señorita: How to Smell Nice

Steps

Shower. Showering means washing your hair, too. Greasy hair smells anything but fresh. Failure to bathe regularly will give you a musty odor (which you aren't aware of) extremely quickly. Make sure to wash after any sports/sweaty activity. Your towel must be clean, it defeats the purpose of showering if you dry off with a filthy towel. Use a fresh one every day, or at least every other day. Wash with nice-smelling soap like Dove or Dial. Avoid cheap citrus bodywash, because the alcohol used as an antiseptic can overpower the weak citrus scent. If you are a fan of citrus, try something like Dial bodywash or some other well known brand. Store brands work too, but always sniff before you buy it. If you smell any alcohol, then put it back on the shelf, so you don't end up smelling like antiseptic.

Shave your armpits. Shave your armpits (many women know and do it, but this also helps on men!). A lot of bad smell is stuck to the hair. Wash under your arms with hot water, and rinse with cool water. Try an antiseptic soap, but make sure it smells nice, not like alcohol.

Wear deodorant. It needs to be an antiperspirant as well as a deodorant. Antiperspirants prevent sweating, while deodorant neutralizes your body odor. It's a two step process: Neutralize the odor, and replace the odor with a more pleasant smell. Use an unscented antiperspirant or deodorant if you wear cologne, since the smells can clash. Getting the clear ones reduces white smudges. Shaving areas will reduce the amount of bad smell that has to be neutralized.

Brush your teeth two times a day. Brush them at least two times a day, use floss regularly, and brush your tongue with toothpaste or use a tongue scraper. Follow up with an alcohol-free mouthwash that is antibacterial like Crest's new Pro-Health rinse; alcohol-containing mouthwashes kill germs but the alcohol will be changed by your saliva into sugar, which will then attack your teeth. Eat fresh veggies or chew mint-flavored sugar-free gum between brushings. Go to the dentist twice a year to keep your teeth in optimal condition.

Wear socks. Sweaty feet trapped inside shoes are a recipe for bacterial growth. When at home, wear flip-flops or something that opens your feet to the air but doesn't let them touch the floor. Airing out your feet is important.

Use a touch of cologne/perfume. Drug store colognes typically smell cheap; avoid things like Charlie, Jovan Musk.. Splurge a little and get something that you like such as Kenneth Cole, Givenchy, Shiseido, J'Adore by Dior, Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, Davidoff, Calvin Klein, Estee Lauder, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Hugo Boss, Polo, Maybe Baby by Benefit Cosmetics or Escada. If you are dirt poor, you can just go to Wal-Mart and get some Axe or Tag that smell ok. Then just put a dab on you. There are also essential oils that can give you a nice, simple scent in rose, vanilla, lavender, etc. Body sprays are a lighter option if you don't want the stronger scent of a perfume. Make sure to not use too much of whatever scent you choose, and never use them as a substitute for cleanliness since the mingling of odor and cologne/perfume smells as foul as the odor itself. A dab of perfume behind the ears and on the wrists is sufficient.

Wear clean clothes once, then wash them. Wearing them several times will negate the benefits of taking baths and wearing perfumes, deodorants, etc. Reduce the number of 'dry clean only' clothes in the wardrobe -- it is impractical and costly to dry clean clothes after every wear and dry-cleaning isn't as effective as standard washing to remove stains and smells. Use a good laundry detergent and softener. Some are available without scents or dyes.

Throw out shoes that smell. If they really smell, throw them away and buy new ones. Use the odor-absorbing baking soda based foot sprays.

Use talcum or some other wetness-absorbing powder. Use talcum powder with odor-absorbing baking soda immediately after taking a bath wherever there are major sweat glands, i.e., back, groin area, underneath the breasts, the back of your knees, etc.

Don't eat certain foods. If you have body odor problems, avoid garlic, onion, cumin, fenugreek, curry, cheese, cigarettes, coffee, and anything else that smells. Your sweat glands will ooze sweat combined with these smells - stinky!

Prepare onions carefully in cooking. When cutting garlic or onion, rinse with tomato or lemon juice to neutralize the odor. Simple soap and water does not quite get the job done.

Change your bed sheets often. If you have body odor problems, change your bed sheets at least twice a week.

Don't smoke. It's one of the worst smells in the world. Even if you only smoke outdoors, you'll come in smelling strongly of smoke. What's more, smoking dulls the senses of smell and taste, so you won't know if something else about you smelling bad to others.

Focus first on preventing odor through keeping clean. Then, use fragrances sparingly and selectively if you want, so they don't clash with one another.

If you sweat a lot, Mitchum has a higher percentage of aluminum than other anti-perspirants and is therefore stronger/more effective.

If you shave the pubic region, applying anti-perspirant there will prevent any red stubble/irritation.

Vanilla is a scent that appeals to many men, so if you are out on a date with one, it can encourage the romantic mood.

Women should avoid using talcum powder, strong soaps, sprays and deodorant in the groin area, as this can cause irritation and painful yeast infections. If you suffer from this, avoid hot baths: take cool showers only and use special soaps which are hypo-allergenic, your pharmacist or gynecologist should be able to recommend one.

Apply deodorant or lightly-scented lotion just after showering. This puts moisture back into your skin that your soap may have taken out, and keeps your body sweat-free from the start. Remember to thoroughly dry areas before applying deodorant, especially if you haven't shaved underarm hair.

Check your hands after eating food with really strong flavors (eg. mcoys barbeque crisps) because the smell can stain your skin for ages. It is not very appealing! You may need to scrub your hands to get rid of it.

Warnings

Poor hygiene can lead to health problems! (Dental, skin, hair, feet...the list goes on.) Take care of your body so your body can take care of you.

If you're a woman, do not douche or use feminine wash products. It upsets the natural balance of the vagina/vulva and can cause infections. Washing the external parts of the area daily with a gentle soap will be sufficient if you are healthy.

Don't overdo it on the perfume or cologne, if you choose to wear it. A little goes a long way, and your sense of smell will acclimate to it, so you may stop smelling what to others is too much. Be aware that some people are heavily allergic to fragrances and many more just don't like them, especially in crowded spaces.

With anti-perspirants, be aware of allergic reactions. The zirconium in "superior odor protection" can cause a reaction, while aluminum-based ones may not, so don't give up completely on anti-perspirants if one causes a reaction. Also, do not rely upon your anti-perspirant scent for a pleasant smell, as most conflict with other scents or leave you smelling soapy at best.

A few medical studies have linked Aluminum-Zirconium deposits with Alzheimer's. Although this is unproven, be sure to thoroughly wash under your armpits when showering.

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