Back in the Napoleonic era, scented bathing was for the wealthy who could afford to luxuriate in perfumes, scented oils, and rose petals. The rest were lucky if they could wash up at a well with a washcloth. People went for weeks or even months without bathing and, as you can imagine, there was a pretty ripe smell in the air at all times.
Nowadays, 90% of us have indoor plumbing and daily access to a shower or bath. So why are stronger and stronger-smelling products hitting the market all the time? Do we, in these modern times, actually smell worse than our ancestors? To look at the incredible array of scented soaps, body washes, body sprays, perfumes, and feminine hygiene products, you would think so.
Here at Health Scams Exposed we call it “The Body Odor Scam”. Soap and perfume manufacturing companies would have you believe that if you don’t use all the scented products available to you, you’ll smell too offensive to be around.
Excessive bathing is terrible for your health. These scented products contain carcinogenic, mutagenic, and hormone disrupting chemicals that have no place on or even near the human body.
The Real Reason You Stink to High Heaven
Human beings were not designed to stink. Smell strongly at times, yes. Reek, no. However, if you really do have a problem with body odor, you’re not alone and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
Here are the common causes of:
- Bad Breath
If you’ve been told you have less-than-fresh breath, a medication you’re taking could be to blame. Many prescription drugs have dry mouth as a side effect. Without adequate saliva production, bacteria build up in your mouth, causing you to have an offensive odor.
Heavily-processed foods like fast food, microwavable foods, canned foods, and snack chips don’t do any favors for your breath either. Since your body cannot adequately digest them, they ferment in your gut and cause a foul odor to your breath.
It may surprise you to know that, despite lack of dental care, primitive tribes with no exposure to junk food, have better oral health than those living in more modern conditions!
- Armpit Stench
Piling on the antiperspirant to cover up that terrible armpit sweat and smell? You may actually be making things worse. Your underarms are designed to sweat for the purposes of thermoregulation and detoxification. If you prevent your body from being able to do this, this will encourage your body to produce even more odorous sweat, which will increase the amount of times you’ll want to reapply.
It’s a vicious cycle.
Also, what you eat has a strong impact on how smelly your armpits are. Remember, your armpits are designed to sweat, but they aren’t supposed to release a horrible odor. If they do, it’s an indication that there is something in your body that shouldn’t be there; namely the toxic chemicals in junk food.
- “Down-There” Odor
One of the most embarrassing types of body odor is feminine odor. Millions of women deal with this smell by using feminine soaps, wipes, and sprays. This is one of the worst ways to deal with the situation because instead of tackling the problem, you’re only covering it up.
Vaginal odor is often caused by pH imbalance, which develops due to the use of birth control pills, feminine wash products, and scented pads and tampons. Chronic vaginitis and vaginal yeast infections can be the result of excessive antibiotic use, hormone pills, and poor diet.
- Foot Stink
Like your armpits, your feet are another source of detoxification. They’re meant to sweat but they’re not to stink horribly. If they do, this could be a sign that something in your diet is toxic and your body is desperately trying to eliminate it.
Dangerous Chemicals in Mouthwash, Perfume, Soap, and More
All the effort you’re putting in to covering up your bad body and breath odor isn’t just making things worse, it’s doing serious damage to your health. There are thousands of unregulated chemicals in the cosmetics you use everyday. These chemicals have been shown to cause allergic reaction, hormone disruption, and even cancer.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common:
- Triclosan
Triclosan is a synthetic antimicrobial agent that was once used only in hospitals to prevent the spread of serious infection. Nowadays, this chemical is in everything from mouthwash to clothes. Used over a prolonged period of time, Triclosan has been shown to depress your immune system and contribute to the development of autoimmune disease.
- Parabens
Parabens are endocrine disruptors that have been linked to the development of breast cancer. These toxic chemicals are often found in shampoos, lotions, and body washes under names like methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben and isobutylparaben. Studies have also shown that parabens interfere with the mitochondrial function of testes, which may cause male infertility.
- Phthalates
Phthalates are another class of endocrine disruptors that haven been linked to mood disturbances, infertility, and cancer. Clinical research has also suggested that these chemicals may interfere with male reproductive development, making them especially dangerous for pregnant women and new mothers.
- Formaldehyde
A chemical commonly associated with embalming, formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen often found in scented body wash. It also has neurotoxic effects, which can cause behavioral disturbances, muscle twitching, and even seizures.
- PEG Compounds
Polyethylene glycols (PEG compounds) are commonly used as thickeners and moisture carriers in scented lotions. These chemicals have been shown to cause nervous system damage and developmental delays in children.
Excessive Bathing Weakens Your Immune System
Your skin is your first line of defense against pathogenic invaders. If you bathe excessively, you’re stripping away this natural protective barrier, which leaves you more vulnerable to the development of disease. Showering or bathing once every other day is not harmful and may be very beneficial to your health.
Deodorize Your Body from the Inside Out
Treating your excessive body odor from the outside in with perfumes, soaps, etc. may mask the odor temporarily but it harms your health and does nothing to address the underlying cause of the condition.
Instead, try getting to the source of the problem by deodorizing your body from the inside out.
First, slowly wean off the junk food. The more toxins your body has to try to eliminate, the worse you’re going to smell. A clean, whole food diet filled with organic vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes, poultry, and fish gives your body the nourishment it needs instead of just filling your gut.
Second, fight body and breath odor with odor-eliminating foods such as parsley, decaffeinated green tea (caffeine makes you sweat more), celery, and aromatic herbs such as sage, rosemary, thyme, lavender, and mint.
Natural Alternatives to Chemical Scents
You can still smell great without resorting to the use of chemical scents.
- Essential Oils
Essential oils are plant-based oils that can be used with carrier oil such as jojoba oil and a bit of alcohol to make your own perfume. Lavender, jasmine, orange, geranium, rose, and sandalwood are just a few examples of the oils you can use to improve your own natural scent without toxins.
For offensive breath odor, a mouthwash made from tepid water, baking soda, and clove oil can do wonders to clean your mouth of bacteria without immune-damaging Triclosan.
- Castile Soap
Castile soap is a natural oil-based soap scented with essential oils. It can be used as a body wash, shampoo, and shaving cream.
- Coconut Oil
Organic coconut oil can be used in place of your favorite body lotion. Its natural antibacterial and antifungal properties freshen your skin naturally while providing a protective, moisture-rich barrier.
Don’t let slick advertising campaigns force you to waste money on a bunch of chemical-laden body washes, perfumes, and sprays. You don’t need them. When you treat your body odor from the inside out and use natural scents instead of chemicals, you’ll live a healthier, more environmentally-conscious life.
**Recommended Research**
The most embarrassing smell for a woman is that “down-there” odor. You’rt sure everyone else can smell it and it’s the reason your sex life isn’t top notch anymore.
As with every medical condition there are ways to treat it. You can buy a douche kit at the grocery store or one of those creams from your local pharmacy.
Except that I hope you don’t ever buy any of those over-the-counter “medication” to get rid of that fishy smell! They are terrible for your health. Plus they only mask the odor instead of treating the underlying causes.
Going the all-natural way in this instance will not only fix the problem, but help it from ever happening again. If you want more information about all natural cures and treatments that you can make from house-hold ingredients check out this letter.
You’ll thank me later.
Jessica Coffey
Publisher, Health Scams Exposed
Sources:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960076001001741
