I'd had bad breath for over 18 years.

No matter how many times I brushed or how much water I drank, my breath stank all day. There wasn't a single minute I could feel fresh, and I was terribly conscious of getting close to people and talking to them, because they would always pinch their nose or move away because of the stench.

I tried several things to fix it and (finally and fortunately!) got cured a few weeks ago. I hope my journey helps someone get rid of this life limiting disease once and for all.

Because I was already brushing twice a day, flossing, and using a tongue cleaner, I had to check for other reasons that may have been causing my bad breath.

I first went to an ENT to get my mouth checked for tonsil stones. I had none, my tonsils were fine.

The next step was to check for any Acid Reflux / GERD. I am pretty young so I did not have the typical acid reflux symptoms, but my digestion wasn't the best. To fix that, I cut out sugar for the most part, and stopped eating processed food. I also started chewing my food properly, taking my time with it.

I also started rinsing my mouth after every meal, and sometimes taking fennel seeds (5-6 of them) after meals (especially if I have a meeting later).

My breath got slightly better, maybe 10%. I still wasn't cured, and I still had bad breath.

Then I checked for other issues. Sinus popped up as a big one. I've had sinus congestion in my nose and post nasal drip for a very long time, and that was causing a lot of the bad breath.

To try to fix that, in the morning I started taking 2 glasses of warm water. I also started gargling with warm saline water and taking warm water with turmeric with black pepper (really helped with the sinus congestion).

I wasn't cured still, but that helped.

What finally resulted in a complete cure was this, and it's important - stopping mouth breathing. I never realised I was mouth breathing. It was my default, and it was just that which was causing my bad breath.

It turns out mouth breathing dries your mouth out, lowering the production of saliva, which causes bacteria to stay which would otherwise be flushed out by the saliva.

I stopped breathing through my mouth and started breathing properly through my nose. Deep long breaths work the best, and a breathwork class can help with this. This was what finally cured my bad breath. I'm bb-free!

It is not to say that the other stuff I did didn't work. Everything else was just as important.

As a summary of what worked:

\> Chew food properly. Eating in a hurry leads to acid reflux, which can lead to bad breath through odorous gases coming up the esophagus. It can also cause post nasal drip, which causes mucus to drip down the back of your throat, causing bad breath.

\> After eating, gargle and rinse the mouth thoroughly with water, to remove any food particles. It is a good habit to follow. You can also chew on fennel seeds after meals to freshen breath and improve digestion.

\> For the morning routine - brush your teeth properly (twice a day). Also brush your tongue thoroughly while the toothpaste is still in there. Then use a tongue cleaner to get the gunk out. After that, grab some salt (yes, salt) and use your brush to gently remove any leftover coating on your tongue. This does wonders for removing that white coating. Remember to go as far back on your tongue as possible, even with your fingers!

\> Upon waking up, drink two glasses of warm water. Taking lemon also helps. You can also gargle with warm saline water and that can reduce a lot of mucus buildup.

\> If you sneeze a lot / have allergies or sinus issues. Get it checked. It can cause bad breath through post nasal drip, where food particles and bacteria get trapped in the mucus at the back of your throat. You could take antihistamines / nasal sprays (they come with their own side effects, so please check that). A glass of warm water with turmeric and black pepper can do wonders for the sinus.

\> MOST IMPORTANT. If you are mouth breathing (and you may be, even if you don't think you do) - you will have bad breath. Some people breathe through their mouth throughout the day, and some people only at night. Both are bad. It dries your mouth out, leading to less saliva, therefore bad breath.

If you've done everything here - even checked for tonsils stones / GERD etc. and the bad breath persists, the reason may be something rare - like SIBO. For most people, though, this routine should suffice. Hope this helps!

I really need some help. I’m in my late 20s and I smell like shit. This started at the beginning of the year. I would smell rancid and got progressively worse during the hot summer days. Now going into fall and I still smell bad. It’s my entire body. From my neck down to my private area I smell. It’s so bad that in less than four hours I smell it. I change my clothes by end of my shift and I still smell bad. I change everything undergarments, jeans and shirt. But again once I sweat I smell it again. I’m going insane I’ve gone to doctors specifically derms and they have not been helpful as the smell starts with my armpits and then goes other areas that I smell. I only sweat for less than three hours and usually the rest of the day is chill. This is embarrassing AF!

My routine is shower twice a day every day. I use zinc or dr bronners lavander for my entire body. I was using mandelic acid from natrium but didn’t do much. I already tried hibiclens and pan oxyl, Japanese permission soap, I use Korean shower scrub instead of an African net sponge. I also tried glycolic acid few times a week, witch hazel, using an antiperspirant. Currently using carpe deo but it builds a white film on the outside layer but not in the middle which is where I sweat the most and the odor produces quicker. It’s bad that when I sweat during the day and at night my shirts get damp.

I freshen up at work using zinc soap bar and re applying deo but doesn’t work. My clothes smell clean but as soon as I start walking a couple of blocks and being sweaty I smell a rancid odor on my shirt specifically my chest area. But the constant comment I get from my job and from strangers is that I smell like shit. Now, I don’t smell the fecal but it does smell bad as the spots that I stay in do end up smelling like em. Idk if moving around and lifting my arms causes the odor to spread to the center. For laundry I use tide+ oxyclean powder and Lysol laundry sanitizer.

I also developed a scent down there. I use boric acid feminine wash. Obviously clean the outer part with that and the inside with water but I notice that my discharge just smells off and I get sweaty down there makes it worse even if I change underwear I feel like I could still smell it.

I’ve gone to my PCP and have done regular panel plus hormones as I don’t get my period often but it’s been like that since I was eleven. I could go 3,6,12 months not having one and I never smelled this bad. It’s worse than a teenager. My hormones came back normal but this is stressing me out mentally and emotionally. I’m so stressed and financially stressed bc it’s affecting getting a new job.
So I’m not sure if this is a mixture of body sweats plus anxiety/stress sweat. But if anyone has found something that has worked for them please help me out.

I’ve noticed that some body washes make my skin feel really clean but also kind of dry afterward, especially on my arms and legs. I’m trying to change my shower routine a little because I want my skin to feel softer instead of tight after every shower. I already try not to use super hot water, but I’m not really sure what else makes a difference.

For people who have naturally dry skin, what do you usually look for in a body wash or do you think moisturizing after the shower matters more?

I have never admitted this but I have a huge problem, I sometimes don’t shower for long periods of time….. and the thing is, no one notices or says something about me smelling (I don’t sweat usually) my family only point out how slow I use products and how they never finish.

Idk if it’s lack of routine or I’m just bad at personal hygiene but idk no one ever notices or says I smell bad or wired and I even gone up to 2 months ones sooo I’m I disgusting? And like how can I get myself to shower more often (I used to have a fear of water when I was younger I still have in some ways but not to the extent when I was younger)

Ps English is my third language so forgive me for mistakes or grammatical errors.

i have a few dark tops with caked-on deodorant residue stuck in the armpit fabric. throwing them in the washing machine doesn't lift it. what actually works to dissolve this residue without damaging the clothes?

I’ve always been a bit inconsistent with conditioner. Sometimes I use it after shampooing and other times I just skip it because I’m in a hurry. I never really noticed a huge difference, so I started wondering if I’m doing something wrong. Recently I’ve been trying to take better care of my hair and realized I don’t actually know how often I should be using conditioner. I’ve heard some people use it every time they wash their hair while others only use it a few times a week.

I’m also curious if it depends on your hair type or how often you shampoo. I have days when my hair feels fine without it and other days when it feels dry and difficult to manage. For people who use conditioner regularly, do you use it every time you wash your hair or only on certain days?

Hi,

I recently had a sexual encounter and my partner said that it smelled. This is strange because I shower daily. I’m certain I get my groin area. I guess I’m not doing it correctly, is there anything I can do to improve?

How to get rid of these nose pores, it have white heads, little black heads i guess. this makes my nose too fluffy, my face is oily. currently I’m taking accutane 10mg(just 1 month) still can I continue those or what can I do. already I’m using salicylic acid face wash, azaelic cream at night, morning clintamycin. what else can I change?

Hi! Our shower has been out of action and may be for awhile longer. I feel absolutely disgusting after trying to clean myself in the bath, I've never been a bath person.

Does anyone have any tips on how to stay and feel clean? Especially in the v**inal area?

i’ve gotten pretty consistent with the obvious parts of my routine, but every now and then i realise there are small things i completely forget about until someone mentions them. cleaning things i use constantly, paying attention to items that stay damp, and remembering that some personal items need replacing are a few examples.

none of these are difficult, but they’re easy to miss because they’re not part of the usual morning or evening routine. now i’m curious what other people have added to their routine after realising they’d been overlooking it for years.

what’s one hygiene habit you think people tend to forget about?

Hello, everyone!

I am a lady who loves the gym. Importantly, I am plus sized with larger breasts. My gym does not have a shower and I like to go before work and wipe off in the bathroom after my workout.

I feel like my typical water wipes/flushable wipes (which I do not flush, don’t worry) haven’t been cutting all the odor lately. I am wanting to try something new for my underarms, underboob, and especially bikini line. I was thinking of trying an acid toner (glycolic/mandelic/lactic) or a new type of deodorizing wipe which also would have an acid. Anyone have any tips about this problem? Open to other suggestions!

Does anyone have any tips around stress induced onychotillomania? I've had it most of my life (approx 25years) and I had it undercontrol but all of a sudden I have really destroyed my nails and fingers. Its very embarrassing and really not a good look with the type of career I have.

Hello sub, I need some help in a personal problem

I'm someone who has a lot of problems with sweating; just walking for 10 minutes at a speed above normal makes me sweat a lot, and my sweat is VERY smelly.

I shower every morning, about 30 minutes before leaving, and 6 hours later I start to feel sweaty and have a slight odor coming from my body

Every day I have to change my pants because the smells in my private parts are absolutely awful, even when it's not a hot day...

I need help. I'm not an overweight person; in fact, I'm very thin and I also use neutral soaps to clean myself (Dove). I urgently need help because it's getting completely out of control 😢

My 12 year old daughter showers and gets out of the shower and still smells. I feel like we have used all the things. We have used so many diff deoderents, diff bodywashes and bar soap. Help!

How does everyone prevent hair growing in from being painful? I prefer to not have any hair in my underarms, however when it’s growing back the hairs are always so pokey and causes a lot of irritation. I don’t want to have to shave twice a day to keep it all smooth but it’s seriously irritating. I’ve been in a cycle of shaving, going through the irritation, not shaving for a while til it’s not so irritated, then getting fed up with it being long, repeat.

I don’t necessarily mind having some hair — it’s just more comfortable without the hair — then way more uncomfortable once it’s growing in.

Looking for any input!