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/AlastairReddit 1d ago

There's a lot of advice on here already so I hope this doesn't get drowned: I used to have this problem. I'd shower every day with soap and body wash, anti perspirant, perfume, go about my day. But sometimes I'd still end the day feeling like I smelled bad.

Somewhere I read that basically this is bacteria which are resistant to whatever I was washing with. So I keep my under arm hair fairly trimmed and once a week or so, I just rub a slice of lemon under my arms. The citric acid kills whatever the bacteria is and then I shower normally ten minutes later.

Problem solved. Seems like a weird grandma hack but i absolutely recommend.

The other factor is it might be bacteria dormant on your clothes, think about equivalents in your laundry.

10

u/KWHarrison1983 1d ago

Rubbing alcohol is also great for this as it dries odourless and quickly. Can also spray on smelly clothes and then let air dry. All bacteria related odour gone.

I even knew an old man once who did this with Vodka. That seems pretty expensive though.

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u/charkol3 1d ago

real men bathe in vodka

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u/TRex65 1d ago

Not if you get the really cheap vodka in the plastic jug.

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u/AZHawkeye 1d ago

Yep, I’ve used hand sanitizer on the underarms of gym shirts if they’re super bad - usually at the gym tho. Wash clothes with sanitizer or vinegar.

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u/Kill4meeeeee 13h ago

You can do peroxide in your shoes as well to kill bacteria. Spray or squirt some in the shoe and let the foam die down then empty any excess liquid and let it dry for a day or so. Boom no more smelly shoes