We all have body odor; That is inevitable. Why is one person's body odor different or stronger than another's? It's a complicated topic, but here's a crash course in everything you wanted to know (and some things you never wanted to learn) about body odor.

What is body odor?

Body odor is caused by bacteria that naturally live on the surface of the skin. Your sweat is composed of different acids and chemicals. When sweat touches the skin, bacteria will work hard to decompose acids in sweat.

According to scientific explanations, you have two types of sweat glands, eccrine and apocrine. Eccrine glands are located throughout the body and they tend to secrete a lot of sweat like water. Most bacteria on your skin bypass these glands.

Meanwhile, Apocrine glands are glands located in areas such as the armpits and groin. They are pretty useless at cooling the body but also release proteins and lipids called thioalcohols that create a delicious buffet for bacteria. When chemicals decompose, they create an unpleasant odor similar to the smell of welding/garlic or meat.

In 2009, a study conducted at the National Human Genome Research Institute in Maryland discovered that there are approximately 1,000 unique species of bacteria living on our skin. Another study at the University of York in the UK in 2015 found that the worst culprit is a bacteria called Staphylococcus hominis. S. hominis, although harmless, is voracious and produces a lot of thioalcohols which are responsible for body odor.

Is body odor different for each person?

Simply put, yes. But why? If these bacteria live on everyone's skin, why does one person's body odor smell different (sometimes very different) than another? There are actually a number of reasons as follows:

Diet

You may not like what you eat, but you can definitely smell it. Take red meat, for example. It's difficult for our bodies to digest, which is why residue can be left behind. These residues are released with sweat. When hungry bacteria appear and break down the protein layer that covers the odor, the odor will escape.

Oh, and if you eat your steak with a few beers, you'll only make matters worse. Alcohol is converted into acetic acid, which is also released through the pores in sweat. So you'll probably stink from that indigestible steak and that beer you drank the night before. Sounds great, right?

Other dietary foods that can make sweat smell worse include cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage and spices like garlic, onions and curry, all of which contain Sulfur can therefore cause your sweat to smell unpleasant. Some people have a genetic problem called trimethylaminuria - an inability to properly digest and metabolize fish. As a result, their sweat may have a fishy odor.

Take a shower and get dressed

This one should be obvious, but showering daily will help keep body odor to a minimum by washing away sweat and eliminating bacteria's food source. For added protection, you can use antibacterial soap to kill bacteria (or at least stop them from multiplying too quickly).

Clothing also has a big effect. Breathable fabrics like cotton are not only less likely to make you overheat and sweat, but they also retain fewer chemicals that cause body odor. Meanwhile, polyester not only causes more sweating but also retains odorous chemicals, which can sometimes stick around even after washing.

Body hair

Whether or not body hair actually makes body odor worse has never been conclusively proven. However, we know that body hair is a good insulator, so hairy areas may sweat more. Armpit hair can cause warmer temperatures, which means you'll sweat more easily and create favorable conditions for bacteria to grow. Shaving your armpits will reduce warm, moist areas where bacteria can grow. Sweat molecules will also be less sticky and more easily washed away when bathing.

“Normal” anxiety and sweating

Do you remember the two types of sweat glands? Well, the difference explains why some types of sweat seem worse than others. The sweat you sweat during a hard workout is not the same (nor does it smell the same) as the nervous sweat you experience right before a big event. Exercise and warm temperatures tend to make you sweat all over, although in some places you tend to sweat more than others. Eccrine glands are found throughout the body and there is usually no pungent odor associated with them, as sweat is mainly made up of water.

On the other hand, sweating due to anxiety tends to occur in places with many apocrine glands, such as the armpits and groin. Unfortunately, these are the glands that secrete odorous compounds that bacteria love to break down into thioalcohols, giving your body odor a boost.

Conclude

So what can you learn from all this? Well, first, you'll sweat. It's just a necessity. Second, a little sweat will smell. But if you limit unhealthy foods, wear loose-fitting natural fabrics, and shower regularly (and maybe consider shaving your armpits), you can significantly reduce the odor you give off when you sweat. . The people around you will thank you for it. In addition, to ensure your body always smells fresh, you can refer to Breeze's body deodorant products . These products will create an acidic environment to limit the growth of bacteria. At the same time, Breeze's unique perfume will always help you feel confident.