Since the holiday season is just around the corner, there is a lot of pressure to look good for those family dinners, office parties, or nights out with friends. It takes a lot of effort to look perfect whether it is styling your hair, applying the right kind of makeup (we all know how much effort that takes)…
…and fitting into the dress you bought a few weeks back (thanks to your new diet) or shaving your beard, matching your tie with your shirt, and styling your hair according to the latest trend.
Looking great and being a cause for jealousy can be invigorating, but body odor and bad breath can make all your effort go down the drain. It is important to pay attention to how you smell around others. It is basic etiquette.
What Causes Body Odor And Bad Breath?
Think of all the money you shell out on expensive perfumes and deodorants. To your dismay, the truth is that these products do not get rid of body odor but only mask it. So, after you bust some moves at a party and are drenched in sweat, deodorants and perfumes might not be able to hold your body odor back (instead people around you might hold themselves back from dancing with you).
We have to agree that body odor can be quite embarrassing, which is why you have to attack the problem at its root. Sweat does not make you smell. Sweat is generally odorless but can harbor bacteria that produce the nasty odor (especially from your armpits and feet). Similarly, the buildup of bacteria in your mouth can cause bad breath.
How Can You Get Rid Of Body Odor?
There are natural home remedies that can get rid of body odor and have you smelling as fresh as a rose.
1. Vinegar
Vinegar, a common flavoring agent, has bactericidal properties (bacteria-killing properties).1 Sweat is alkaline in nature, which means it increases your skin’s pH—just the way bacteria like it. Vinegar is essentially acetic acid. It counteracts the alkalinity of sweat and restores the normal pH of the skin, making it unfavorable for bacteria to survive. That is good riddance of bad odor.
Dab some vinegar on your armpits or any other part of your body (areas you feel might have unpleasasnt odor) and you will be all set for embarrassment-free social interaction.
2. Lemon Juice
Another attack on odor-causing bacteria, lemon juice is an oh-so convenient antiseptic.2 Being acidic in nature (like vinegar), it creates a hostile environment for bacteria.
Take a slice of lemon and rub it on the areas that smell the most to alleviate body odor.
3. Baking Soda
Baking soda absorbs sweat (the instigator), maintains the pH of your skin, and kills bacteria.3
Wet your fingers with water and dip them into a bowl of baking soda. Apply the baking soda in the areas that sweat and smell the most and go odor free.
4. Lavender Oil
Lavender oil has a beautiful fragrance and is easily absorbed when massaged into your skin.4 It is antibacterial, antifungal, and antidepressive, and helps relax smooth muscles.5
Sit back, relax, and massage lavender oil on foul-smelling parts of your body to smell fragrant.
5. Black Tea
Black tea not only makes a great beverage, it is great when it comes to relieving odor as well. It is rich in tannins, compounds that are toxic for fungi, bacteria, and yeasts.6 It is an effective solution for getting rid of clammy foot odor.
Soak your feet in black tea for 30 minutes a week to pull a vanishing spell on that nasty odor in no time.
6. Sage Herb
Burning sage can ward off evil…
…and using sage on your body can ward off odor-causing bacteria.7
Sage is antihidrotic (reduces sweating). Less sweat automatically equals less odor.8
Soak dried sage in hot water for 10-15 minutes and apply it directly on affected areas. Alternatively, sip on it throughout the day.
How Can You Get Rid Of Bad Breath?
It’s quite insulting when people take a step back while talking to you. You may or may not realize it, but it may be your bad breath causing that repulsed reaction. Don’t be dismayed. Find hope in nature’s offerings.
1. Fennel Seeds
When you chew fennel seeds, a commonly used mouth freshener, the concentration of nitrites in your saliva increases. These nitrites have antiseptic properties and prevent the growth of odor-causing bacteria in your mouth.9
2. Cloves
Chewing a few pieces of cloves can immediately help get rid of bad breath. Cloves kill bacteria responsible for bad breath, leaving you with fresh odorless breath.10
3. Cardamom
Popping some cardamom in your mouth and chewing them can easily make your breath smell better. Cardamom can remove many kinds of bacteria from your mouth and you know the rest.11
Keeping That Odor In Check
Trying to smell good 24×7 can be quite taxing (unless you have a butler to tend to you and do your chores). On many occasions you might end up smelling fishy—especially after some physical activity or after you’ve taken a bite of that burger seasoned with onions. Natural remedies can definitely help you get rid of body odor, but showering and brushing your teeth regularly is a must. Proper hygiene is irreplaceable and will ensure that that odor emanating from your body is kept in check.
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