Child Body Odor - Causes and Cures

Does your child have a wet sock or locker room body smell? Normally kids need to begin using a deodorant when they are going through puberty, between the ages of 8 and 13 for girls, and ages 9 and 14 for boys. However some children have a noticeable body odor before puberty. There are some children, even as infants that produce more sweat than usual, a condition called hyperhydrosis. They are otherwise healthy except for excessive sweating.
Before you run out a purchase all kinds of deodorants and perfumes for your child, let's first look at what causes body odor and then what can be done to combat it.
Sweat and Body Odor
Contrary to popular belief, perspiration or sweat has no smell. That's right, sweat does not stink. The human body produces two kinds of sweat: eccrine, a clear, odorless sweat that appears all over our bodies, performing the vital role of regulating body temperature, and apocrine, a thicker substance that is produced by glands in the underarm, scalp, and groin areas. Sweat also provides natural method of removing toxins from the body.
Body odor occurs when sweat is exposed to bacteria on the skin. It is the mixture of sweat and bacteria which cause the bad smell. This occurs in places where sweat cannot evaporate easily for example the armpit or genital area.
Body Odor Prevention
The key to eliminating most body odors is to inhibit the body's production of apocrine sweat and descreasing the number of bacteria on the surface of the skin.

• Use an antibacterial deodorant soap: Wash daily with an antibacterial soap such as Dial or Safeguard.
• Use an acne cleanser: If antibacterial soaps don't work try using an acne cleanser that contains benzoyl peroxide. It has strong antibacterial properties. Be careful, excessive use can cause drying and irritation. You can also try Neosporin or an antibacterial ointment.
• Rubbing alcohol: Try rubbing alcohol, witch hazel or hydrogen peroxide for extra protection. These products help reduce the number of odor-causing bacteria.
• Try a homemade deodorant: Mix equal parts of witch hazel, Aloe Vera and mineral water. You can also ad 1 teaspoon of glycerin along with good smelling oil. Mix it in a spray bottle and enjoy!
• Antiperspirants: Antiperspirants are aluminum-based chemicals that block the pores of the apocrine glands and stop you from sweating. Antiperspirants may cause irritation or even contact dermatitis - red, swollen, itchy skin, especially in young children. If you use an antiperspirant, try one that is perfume-free.
• Deodorants: Deodorants eliminate or mask the smell of sweat by neutralizing bacteria. Deodorants do not prevent sweating, therefore, deodorants maybe reapplied during the day to prevent bacteria and bad odor from developing. Deodorants and remedies such as rubbing alcohol, antibacterial cleansers, or homemade deodorants may be less irritating to young skin than antiperspirants.
• Bathe daily: Regular bathing helps reduce the number of bacteria on your skin.
• Dry your feet thoroughly after bathing: Bacteria thrives in damp places such as between the toes. Use powders such as cornstarch, baking soda, or foot powders soda to help absorb moisture.
• Wear shoes and socks made of natural materials: Shoes made of natural materials, such as leather or a mesh material can help prevent sweaty feet by allowing your feet to breathe.
• Change socks often: Change socks once or twice a day, drying your feet
• Wear loose clothing: Wear loose and natural fabrics, such as cotton, wool and silk, which allow your skin to breathe.
• Odor fighting laundry detergents: Wash your clothes with an odor-fighting detergent. If necessary, change clothes or underwear during the day.
• Eat a well balanced diet: If there are a lot of toxins in the body, they can produce a bad odor. If you eat a balanced diet, and eliminate waste efficiently, none of your excretions, including urine and feces, should have a bad odor.

Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis)For most people sweating is little else than an annoyance. Others just produce more sweat than others for no apparent reason. Whatever the reason, there are some factors may make children sweat heavily. These include:

• Heredity: Some people have a genetic predisposition to sweat excessively.
• Certain foods and beverages: Hot beverages and spicy foods
• Certain types of medicines
• Diabetes: A fruity smell may be a sign of diabetes.
• Liver or kidney disease: An ammonia smell may be a sign of kidney or liver disease.
• Fever: A fever can occur with many types of bacterial and viral infections. Sweating profusely is the body's way of eliminating excess heat.
• Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
• Certain types of cancer: Leukemia and lymphoma can produce unusual sweating patterns.
• Metabolic Disorders: Some metabolic disorders such as Phenylketonuria (PKU) can body odor.

While in most children, body odor and sweating is not related to any medical
condition, if your child has an unpleasant odor, it should be evaluated by a physician.

By Kaaryn Walker

How to Get Rid of Body Odor: The Natural Way

Do you know other ways on how to get rid of body odor other than wearing your underarm deodorant? Some people thought that these chemically produced deodorants are the only cure for body odor. However, what they don't know is that there are natural body odor remedies that are affordable and very effective. You just need to follow these 3 core steps to get rid of body odor: shower, pat dry, and apply any of the following below:
1. Let Apple Cider Vinegar do the magic. Once applied on your armpit, it will prevent bacteria from thriving because it can change the pH of your skin.
2. You can also apply any Green Tea Extract from local health stores.
3. Another antiseptic that you can use is Witch Hazel.
4. Tea Tree Oil is another antimicrobial that you can apply to prevent body odor.
5. As an alternative to deodorant, you can grate a turnip in cheese cloth. Squeeze the juice extract and massage 1 tsp of it on each underarm.
Take note that the natural remedies mentioned above may not prevent you from sweating, but they will kill bacteria that cause the foul smell.
Your body scent is a reflection of what you eat. Vegetarians can easily tell if a person is a huge fan of meat or not. If you are suffering from a body odor, take note of what you are eating. Make sure to lessen the consumption of meat and dairy products. Instead, you need to eat more green leafy vegetables. Heavy meat eaters normally suffer from body odor. Your new healthy diet may not stop you from perspiring, but the smell may not be as bad as before.
There are some people who are taking zinc (30 mg daily) supplement to get rid of their BO. Some reported that they notice the improvement within 2 weeks. However, before taking this supplement make sure to consult your doctor first. High doses of zinc may upset your stomach. Also, a prolonged intake of high doses of zinc may increase the risk for prostate cancer.
You can also drink an ounce of fresh wheat grass juice every morning. However, make sure to take it in an empty stomach, and drink it down with water. The chlorophyll in this plant can reduce or even eliminate the body odor.
If stress or tension can cause you to perspire leading to a bad BO, then you can consider taking Sage Tea. Use 1 ½ teaspoons of dried sage or 2 sage tea bags in 1 cup of just boiled water. Allow it to steep for at least 10 minutes. Sip the tea in small doses all throughout the day. This tea will help you relax and prevent sweating.
Now that you are aware on how to get rid of body odor naturally, you'll not solely rely on underarm deodorant anymore.
By John K Char

Drinking coffee can cause bad breath

The caffeine in coffee can dry out your mouth by slowing saliva production, which can lead to bad breath. A lack of saliva causes bad breath for a couple of reasons.

One is that saliva helps kill bacteria found in your mouth, and the other is that saliva helps you digest food particles caught in your teeth and other areas of your mouth.

If there is no longer enough saliva in your mouth because of caffeine, then the bacteria that cause bad breath will grow out of control.

Similarly, if your mouth isn't producing enough saliva to digest the food particles caught in your teeth, bacteria will begin to break down those food particles, giving off bad odors in the process. Coffee is worse than usual in this regard because of its sulfurous content, which certain bad breath-causing bacteria can break down to produce odor.