Now the whys:

The whys of body odour

Perspiration is by itself odourless, but begins to smell when the bacteria on the skin break it down. These bacteria thrive in warm, moist surroundings. The underarms, where sweat can't evaporate easily, are just right for them.

Deodorants and anti-perspirants help control body odour and sweat. They work, but not if you apply them on your clothes, says a Henkel SPIC spokesperson, who adds that a lot of people do this, either mistakenly or because they want to protect their bodies from the chemicals present in these products.

While a deodorant masks the odour to some extent, an anti-perspirant cuts the amount of perspiration reaching the skin surface and combines the deodorant effect. Most deodorants are alcohol-based and contain anti-bacterial properties and perfume. But anti-perspirants are non-alcoholic and usually contain aluminium compounds and perfume to control wetness and body odour.

So why wouldn't a perfume be enough?

"A perfume can't remove body odour, it can only compound it into something worse. Abroad, the practice is to use perfumes and deos together," says the spokesperson. In fact, perfume under the arms is a no-no. That place is strictly reserved for deodorants and their ilk.

Wear perfume in places where you want to smell sweet, he says. Ears, neck and the wrists are ideal — as the body temperature rises, the perfume evaporates, imparting a fragrance (also wears off gradually).

A deodorant, on the other hand, should be sprayed or applied directly on the skin. Come out of the bath and head straight for the deodorant; one application should do for a normal day.

People are more hesitant to use anti-perspirants because of reports that they block sweat glands and cause problems ranging from cancer to Alzheimer's disease. However, these have not been proved, says the spokesperson. In fact, anti-perspirants are more effective, though the difference between them and deodorants is narrowing nowadays.

The use of many fragrances at one go (bath soap, perfume and deodorant) might make the wearer smell peculiar, but take heart — the perfume in most soaps and shower gels wear off rather easily. Match your perfume to the deodorant you're wearing. Nowadays, perfume brands also have deodorant variants. Alternatively, you could use a neutral deodorant, but they are hard to find in India, says the spokesperson.

More myths abound. "One cannot become immune to these products; eating certain foods does not have an effect on body odour; blocking perspiration is not unhealthy (remember, of all those millions of sweat ducts, only a few are in the underarms) and no, you can't substitute a bath with a deodorant. Bathing rids the body of unwanted bacteria."

As with any cosmetic product, some users might react adversely and break into a rash. In such cases, stop using the product or see a doctor.

Picture by S.R. Raghunathan

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page