December 12, 2021 8 min read
Smelling good throughout the day is not easy, especially if your work involves lots of sweating. When sweat dries on your skin, it combines with bacteria on the skin surface and body oil, forming a not-so-pleasant odour.
The best way to smell fresh is to take a shower. But, it’s not all about personal hygiene. What you eat or drink also influences your body’s scent. If you drink too much alcohol, don’t expect to smell as nice as someone who stays hydrated frequently and eats lots of fruits and veggies. But more on that later.
If you’re here, it means you want to learn how to smell good all day. Say no more! Below, we’ve provided you with a comprehensive list of tips to help you smell fresh throughout the day.
Water is the key to our survival. So, it makes sense that water can help improve your body's scent. Your sweat is made up of water and salt. Naturally, your sweat has no smell. But when you eat foods with unpleasant smells like onions and garlic, their scent will remain in your dried-up sweat. And as a result, body odour will develop. But when you drink water, it can help dilute the bad smell and help you smell fresh.
Water helps regulate your body temperature and remove harmful toxins. Also, it gets rid of bad breath. Therefore, it’s imperative to drink plenty of water.
There’s a relationship between what you eat and how you smell. People who consume a lot of cruciferous veggies tend to give off a bad body smell. That’s because veggies like Brussels sprouts, kale, and broccoli contain a huge concentration of sulphur, which gets excreted through your sweat.
Have you smelled rotten eggs before? Well, that’s how sulphur smells like. However, this should not mean you have to avoid eating foods like cruciferous veggies. Instead, consume them in small amounts.
Other foods that can lead to bad body smell include onions, curry, and cumin. During digestion, the body breaks down these foods, causing the production of sulphur-like compounds. The compounds will cause bad breath and body odour. Seafood and alcohol can also contribute to body odour.
There are several reasons why you have bad breath. The most common one is bad dental hygiene. That means you rarely brush or floss your teeth. Remember, addressing bad breath helps prevent dental cavities and reduces the risk of gum disease.
Besides brushing and flossing your teeth, here are more tips to help you get rid of bad breath.
We all have that one friend with smelly feet. Most times, these individuals don’t like taking their shoes off when around people, for a good reason. But maybe it’s not their feet, that’s the problem, but their shoes.
If you don’t clean your shoes and change your socks more regularly, you will end up with smelly feet. If you can’t do that, grab a shoe spray (it’s a lifesaver). A shoe spray eliminates bad smell in shoes, allowing your feet to stay fresh and smell great, even if you sweat a lot.
Spray your shoes in the evening when you get home, and let them dry. Also, ensure the sprays dry off before wearing your shoes. Most sprays contain alcohol, and if your skin is sensitive, it will irritate and sometimes peel. Also, don’t forget to wash your feet.
Also, try not to wear gym shoes all the time. Typically we sweat a lot more when we're working out, and having old sweaty shoes doesn't help things!
Most people tend to apply perfume or aftershave quickly and walk away. But if you do that, the fragrance won’t last long. It’s important to learn how to apply your favourite perfumes correctly to maximise its effect. You can achieve that by following the steps below:
Focus on the pulse points: Spray perfume on your pulse points, like wrists or back of the neck. This way, you can make the most of it. Pulse points contain a high concentration of blood vessels. So, when the body heats up, the perfume will start dissipating slowly. As a result, it will release pleasant scents, and an aura of sweet smell will surround you.
Don’t apply too much: When it comes to perfume, less is always better. Too much can lead to headaches and sometimes nose and eye irritation.
Avoid rubbing your wrists: The friction will break down the aromatic molecules of your favourite scent.
Spritzing instead of misting: If you love spraying your fragrance to the air and walking through, stop! You can save your perfume and extend its effect by spritzing directly to your skin.
Use unscented lotion and petroleum jelly: If you use a scented lotion, it can alter your fragrance chemical structure and reduce its effectiveness.
Another tip on our list ofhow to smell good all day is spraying perfume on your hair. Your signature scent will linger all day once you spritz some perfume to your hair. But don’t soak your hair in perfume - a little will do the trick.
Too much perfume can have a chemical impact on your hair because of the alcohol. Alcohol tends to dry hair, and other perfume components can combine with oils in your hair, resulting in a different, not so pleasant scent. Before applying the fragrance, wash your hair to get rid of the excess oil.
To avoid damaging your hair, purchase hair fragrances and mists. These products contain a lowerperfume and alcohol concentration, and feature extra oils to improve your hair’s health. Alternatively, you can spritz perfume on your hairbrush and run it through your hair for a lasting scent.
It’s wise to shower in the morning before going to work, and in the evening after coming back. Or at least if you're going out again in the evening.
Showering helps eliminate dirt, sweat, and body oils from the skin surface. After a warm or cold bath, you will smell nice and feel rejuvenated.
If your skin is sensitive to water (Yes! it’s a condition), take cold showers or a sponge bath to prevent the irritation. You should also consult a doctor for further instructions.
Keep in mind, smelling good starts with cleaning your body. So, when showering, target those areas that sweat a lot, like your groin, butt, and groin.
If you need to get rid of odour-causing bacteria and excess oils on your skin surface, use quality soap and body wash while showering. Quality products with natural scents and oils tend to leave a stronger scent on your skin. Your soap or body wash will also trap the scent of the fragrance you used earlier, and prevent your skin from drying too much.
During the days that you don’t want to wear a perfume or aftershave, you can use scented lotions, moisturisers, or body creams. They will protect your skin and allow you to smell good throughout the day. Apply the moisturiser immediately after showering, because scents last longer when applied to a moist base.
You can also try layering your unscented body lotion, cream, shower gel, and moisturiser with a signature fragrance.
If you sweat a lot, apply deodorant or antiperspirant to shield yourself from the shame of body odour and sweat. Especially when travelling, bring deodorant with you to prevent any embarrassment. If you don’t want to carry two products all the time, consider purchasing a product that combines deodorant and antiperspirant.
Don’t forget to carry wipes. They will keep you fresh in case of excessive sweating. Also, pack talc-free powder to apply under the breasts and even feet.
You can shop online or in-store for unscented products, like face washes and deodorants, free from added fragrances. These products will revive your natural body's sweet smell, while allowing you to stay fresh all day. They do these by eliminating odour, dirt and improving the health of your skin.
If you want a subtle scent all day, think about what you wear. The clothes you choose can affect your body’s smell. Polyester clothes and other forms of tight clothes can trap heat, making you sweat more. They also lack moisture-wicking abilities, meaning sweat and odour-causing bacteria can’t escape. Therefore, it creates an unpleasant body smell.
If you want to reduce sweating, wear light clothes with moisture-wicking abilities. These clothes absorb sweat, preventing unpleasant smells. However, you can’t wear light clothes when it’s raining. So, it’s important to dress based on weather conditions.
If you want to learn how to smell good all day, wear clean clothes. Obvious, right?
Also, make sure you wash your clothes regularly. Cleaning helps rid body oils and dirt from your clothes. Invest in a quality laundry detergent that not only leaves your clothes clean, but also soft. If you can afford dryer sheets or drier balls, go for them. These products will leave your fabric smelling good all day long.
More tips on making your clothes smell good include:
If you have to travel and don’t want to carry your bottle of expensive perfume, cotton balls can come in handy. Sparry cotton balls with your signature perfume, and find a plastic bag to put them in. From there, you can store them in your bag.
Every time you notice the effects of the perfume wearing off, take one cotton ball and rub it on your pulse points. By applying perfume to pulse points, your body chemistry adapts to the fragrance. As the perfume dissipates slowly, your body will release a pleasant fragrance.
Don’t expect to smell good when your pillows and bedsheets have an unpleasant smell. Apply a light scent to your bedding, like rose water. Stronger scents can irritate your nose, eyes, and throat when you sleep. Your body will retain the scent of your bedding, and you’ll wake up smelling fresh. Sleeping on scented bedding is way more comfortable.
But don’t forget to wash your pillow and bedsheets regularly. At night, you also sweat (a lot!), and your bedding absorbs the sweat. If you don’t wash them, they might smell bad, making you uncomfortable at night.
While most people aren't too bothered about how they smell whilst sleeping, there is nothing better than getting into a great smelling bed!
It’s possible to get creative with your scents to come up with something enchanting. When layering scents, ensure one scent doesn’t overpower the other; try to find a balance. Top up stronger scents with lighter scents to prevent overpowering lighter scents. Taste each fragrance you create by layering and recording personal data to have a list of unique scents.
Another way to smell fresh all day is layering your own lotion, body wash, shower gel, and cream to boost their sweet scent.
When layering scents, ensure you don’t overdo it. You might end up creating an overpowering scent that you can’t use, even if it smells wonderful.
Store your favourite perfume properly if you want to make the most of it and always smell fresh.Avoid leaving it in your bathroom. The temperature changes and humidity in the bathroom can cause the breakdown of aromatic molecules. As a result, reducing the effect of your perfume.
Placing your fragrances on the window sill is also not a good idea. Direct sunlight can break down the chemical formula, making it more susceptible to evaporation. The best place for your perfume is a closet or drawer where it's cool and dry and far from the reach of kids.
As you can see, there are several things you can do to smell good all day. Though our list is comprehensive, we couldn’t cover all the tips. So, try to do more research and identify other ways to retain a sweet aura throughout the day.
If you wish to keep body odour and sweating at bay, the tips above will help you. Thank you for stopping by, and best of luck!
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