Q Dear Auntie Pearl, this is quite embarrassing for me but I am a young man, I am 17 years old, and to me it really feels like I always stink of sweat.
What can I do to get rid of a strong sweat smell, Auntie?
I don’t always have the money for the expensive underarm and it makes me feel so shy among girls and I really want to have a girlfriend, but I think this sweat smell will just skrik them off.
I have tried bicarbonate of soda because I read somewhere it helps, but it didn’t help.
A
Haai shame gesiggie, aren’t you as cute as a cat in custard!
Jinne blommie, you mos know to never fear when Auntie is near.
Let’s break down your probbie and see what Auntie can do to help.
Now the fact is, you are a teenager, a young man, and this means you have lots of new hormones in your body, and these hormones usually cause an increase in the amount of moisture your sweat glands produce.
So what you’re going through is all natural.
The body odour comes from bacteria breaking down oily sweat under the arms and in your groin area.
So let’s just get something straight: it’s not sweat that smells bad!
The unpleasant pong you smell is actually from sweat that mixes with this bacteria.
The bacteria that cause odour grow in warm, moist environments, such as under your arms.
But enough technical dinge, let’s help you out, bokkie.
Now you say you’ve tried bicarb, but how did you use it, my skat, because that is actually a very good raadjie.
Try it Auntie’s way: mix two tablespoons of baking soda in a cup of water.
Store this in a spray bottle and use daily on all your sweaty places.
Or mix a tablespoon each of bicarb and lemon juice, and spray on your underarms, groin, and feet, and rinse after five minutes.
Here are Auntie’s other kwaai all natural, home remedies for sweaty teens:
- Lemon juice:
Cut a fresh lemon in two and rub one half on your underarms, getting the juice on your skin. Allow it to dry on its own, and then take your shower.
You can also squeeze out the juice from half a lemon and add half a cup of water and apply to your underarms with a cotton ball.
- Rosemary:
This herb helps prevent bacteria that cause the stink, and has the added bonus of smelling lekker!
Get some dried rosemary (about half a cup), and put it in four cups of hot water. Leave for 10 minutes, and then add it to your bath. Have a nice soak for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Tea tree oil:
This antibacterial and antiseptic oil gets rid of those kieme! And because it also causes the skin to contract a little, it controls your sweating.
Add two drops of tea tree oil to two tablespoons of water, pour the solution into a spray bottle and use it as a deodorant.
- Apple cider vinegar:
Pour some in a bowl and soak a cotton ball in it, now apply it under your underarms and wait for 2–4 minutes. Then take your shower to get rid of the body odour.
You can also fill a small spray bottle with the vinegar and spritz on problem areas if you don’t have time to shower.
You can also drink this magic vinegar which will flush out all the toxins from inside the body and help relieve the stinky body odour.
Mix one tablespoon with some lukewarm water. Stir well and drink 2-3 times a day before you eat.
And hartjie, this too shall pass.
Don’t paap too much about the girls and the expensive deodorants you can’t afford.
Enjoy being a teenager and all it brings, but remember, wash every day!
Even if you can’t wash in a bath or shower, wash in a skotteltjie.
During the day, bacteria and dirt clog together on your skin and this causes bad odours – and this is doubled during your teenage years.