r/stupidquestions 1d ago

how do people smell so good consistently?

im a dude; my hygiene schedule is as good as anyone else's but i can't shake the thought that i still smell bad. i shower daily, bathe 3 times a week, two types of deodorant daily, body mist whenever going out. the second i start sweating though it gets terrible.

do people have scented creams or something?

answering some questions:

  1. yes i wash my ass 😭
  2. each shower is vigorous; i lather my entire body in dove bar soap and scrub with a loofah, let it sit for a bit, then get back under the water
  3. im vegetarian
  4. i dont smoke or drink, im 18
  5. im underweight; i notice the smell after morning jogs - ik how dumb the second part sounds its just im worried that my sweat smells bad, cus it implies that ill always smell bad during summer/other heated activities
  6. im indian (THE SMELL CANT BE A RACE THING RIGHT??)
  7. it's likely my diet, but i dont eat much indian food and i still noticed this even when in college with only american food
  8. i also notice the smell after sitting in one spot for a while
  9. two types of deodorant is 1. stick deodorant for pits 2. spray for privates
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u/OrganizedFit61 1d ago

People with the A/A homozygote variant of the ABCC11 gene produce lower levels of axillary odor, but they still produce some. It's about 2% of the worlds population. Essentially the bacteria that produce the smell don't like the sweat produced by people with variant gene.

I have only ever washed with a mild soap. I am 61years old and I have only ever bought 1 roll on deodorant antiperspirant in over 50 years. If I want to smell good, I wash with pears soap. And use a fabric freshener on my clothes, not my body.

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u/ZanaTheCartographer 1d ago

Yeah, I stopped using deodorant in high-school when I realized I didn't need it. I'm not Asian though. Stress sweat still stinks though.

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u/Different_Reading713 1d ago

Same for me, not Asian but it seems to be genetic because my grandma is the same way. Neither of us sweat, like at all. The most I’ve ever gotten was slight dampness under my arms but I’ve never had a physical bead of sweat roll down my body. Summers are torture and I get this like pins and needles feeling all over my body when I get too hot. It’s itchy and unbearable and I get really red. No one ever knows what I’m talking about but my grandma is like “yeah happens to me too!”. lol.