Having Body Odor Is Embarrassing — Let’s Unpack.
Two personal and embarrassing experiences. And a recap of the body odor section from GirlStuff by Margaret Blackstone and Elissa Haden Guest.
This is going to be an embarrassing post. I don’t share everything on this platform but there’s a certain power that I get from sharing things publicly. I can’t really explain it.
Today I’m going to talk about body odor. A quick two pages in the book GirlStuff by Margaret Blackstone and Elissa Haden Guest.
So I’ll start by saying the embarrassing issue. Two years ago the dance company told me that my deodorant wasn’t working. That I had body odor. And I am what you would call, you know, an adult, a woman.
So I am supposed to be embarrassed by this I guess. I am actually. It’s embarrassing.
The idea that I’m too old to screw up. Though they told other people there too, a lot younger.
I was using Secret deodorant.
I told another dancer about this and she said that I should try men’s deodorant instead, that it’s stronger for sweat and body odor.
So I’ve been using Degree ever since. To my knowledge I’m okay now. (Nobody has stopped me and told me anything and I feel fresh when I use it, and I apply it pretty often throughout the day.)
The First Time This Happened To Me
This happened 10 years ago too when I was at another studio. for a random light-skinned girl with longish straightened hair I remember. She seemed like a “cool kid” or at least extroverted.
Anyway, she said some comment that “someone” smelled like onions, <chuckle, chuckle> like an offhand remark. In the dressing room before a show.
I just knew it was me. I picked up on it and realized that using natural deodorant from Whole Foods my sister recommended to me wasn’t the way to go. I barely got through the performance and edited this issue quick after.
So twice. I’ve learned my lesson though. But I made mistakes too and learned from them. I hope that someone within these years made an offhand remark to this girl about her, when she’s doing her best but still doesn’t measure up. That is always funny and good revenge when that happens.
Anyway, let’s start. This is actually a short post today.
Hygiene tips I could probably have used as a kid to keep up with as an adult too. From p. 21–22 of GirlStuff. For my 10 to 12-year-old self. And 34-year-old self now too.
Where does body odor come from?
During puberty, we start to sweat more because hormones cause us to. The bacteria in sweat can cause us to smell funny. This is where body odor comes from.
Is BO bad?
Not necessarily. It occurs naturally, but one way to minimize it is to use soap and water when you take a shower. If this doesn’t work, try deodorant. Note to self, try asking mom or C**** (older sister).
Why do we sweat?
It helps cool down our body temperature which goes up when we exercise.
What’s the difference between deodorant and an antiperspirant?
Great question. Deodorant helps with body odor but not sweating. An antiperspirant controls how much you sweat, which in turn can reduce body odor. Since stopping the natural function of your body’s sweating might not be a good thing, a deodorant would be the better suggestion.
What are different options for deodorant?
There’s a deodorant for sensitive skin, or unscented. This didn’t work for you so I wouldn’t suggest that you try natural deodorant (no chemicals or aluminium), but it works for some people. I don’t understand how some people use baby powder made of cornstarch but some do this too. If you’re exercising, find something that has the extra strength you need to get you through heavy sweating when you exercise.
What else contributes to body odor?
Armpit hair, because it can attract sweat. So you might want to shave it to prevent it from trapping moisture so you sweat more and possibly smell more too.
This is it. I hope this can give weight to the 1996 version of me.
So she can reunite with the me through the 2000s, 2010s, and beyond.
Onward.
Gaa n’ihu.
Want to write for The Pink? We’d love to have you in our community of 100+ writers.
