How active men can beat body odour

While it’s completely natural to perspire, it’s also embarrassing to lift your arms and reveal dark, wet stains. Deodorant only works on the smell (caused not by your sweat directly, but the bacteria on your skin that feeds on it). 

Antiperspirants combat wetness, but any effective antiperspirant contains aluminium salts, which are the chemicals that cause the yellow stains on your light-coloured shirts. If you’re after fresh dry underarms that don’t stain your clothes, use this simple fool proof two-step game plan.

STEP 1: Apply an anti-perspirant before going to bed

The reason some men feel antiperspirants don’t work is because when it’s applied in the morning, when your sweat volume is higher than it is at night, your sweat washes off the antiperspirant before it can work. But when it’s applied before bed, you give the active ingredient, aluminium chloride, ample time to work its way into the skin and down to your sweat ducts. 
 
By the time you wake up, it's fully absorbed, and you can rinse off any leftover residue in the shower, keeping your pits dry and your shirts clean. Since you’re not using this as a deodorant, look for unscented or clean-scented varieties.  

TRY:

- Dove Men+Care Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Invisible Dry is specially formulated to keep odour at bay for up to 48 hours.
- Sanex Dermo Active Anti-Perspirant Roll-On For Men will help keep odour and wetness at bay.

STEP 2: Apply a standard deodorant in the morning

Because your underarms will remain relatively dry, you don't need a heavy-duty deodorant, but we still recommend applying something, whether spray or roll-on, before leaving the house to keep your pits as fresh as possible. 
 
You should also switch up your brands now and again when choosing deodorant. Just like with shampoo, your body adjusts to various chemical formulas, so over time, they become less effective. Swap your standard choice for a new formulation. Then in a few months, switch back to your old standby and it should work even better. 

TRY:

- Coty East.West Deodorant Spray is a bold, masculine fragrance, ozone friendly. 
- Brut Deodorant Musk effectively combines long-lasting protection with a distinctive and classically masculine fragrance. 
- Long-lasting Axe Gold Oud Wood & Dark Vanilla Body Spray (150ml R39.99) with its warm accords made up of woody Oud and gourmand vanilla is always a reliable date night choice.

Top tip

If tenacious body odour is an issue for you, try an antibacterial soap. Body odour can be a product of bacterial growth on the skin. And skip the Indian buffet at lunch – odours from onions, garlic, curry, and spicy foods are excreted in sweat glands. Finally, do the laundry. Bacteria from sweat can cling to fabrics; the heat from your body acts like a plug-in scented warmer, but in this case, it activates offending odours.

IMAGE CREDIT: 123rf.com