I am a petite woman. I also take public transit. Put those two together public transit and being a petite woman and you will discover that more often than not, that you are directly at armpit level on a crowed bus. With the amount of over ripe sweat glands that my nasal passages have been subjected to, it is a wonder that I still have the capability to smell at all.

Perspiration is a normal body function. A slight smell unfortunately is also a natural body function. Smelling like stale sweat is just not nice.

How can you control body odor?

Good hygiene is one of the most important ways to control body odor. This means bathing daily, even if you don’t wash your hair. Scrub those areas that are known to produce odors such as your armpits.

Common products that are used to control body odor are deodorants and antiperspirants.

Deodorants work by killing the bacteria that feed off the sweat that is produced. You still sweat and you depending on how much you sweat; you might still have those unattractive sweat stains on your shirts.

Some natural deodorant manufacturers include Lush, Tom’s of Maine and the original Crystal Deodorant.

Antiperspirants work by controlling your sweat glands by blocking your pores and preventing you from sweating.

Antiperspirants have received a lot of negative press linking them to breast cancer. However researchers at the National Cancer Institute have not found any conclusive evidence that there is a link between the two. Another reason for the antiperspirant controversy is that antiperspirants active ingredients contain aluminium which some suggest is linked to Alzheimer’s. There is no evidence that the two are linked.

Types of Antiperspirants

Spray On- As the name states, these are sprayed on your skin. The effectiveness is not the same as Roll-ons or sticks because it is sprayed mostly in the air and does not come into direct contact with the skin the way solids and roll-ons do.

Stick/Roll-on-This form is more effective because you control the application and coverage. New product formulations have now reduced if not eliminated the pesky white residue problem.

Sport/24 hour-The difference between these antiperspirants and the regular ones are that there are more active ingredients to control sweating for prolonged periods of time. With these added ingredients you may find irritation if you have sensitive skin.

If you find that your deodorant or antiperspirant is not working for you, try a different brand. Or carry the small trial versions available and reapply throughout the day to stay fresh and dry.