That Taboo Topic

Health/Hygiene

That Taboo Topic

No One Talks About

by Coco Diong

Recently, I made a startling discovery after conducting a poll among 100 singles as it relates to the perception of what’s considered “good hygiene” and what’s not.  The following comments ensued after a hot debate on the subject of cleanliness and the unspoken problem of body odor and how to communicate it when someone needs to know.

 Kelly:  “I have a male friend who dresses in expensive attire and has a very unclean body odor.  His clothes smell bad and his hair has a very bad stench.  And to top it off, he drenches himself in cologne.  How would you even go about telling a person that they smell bad?  I doubt that he showers on a daily basis. “

Marty:  “Body odor is a taboo subject no one talks about, but it’s a serious issue.  My good friend is one of those who is very pretty but has an unpleasant body odor.  Our co-workers talk about her behind her back, but no one has the courage to tell her.  She has never had a first date turn into a second one since I’ve known her.”

Hank:  “Lately, I’ve met a number of women who don’t have a fresh clean body scent.  More needs to be done on the subject.  I think they are a huge number of people who don’t bathe every day.”

Jaclyn:  “I was dating a man who splashed on cologne to hide a strong body odor and it made me nauseous.  I didn’t tell him because I was afraid of hurting his feelings.  So, I avoided him and hoped he would get the hint.  But I feel like a coward.  How can you tell a grown man that he needs to bathe?”

Gloria:  “I think those who put on clean clothes over a body that has not been bathed have no idea how offensive they are to the people who stand next to them.”

John:  “I used to work with a woman who had a body odor that could take over a room.  Everyone laughed behind her back and avoided her cubicle.  I felt sorry for her because I didn’t think she knew (On the outside, she was spotless) so I decided to tell her.  To my surprise, she became angry, cursed me, and stopped speaking to me.  Plus, it didn’t do any good.  She kept the smell, and I kept my mouth shut forever.”

THE POLL

• 75% (overall) admitted to a daily shower especially in the summer, sometimes twice based on activity.
• 25% only showered two to three times a week.
• 98% would never tell someone else they had a body odor.
• 57% would not want to be told if they had a body odor.
• 45% of the men did not use cologne daily.
• 90% of the women wore perfume daily. 10% carried perfume in their purse for touch-ups.
• 35% (overall) admitted to not changing their underwear daily.
• 92% (overall) wore deodorant daily.
• 30% of the men didn’t change shirts or slacks every day but stated they changed underwear.

The Hug Test – I also found that out of the ten people I hugged each day for a week, 3 to 4 had a fragrant body scent of soap, cologne, or perfume.  2 to 3 had no detectable scent, and the rest had a non-fresh scent.  Overall, the men wearing cologne were more “blatantly scented” than their female counterparts.  How about you?  Could you pass a random hug test today and come out smelling like a rose blossom?    What do you think?   Should one shower and change their underwear daily to have a fresh clean scent?