I have come across many women who love to deck up in trendy outfits and wear exquisite jewellery. However, when it comes to personal hygiene, I am amazed at how little time one spends taking care of it. After all, do we spend as much time trying to prevent body odour as much as we spend experimenting with make-up!?
Well, why don’t men and women make a start somewhere? Always remember that if you are fond of garlic, spices, and food with heavy gravy, the chances of you having body odour are more. Alcohol and smoking also build up toxins in our body and therefore our body odour increases. Drink plenty of water, eat a balanced diet, exercise, wear natural fibres, and do use deodorant.
In fact, today there are so many options available to choose the right fragrance—body soap, talcum, deo, eau-de-toilette, and more. What a lot of us do not realise is that synthetic clothes in these weather conditions are a total disaster and result in body odour and fungal infections.
I have come across many people who never air their shoes and make their colleagues go through nightmares during meetings. Never keep your shoes locked up in a shoe cupboard… if at all you must air them in sunlight at least once a week and powder your feet with foot talcum to prevent foot perspiration.
Mouth odour is also something that can be intolerable especially if you have to sit in close quarters with someone. Go for dental check-ups regularly at least once in six months and brush your teeth twice a day. Besides this, check that you do not suffer from constipation as this also leads to bad breath.
If you love onions and garlic, brush after eating and chew on a clove or cardamom. If you are a smoker, it is not necessary that just because you like the fragrance of tobacco, your partner should tolerate it too… chew on peppermint or mint leaves for a fragrant breath.
To sum it up, personal hygiene and cleanliness are just as important as buying new clothes and dental check-ups are as necessary as investing in that new diamond ring and for smokers, both men and women… think about the person sitting next to you and about yourself too! Until next time, keep smiling.
Suparna trikha
The columnist is a beauty and nature care expert
@suparnatrikha