Overcoming body odor that appears suddenly

Body odor can be a nightmare for many people. This condition can be experienced by both men and women. But now body odor is no longer a big problem with the proliferation of ubiquitous deodorant and antiperspirant products.

But due to different body conditions, you may sweat more than your friends. On the other hand, there are those who sweat so little that they don't need deodorants and antiperspirants.

How can body odor occur?

Sweating and body odor can occur when you do physical activity, when it's hot, or when you feel nervous and stressed. The body has two main types of sweat glands namely eccrine glands and apocrine glands.

Eccrine glands are mostly present in the body and are located close to the surface of the skin. While apocrine glands are found in many hair follicles, such as the armpits and groin.

When your body temperature increases, the eccrine glands will secrete a fluid known as sweat onto the skin's surface, this sweat is tasked with cooling down your body temperature. The sweat that is released by the eccrine glands consists of water and salt.

While the apocrine glands produce sweat that is heavier in texture compared to the sweat produced by eccrine glands. The resulting sweat is usually a lot more, especially when you are under emotional stress. Even though the resulting sweat fluid doesn't have an odor, when it mixes with bacteria found on the skin (especially the armpits and groin), sweat can cause an unpleasant body odor.

What is the difference between deodorants and antiperspirants?

Although often mistaken for the same, these two types of products are actually different. Deodorants work by attacking bacteria that can produce body odor. It is not uncommon for deodorants to contain alcohol or antibacterial components such as triclosan. This substance aims to create an environment in which bacteria cannot live or reproduce.

According to the U.S. In the Food and Drug Administration, deodorants are classified as cosmetics, in contrast to antiperspirants which are classified as drugs. The main function of antiperspirants is to prevent sweat by forming a gel and clogging the sweat glands.

Prevents body odor from appearing suddenly

To prevent body odor from appearing suddenly, you can do the following:

1. Keep yourself clean

As one of the causes of body odor, bacteria can actually be prevented by being diligent in maintaining personal hygiene. Bathing at least once a day is an effective way to prevent body odor because it can reduce the number of bacteria in the body. Make sure your body is clean from bacteria, especially in areas prone to sweat and bacteria such as armpits.

If you have sudden body odor, you can wash the sweaty area with water and anti-bacterial soap. This can reduce the bacteria found on the skin. After cleaning the area where you sweat, immediately use a deodorant or antiperspirant to prevent body odor from returning.

2. Keep your body dry

After bathing, dry your body until it is completely dry. Make sure the parts of the body prone to sweating are completely dry. This is because bacteria tend to breed in wet or damp places. When you sweat, try to dry the area where you sweat it so that the bacteria doesn't react with the sweat and cause body odor.

3. Change clothes

If you sweat a lot, you may want to bring a change of clothes with you when traveling. Clean clothes can help minimize the adverse effects of the reaction between sweat and bacteria. To prevent sudden body odor, change your clothes immediately to clean, dry clothes when you sweat.

4. Avoid strong smelling foods

One of the causes of body odor is food. Foods can also cause you to sweat excessively, such as spicy foods, caffeine, and alcohol. Apart from excessive sweating, food can also cause your body to smell bad. Foods like onions and garlic are examples.

Not only onions, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, for example, can also cause unpleasant odors. This occurs because the sulfur components in these vegetables are processed by the body and excreted through breath, urine and sweat. When you sweat, try to avoid these foods to reduce the chance of body odor.