Latest news with #bodyodor
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Woman Wonders How to Handle Sister's 'Body Odor': 'It's Something Everyone in My Family Has Noticed, but No One Addresses'
A woman wrote on Reddit that she is struggling with how to tell her younger sister about her body odor 'It's something everyone in my family has noticed, but no one addresses directly," she said The woman explained that her sibling's self-esteem "is already very low," so she is trying to handle the situation delicatelyA woman is struggling with how to tell her younger sister about her body odor. 'It's something everyone in my family has noticed, but no one addresses directly," the woman wrote in a post on Reddit's "Am I the A------?" forum about her sister. Detailing that their "parents occasionally hint that she should shower or they give her new soaps,'the woman continued, 'I'm not sure if she realizes it, but the odor is strong enough that her entire room smells, and my mom has to use a special detergent just to get the scent out of her clothes.' The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! According to the woman, she thought her sister's body odor was 'a puberty phase' since it started when her sibling was in middle school. However, she is now about to start college, and the woman said the smell remains. 'It's still a major issue, maybe even worse,' she explained. As for what she thinks could be the cause of the body odor, the woman wrote of her sister, 'I know she deals with anxiety and depression, and it's likely this is a hygiene issue tied to her mental health." "I understand that struggle and really don't want to come across as mean or judgmental," she continued, adding that she feels compelled to address the issue since her sister is about to start college and will be living with roommates in a dorm. 'I'm genuinely worried that people won't be kind about it or that she'll have a hard time socially because of the smell,' she wrote. The woman also said she feels the truth about her sister's scent would be better coming from 'someone who cares, than from a roommate or stranger in a cruel or embarrassing way." "But at the same time, I don't want to hurt her feelings or damage her self-esteem since it is already very low," she continued. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In the comments section of the post, many other Reddit users told the woman she should tell her sister the truth, but to proceed gently. 'How you say it matters more than anything. This is one of those conversations that could either help her or scar her — so it's all about delivery,' one user wrote. They added that the woman's sister may not be aware of her own hygiene, or she could be ashamed to admit to it. 'Don't just tell her. If possible, try to get her to see a doctor and check for hormonal or other physical causes of the odor," one Redditor wrote. "She might need to treat the medical cause first, in order to reduce the odor,' they added. Read the original article on People
CNA
20-05-2025
- Health
- CNA
Commentary: Is it better to shower in the morning or at night? Here's what a microbiologist says
LEICESTER, England: It's a question that's long been the cause of debate: Is it better to shower in the morning or at night? Morning shower enthusiasts will say this is the obvious winner, as it helps you wake up and start the day fresh. Night shower loyalists, on the other hand, will argue it's better to 'wash the day away' and relax before bed. But what does the research actually say? As a microbiologist, I can tell you there actually is a clear answer to this question. BENEFITS OF SHOWERING First off, it's important to stress that showering is an integral part of any good hygiene routine – regardless of when you prefer to have one. Showering helps us remove dirt and oil from our skin, which can help prevent skin rashes and infections. Showering also removes sweat, which can quell body odour. Although many of us think that body odour is caused by sweat, it's actually produced by bacteria that live on the surface of our skin. Fresh sweat is, in fact, odourless. But skin-dwelling bacteria – specifically staphylococci – use sweat as a direct nutrient source. When they break down the sweat, it releases a sulphur-containing compound called thioalcohols which is behind that pungent BO stench many of us are familiar with. DAY OR NIGHT? During the day, your body and hair inevitably collect pollutants and allergens (such as dust and pollen) alongside their usual accumulation of sweat and sebaceous oil. While some of these particles will be retained by your clothes, others will inevitably be transferred to your sheets and pillow cases. The sweat and oil from your skin will also support the growth of the bacteria that comprise your skin microbiome. These bacteria may then also be transferred from your body onto your sheets. Showering at night may remove some of the allergens, sweat and oil picked up during the day so less ends up on your bed sheets. However, even if you've freshly showered before bed, you will still sweat during the night – whatever the temperature is. Your skin microbes will then eat the nutrients in that sweat. This means that by the morning, you'll have both deposited microbes onto your bed sheets, and you'll probably also wake up with some BO. A night shower can help rinse away the day's dirt and grime, but you might not smell as fresh the next morning. What particularly negates the cleaning benefits of a night shower is if your bedding is not regularly laundered. The odour-causing microbes present in your bed sheets may be transferred while you sleep onto your clean body. Showering at night also does not stop your skin cells being shed. This means they can potentially become the food source of house dust mites, whose waste can be allergenic. If you don't regularly wash your sheets, this could lead to a build-up of dead skin cell deposits which will feed more dust mites. The droppings from these dust mites can trigger allergies and exacerbate asthma. Morning showers, on the other hand, can help remove dead skin cells as well as any sweat or bacteria you've picked up from your bed sheets during the night. This is especially important to do if your sheets weren't freshly washed when you went to bed. A morning shower suggests your body will be cleaner of night-acquired skin microbes when putting on fresh clothes. You'll also start the day with less sweat for odour-producing bacteria to feed on – which will probably help you smell fresher for longer during the day compared to someone who showered at night. As a microbiologist, I am a day shower advocate. IMPORTANCE OF WASHING YOUR SHEETS Of course, everyone has their own shower preference. Whatever time you choose, remember that the effectiveness of your shower is influenced by many aspects of your personal hygiene regime – such as how frequently you wash your bed sheets. So regardless of whether you prefer a morning or evening shower, it's important to clean your bed linen regularly. You should launder your sheets and pillowcases at least weekly to remove all the sweat, bacteria, dead skin cells and sebaceous oils that have built up on your sheets. Washing will also remove any fungal spores that might be growing on the bed linen – alongside the nutrient sources these odour-producing microbes use to grow.
