothes in big box biological powder. Liquids and gel capsules don’t get rid of the smell of old sweat. Also, as others have said, wash with proper soap and a good deodorant like Mitchum. Sure is OK but Mitchum is better.

Proper soap
Mitcham
Dettol laundry sanitiser - soak for at least an hour and then another dose in the machine

Some antidepressants can make your sweat smell.

Could she have got some meds unbeknownst to you?

Sure 72 hour deodorant (roll on or aerosol) is as good as Mitchum in my experience, and quicker drying.

If you are quite a sweaty person, that’s not the case. I stink by the end of the day if I use just normal Dove or equivalent anti perspirant.

Spray all her top underarms ( clothes not human!) with white vinegar before washing.

Use mens antiperspirant, the aldi one is good.

Dove maximum strength deodorant stick in pomegranate is the only thing that works for me. Also re the tops that still smell after washing- spray the armpit area with white vinegar before washing as usual- ideally leave to soak in for a few hours beforehand. I’ve tried soap instead of shower gel and I don’t think it makes any difference.

She could use salicylic soap under arms or some other medicated soap (Amazon). Then mitchum deodorant.

Oh bless her, it’s such a hard subject to try and broach with her as well.

Id definitely echo other posters and say a bar of soap and a flannel (changed regularly). She can use a nice smelling shower gel after the soap, but the soap is needed to get “clean”. Then I use a roll on mitchum deodorant and then the spray over it.

Sure maximum protection cream roll on

Mitchum deodorant, and soaking her shirts etc in dilute vinegar solution before washing.