by C. A. Hargreaves

Created on: February 01, 2009

How do you reduce and combat body odor? Well you will first need to understand what causes body odor. The body odor that most people find unpleasant comes about when air is unable to flow freely over your skin because you are wearing clothing (which is essential in everyday life)! Due to this the moisture becomes trapped and is attacked by bacteria causing it to break down, this is what causes the unpleasant body odor, or BO.

Another reason you may suffer from bad body odor is if you get nervous or anxious. Obviously physical exercise will result in bad body odor. If you suffer from a serious illness such as a kidney problem then the illness will be another contributing factor.

In most cases simply having a bath or shower once a day; unless of course you undertake active spots in which case you will need to shower afterwards; will be sufficient enough for personal hygiene.

If you are female it is advisable to keep your underarm hair shaved or waked, this also helps to reduce the effect of bad body odor.

When washing the skin in the bath or shower it is advisable to use an antibacterial soap of shower gel. Dry the skin well and moisturize the skin, followed by white vinegar or alcohol dabbed onto the main sweat producing areas such as your underarms. You should avoid antiperspirants as they can clog the glands, producing more problems in the long run. To help absorb the sweat and kill the bacteria pat on some backing soda.

Maybe you need to monitor what you are putting into your body. Try to avoid refine sugars, white flour, hydrogenated oils and other processed foods. Cut down on red meats as they produce toxins in the body. Other food stuff to avoid is coffee, garlic, cumin and obviously alcohol.

It is important that you do however eat a healthy well balanced diet that includes such things as leafy vegetables, sprouts, raw nuts and good foods like that.

Try to wear cotton clothing as this fabric is more breathable, especially in summer. Never re-wear clothing, especially in summer, your body moisture will stick to the clothing and oxidize which will increase the way you smell.

Another important area to maintain is your feet, they can produce an awful odor if you don't let fresh air get at them, change your socks and shoes regularly and wash your feet. You can use some of the techniques from above to reduce your foot odor.

So just remember this is a very personal subject but it can be maintained with great care to your personal hygiene. Wash regularly, change your clothes and use natural ingredients such as baking soda and white vinegar.

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