Today's topic du jour is body odor, I guess - as a gay man,

[closeupready]

I find that body odor in a physically attractive man can give me a 5-second ... thrill, ok? Preferably when fresh, lol.

But in 95% of the rest of the population - young, old, female, male, fat, thin, ugly, beautiful - body odor is repulsive, and offensive. Deodorant for under the arms is essential in a civilized society. As is daily bathing, frequently twice a day, if you exercise.

Also, while I am 0% attracted to women, I do get that "Scent of a Woman" was probably a fun concept when whoever wrote it thought it up. It's a concept which is not unheard of at all - in fact, Napoleon - it is said - told Josephine in a communication upon returning from a successful battle, "don't wash!" I think the idea here of pheromones and body odors sometimes being attractive and such is an intuitively sensible idea, not only to sophisticated people but to the most ignorant.

Regardless of that, almost every stranger you encounter in society will find your lack of personal hygiene as rude as chewing your meal with your mouth open, or going to midnight mass in sweats and t-shirts.

[NuclearDem]

1. This DU topic really stinks.

[closeupready]

3. Well! Smell you!

[whathehell]

26. +100 n/t

[dballance]

34. Very clever. /nt

[Warren DeMontague]

2. I agree that it's a complex pheromone thing. Although I didn't need the mental image of Napoleon

As a sweaty garment-sniffer (and what's he doing with his hand, there, in his coat?)

But yes, regular showers are key.

[closeupready]

4. Right? I'm not quite sure why that's a boast for Napoleon's fans.

?? But sure enough, it's something you'll hear from the French if you spend enough time there.

[Gman]

5. And we need to know this because....?

And have it in GD?

[closeupready]

6. As a counter-thread to the "I don't need deodorant" thread.

[Gman]

7. Well, OK then...

But this doesn't belong in GD either. But, whatever.

[MADem]

41. It's an "issue" that has been raised on this discussion board, though....

And the SoP for GD is:

Discuss politics, issues, and current events. No posts about Israel/Palestine, religion, guns, showbiz, or sports unless there is really big news. No conspiracy theories. No whining about DU.

It may not be an earth-shaking issue, but apparently it's an "issue" for some people.

FWIW, in some countries you can tell the Americans by how they smell....! You are what you eat, as well as what you use to perfume yourself....

[LanternWaste]

13. I don't think anything on DU is by definition, a need.

" And we need to know this because....?"

I don't think anything on DU is by definition, a need. However I've found that should a particular headline for a post be uninteresting to me, I simply don't click on it...

[upaloopa]

8. I don't know if this is a positive sign or a negative one

More and more I find this board not relevant to my life.
As adults I hope we have our hygiene routines worked out by now.

[Nay]

25. You'd think "we have our hygiene routines worked out by now" would be

true, but I continue to be amazed at the number of adults (probably 90% of them men) who absolutely reek. If I walk within 3 feet of a person and my eyes start to water, then that's truly disgusting.

[TeeYiYi]

9. k+r ...

Freshly washed pheromones (no deodorant) between lovers...

The rest of you reisty fuckers need to shower and wear deodorant. May I recommend Secret solid unscented:


TYY

[FSogol]

10. The other day, I was wondering if, "chewing your meal with your mouth open"

was just white Northern European "manners" or is that consistent taboo across nations, cultures, etc.

[LWolf]

11. I don't smell.

I haven't smelled for about 14 years now. It was a severe concussion that damaged my olfactory nerves.

So I simply do not smell.

I DO bathe daily and use deodorant for the sensibilities of all the people that do smell though.

[aikoaiko]

14. My son was born without a sense of smell.

Everything else is fine, but its really not there.

At 8 years old, he asked me what he was missing.

I told him there are some nice odors out there, but I promised him that there were things out there that he will be glad he will never smell. He'll see other people freak out and he won't.

I told him it will be his superpower some day.

[etherealtruth]

15. I told him it will be his superpower some day. "

I really like that you said that to him .... that is a great way to look at it!

[LWolf]

17. Yep.

I teach middle school. My room is on the top level of a building with no air conditioning and a whole wall of west-facing, floor-to-ceiling windows that get all the direct afternoon sun. Our schedule gives all of my students morning PE, the early lunch, and we're in classes the rest of the day after lunch.

I've been told it's a blessing that I don't know what the room smells like in the late afternoon with 30-something sweaty, hormonal 8th graders packed in there.

I sometimes miss the smells I used to love, but not often unless someone is pointing them out to me. People do that. They know I can't smell, but they are constantly telling me all about it. Kind of like asking a blind person "Oh, isn't that a beautiful sunset!"

There are many smells, on the other hand, that I DON'T miss.

[laundry_queen]

20. As someone who

has a ridiculously sensitive sense of smell (my kids say I was a dog in my past life, LOL) I'm QUITE jealous.

I love good smells, but I admit not smelling the bad ones would probably make up for it. Seems like the bad smells everywhere, LOL. My kids are so tired of me saying, "Hey, what's that smell? Do you smell that?"

[nolabear]

40. Not to alarm you but that's worrisome.

I know you know, but it's important to warn him to be very careful what he eats, since he can't detect spoilage. And be sure the fire alarms all work. Gas leaks are not frequent problems but the others are.

I had a friend once who lost her sense of smell due to overwhelming ammonia exposure and sued successfully because it was deemed a potential danger.

[Skittles]

43. I have a very poor sense of smell

from my life experience it has served me well more than it has harmed me

[Aristus]

12. I never understood that whole 'pheromones' thing.

I don't need pheromones in order to feel attracted to a woman. Intelligence, confidence, humor, a nice smile, and yes, good grooming work just fine for me.

The "don't-wash-away-your-pheromones-or-you'll-live-a-lifetime-without-sex" thing just sounds like a bad excuse for poor personal hygiene.

A shower daily (sometimes twice), clean clothes, and good dental and excretory hygiene are all musts for me. I keep the manufacturers of "Coast" soap in business...

[laundry_queen]

19. Me either.

I agree with all of your post. I have the same 'musts'.

I enjoy nice smelling soaps too...I have a bit of an 'addiction' to homemade cold-processed soaps scented with essential oils...mmm! luxury!

[Codeine]

21. You make your own soap?

How difficult is that? Can it be done without using animal fats?

[laundry_queen]

23. I don't anymore

I made a few batches back when I was a stay at home mom, but now I buy it from etsy or from crafters I know online from other sites or locally. Yes, you can make vegan soap with any kind of oil!

The process can be complex but is basically nothing more than a recipe of fats and lye. The lye reacts with the fats to create soap. Generally, you add more fats than is needed so that you can be sure the soap will have zero lye in it and will have additional oils "left over" from the chemical reaction to make your skin very soft. Most tried and true recipes online have the extra oil built in.

The site I used to use seems to have gone dead, but here is a link I found that explains the process really well: http://offbeatandinspired.com/2012/09/14/cold-process-soap-making-for-beginners/

There are a ton of supply shops online too.

It's something I don't have time for anymore, but I wouldn't hesitate to make my own soap again if I had the time. I really liked the result. I'm lucky I found others online who make soap that I like even better than my own, LOL. The more you make it the better you get at it.

[Codeine]

35. Thank you for the link!!

I want to try this!

[Aristus]

22. Home-made soaps sound cool!

[laundry_queen]

24. They are lovely

and the choice of scents if you buy from people on Etsy are endless. I used to buy from this one lady online (who doesn't sell soap anymore *sob*) who had the most inventive scent mixes. I loved trying new smells. Although, I'm still going to always be partial to patchouli. (yep, I'm a total hippie, lol)

You do have to be careful though - some people don't put much scent in their soap and I've been disappointed before I so look for terms like "subtle scent" or "gentle scent" and avoid those. I go towards the listings that say, "bursting with smell". I like my soaps really smelly.

I did used to make my own soap but I found someone online who was just the best soapmaker ever (aforementioned lady who quit) and I only bought from her for years and years so I haven't made it in awhile, but I still call the soaps I buy online or locally 'homemade' because they are just made in someone else's kitchen, just not my own, LOL.

[whistler162]

16. Don't know about body odor...

me I use deodorant once a week in winter and twice a week in summer.

http://www.lavilin.com/ to ve specific.

[Ken Burch]

18. isn't body odor kind of a moot point on the Internet?

(then again...if people can smell you ONLINE...that's not good...)

[Kingofalldems]

27. Not so long ago people didn't bathe much at all.

Some even believed it was unhealthy to bathe.

[defacto7]

32. That's why smoking was so popular.

Cigars often were advertised, "it purifies the air". Yeah, purify, right.

[Peacetrain]

28. I must have missed a heck of a thread

I am a married woman.. and I know when my husband is out of town, I will wear his shirts to bed, because it is comforting, and his scent is soothing to me.

So that light scent of the one you are attracted too.. a pretty good thing..

But I am not going to completely lie here.. when John comes in from a long run.. he could replace ether in an operating room.. very thankful for deodorant then

[smirkymonkey]

36. I also like the faintly musky smell of a man that I am attracted to.

He would have to be pretty ripe to really turn me off. However, I think you have to give people a little pass on a really hot day. Sometimes it's impossible to remain sweat free in 90 degree heat and high humidity.

[Peacetrain]

37. True that

High heat and high humidity can do anyone in

[closeupready]

38. Oh, right - like in "Brokeback Mountain" - Gyllenhaal's character

goes through Heath Ledger's character's closet and does the same thing, remember that scene? Wasn't silly or awkward at all; made perfect sense to me, if you've ever been in love.

And isn't it weird how when you fall OUT of love with someone, suddenly, they STINK, and you HATE it? lol

[Peacetrain]

39. I think it is pretty primal.. pair bonding

When you are with that person you are that attracted too.. everyone else sort of goes off the radar.. and yep.. (now I have to go back a ways to remember this) when its over, they get really stinky quickly

[blueamy66]

51. I sleep with my guy's shirts as well....

smells like boy soap and a bit of deodorant and cologne....

[Peacetrain]

55. I hear you

[blueamy66]

56. He works 12 hour shifts....

At least he doesn't travel. That killed me.

[Lint Head]

29. I love the smell of my own airpits in the morning.

[troublesome_mind]

44. So does this guy :-)

http://m.

[opiate69]

46. Italian's such an ugly language...

[Lint Head]

47. LOLOLOL!

[defacto7]

30. I took my bath in March

[RKP5637]

31. I know someone is going to tell me, oh, so your sh** doesn't stink, lol ... but I need

very little deodorant for some reason. I sweat, and all of that, but I just put some on some after I shower just to be sure. ... but then I know others that smell no matter what they do. I guess it has to do with body chemistry.

This one guy I knew had seen a number of dr's trying to get help, but seemingly with no success.

Then, I knew another guy that never used deodorant, guess he thought it made him sexy, I found it super gross. Anyway, that was my 2 cents. I do find some deodorants are worthless, the one I use on occasion seems to work well, no complaints from anyone yet.

[defacto7]

33. In the 17th century bathing was thought dangerous

and it may have been because of bacteria. But the aristocracy wore 4,5,6 or more layers of clothing and massive amounts of makeup all year round probably to cover the smell of rotting flesh. I remember reading that some never removed their clothing but once a year. Some never removed their boots or shoes for months at a time.

There is a story about Michelangelo wearing the same boots for the entire carving of his statue of David. Water continually being poured over the statue while carving he was continuously wet. Others had to remove his boots by cutting them off and it took part of his feet with it.

[Hekate]

42. Bathing in the wintertime was a no-no for some into the 20th century

Houses were cold and drafty, bathwater had to be pumped from outside and heated one kettle at a time on a wood stove -- it was an arduous process, and uncomfortable. You'd end up shivering like mad.

My Grandma was born in the late 1880s in a sod hut in Nebraska, and taught in a country school (probably in Colorado) before she got married. Some of the kids there were sewn into their long winter underwear by their mothers. (Remember the scene in Tom Sawyer? Aunt Polly sewed the top of Tom's longies shut, but in the Spring he and Huck wanted to go swimming so bad he cut the thread. She found out because he resewed it with black thread.)

Anyhow Grandma had an immigrant girl in her classroom who was sewn-in and unfortunately caught lice. She and another teacher took the girl home and deloused her, and it involved getting her out of all her clothing down to the skin and bathing her head to toe. Her mother was furious and confronted the teachers, saying "I send her to school for you to learn her, not to wash her!"

Grandpa believed in only one bath a week his whole life (1880s to 1950s) but Mom says he was meticulous with a washcloth the rest of the days of the week. Grandma had an all-over bath every day -- no doubt starting from when she had piped-in water in her own home.

Me, I lived in the tropics long enough to really appreciate the pleasures of a shower and the necessity of deodorant. No deodorant means not being able to wear a blouse more than one day, for one thing. If other people don't use it, by mid-day you just don't want to get into an elevator with them.

```````````

Everyone has a personal odor on their clean skin, some more than others. I think it's in the oils. My father's pillow always had a smell that was "him" and my high school boyfriend also had a pronounced clean personal scent. That's what people are responding to when they want to hold a garment close and inhale its odor when someone they love has passed away or is gone for a long time. Olfactory memories are stored in the brain forever, as far as I know.

[snooper2]

45. what does a "5 second thrill" entail? we need more details---

are we talking jack in the box or what here?

[Puzzledtraveller]

48. I bathe daily

If I sweat at all from working outside or from a particularly hot and humid day I will bathe twice. I figured everyone took a bath daily and I began to find out that it was not the case. My other rule is if you are not inclined to take a bath once a day if you had a bowel movement then you need to bathe at some point that day. I'm a bit of neat and clean freak if you will so I know not everyone shares the same feelings. Deoderant, a must, I do not mind body odor in the course of doing physical work when the deoderant you had on wears off. This happens to me a lot from working in the yard on hot days.

[BKH70041]

49. I was the first one to respond on that thread.

To the question of:

"Do we really need to use deodorant?"

My answer was

"Yes. That is all."

That covered the answer and should have been the end of it. That it garnered, at present, 123 posts was what made it funny. It was also revealing, and not in a pleasant way.

[closeupready]

54. Agreed. Someone else here stated, 'are people here really so ignorant

that we need to have a discussion about personal hygiene?' That thread illustrated that the old expression, 'nothing new under the sun' remains as true today as it was when it was coined. That is, we as individuals learn and grow, but there will ALWAYS be someone younger and still unlearned, and thus, yes, I guess we do have to occasionally have a discussion about personal hygiene. And further still, sometimes even old people have to be reminded that yes, you need to continue attending to your personal hygiene in order to participate in civil society.

[Blaukraut]

50. Preferably unscented deodorants and antiperspirants, though.

I have a very strong sense of smell, and when perfume and/or deodorant smells so overpowering that I can literally (and yes, I mean literally) taste it in my mouth, it's almost as bad as foul body odors.

[Catherine Vincent]

52. Bathing...

Anyone take sponge baths?

[get the red out]

53. Does someone on DU

Smell so bad it's seeping through cyberspace?

I swear I took a bath and put on frilly perfume and deodorant this morning, and clean clothes. Promise!

[marions ghost]

57. Yeah but too much "product" is as bad as sweat

--or worse...

So I say wash, but don't go wild with artificial scents, deodorants, and hair goo. Beware the strong soaps and laundry detergents also.

Some of it is really nasty and doesn't help the cause of smellgood. It only smacks of a cover-up.

I know one woman who when she walks through a room, can set several people sneezing and coughing in her wake. This is rude.

[smirkymonkey]

58. I studied in Europe in college and people in Austria did not bathe more than once per

week. You could smell it on public transportation. We were told to be respectful of their need to conserve water and to only bathe rarely. Luckily, my host family allowed me to shower almost every day, but others in my program were restricted to very limited bath times. Eventually you got used to it, but I do think we are an overly hygienic nation. I think it is just a matter of what you are accustomed to.