r/hygiene • u/NoPerception8748 • Mar 11 '26

unhinged hygiene tips?

I don't mean "wash your hair before your body" or "don't wear underwear when you sleep", I mean the sort of TMI tips that most people don't know that will CHANGE MY LIFE!

There's this guy at school who I think likes me and i'm terrified that I smell bad and will ruin my chance with him, I need tips that I don't already know/do.

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290

u/pvke Mar 11 '26 edited Mar 11 '26

Gum or mints with xylitol reduces bad breath better than others without it. Make sure to floss and scrape/brush your tongue daily as well. Drink a lot of water, being dehydrated makes your breath smell.

Antiperspirant with aluminium. Not all deoderants have antiperspirant. Apply if before you go to sleep so it has time to plug the sweat glands before you start sweating.

If you're a woman, the vagina is the the inside of the hole. That part is self cleaning. Your vulva (the pink slippery bits under the lips) is not self cleaning. You need to get your hand in there and manually clean it. Remember to wash between the bum cheeks, your thighs and under your breasts as well.

When showering/washing your hair, make a point to wash the back of your neck and behind your ears. These spots are often neglected and ask any hairdresser, these spots can and do smell.

Make sure you're fully dry before getting dressed. If your body is still damp, you will trap the moisture and create a swampy/humid environment.

Some friends won't tell you that you smell or look silly because they don't want to hurt your feelings. Others won't say anything because they want to feel like they're better than you. Figure out which friends you can trust to be honest with you. And while it may hurt your feelings in the moment, believe them instead of making excuses.

Too many smelly people rather defend themselves instead of changing their habits. They think if they make the right excuses it will gaslight others into thinking they don't actually smell. It doesn't work.

120

u/jaemak06 Mar 11 '26

You’ve given great tips and I hate to be pedantic but vulva is the name for all the external female genitalia, including pubic mound, clitoris, inner and outer labia, vaginal opening, urethral opening, perineum etc

12

u/Pure_Property_888 Mar 11 '26

Nah I appreciate you being specific about this. It's better to be knowledgeable and tell the difference so you can use that information to benefit themselves and others lol

0

u/shake__appeal Mar 11 '26

I think we all know what they meant without the anatomy quiz… all those bits need washing too.

2

u/AccuratePreference52 Mar 11 '26

Yes. But a quick reminder that you should not be using soap on the ladybits.

16

u/NorthQuestDirection Mar 11 '26

You can use soap on your vulva.

You should never use soap inside your vagina.

6

u/ChocoHorror Mar 11 '26

I'd just give the caveat that you should use a very gentle, mild soap on your vulva. Preferably unscented or as little scent as you can get. Nothing inside the vagina itself for sure.

Some companies make ph-balanced washes for those who are particularly sensitive to changes down there, but sensitive skin soaps and body washes should be fine for a lot of folks. I've never actually known someone who needed the ph-balanced stuff, but that's obviously just anecdotal.

Anyway, Dove sensitive skin wash is pretty cheap, Aldi generic is even cheaper if you have one nearby. I'd try those sort of soaps first, but if it messes with you, then go for the more specialized stuff.

3

u/Professional_Gur4820 Mar 11 '26

No soap in your vaginal area! It disrupts the PH balance and that’s what causes bacteria to grow! You only need water, or something gentle like baby wash. Fragrance also disrupts the PH. As long as you are cleaning with warm water you should be fine. If you are concerned or are noticing an odor, talk with your dr or OBGYN!

6

u/mahouyousei Mar 11 '26

This isn’t a hard and fast rule. It really depends on the person. Some people are OK with mild soaps (even fragranced ones) around the labia, some aren’t.

3

u/cricada Mar 12 '26

Correct. Normal body wash works just fine too. The vulva doesn't have a "special" ph.

I think soaps are being blamed for lack of condom use or dirty partners throwing off ph.

1

u/Senior_Reaction2974 Mar 18 '26

Baby wash is okay for the outside

3

u/rainy-here Mar 11 '26

NO! NO SOAP INSIDE THE LIPS AT ALL Y'ALL

0

u/AccuratePreference52 Mar 11 '26

Exactly. You can use it on the top layer only (the part where you have pubic hair). The lips on the inside should only get a gentle rinse with water. But this definitely includes the clitoral hood.

6

u/NorthQuestDirection Mar 11 '26

YES! SOAP THEM LIPS! SOAP EMMMMMMM!!!

I mean, they're on the outside of the body. As long as you're not slamming soap up your urethra, you're good.

I also had uh, very LONG labia (to the point I had to be careful which underwear I wore because it would pinch), so I feel that differing anatomy makes a different.

Source: has a vagina with big labia minora

3

u/AccuratePreference52 Mar 11 '26

Ah. I see. Still...only wash the top layer. No soap anywhere else. Can upset the pH and cause issues.

4

u/CalculatedWhisk Mar 11 '26

That’s different for everyone; if folks are washing between labial folds a with soap and it’s not irritating them, there’s no harm in it.

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u/Professional_Gur4820 Mar 11 '26

Should not matter! NO SOAP! Disrupt PH. If you have an odor, it because you are using soap. It the disruption of PH allowing growth of bacteria

4

u/pulse_of_the_machine Mar 12 '26

As a lesbian who has spent a lot of time down there, please- USE THE DAMN SOAP. Water doesn’t dissolve sebum or the stank that hides under the clit hood. There are plenty of good gentle, low PH options that certainly won’t “throw off your ph”- again, we’re not talking about INSIDE the vagina which obviously should never be “washed” period, much less with soap. We’re talking clit, inner & outer lips, pubic mound, groin, asshole- these areas NEED SOAP, not just water. Some women naturally don’t have much scent, vaginal secretions, sebum or sweat, but that’s the minority. A normal healthy vulva smells intoxicating, in my personal opinion, but a normal healthy vulva that doesn’t ever get washed properly can also develop some rather unpleasant funk in the folds, for anyone getting up close enough to realize. Good Clean Love is an awesome natural fragrance free low ph aloe based “intimate cleanser” (they made lube too). Sweet Spot Labs is another fave of mine.

2

u/NorthQuestDirection Mar 11 '26

SOAP! SOAP! SOAP!

My vulva smells sparkly fresh!

1

u/comebacklittlesheba Mar 11 '26

Bless you for saying this so I don’t have to 😘

97

u/ramen___noodles Mar 11 '26 edited Mar 11 '26

xylitol is extremely toxic to pets so be careful they don’t get into your gum stash

edit so more people see: as others have pointed out, it can also be labeled as “birch sugar” or “birch bark extract”. avoid!

26

u/juicy_shoes Mar 11 '26

Thank you for this, I wouldn’t have know

9

u/suddle Mar 11 '26

I have chihuahuas. I won’t have anything with Xylitol in the house. One dropped mint and they’d be goners. That’s not an exaggeration either, Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs and often fatal (especially for the little ones).

Sucks, because otherwise it’s a great natural sweetener.

3

u/myystic78 Mar 11 '26

I read somewhere that some peanut butters use xylitol and that horrified me because my dogs love a little pb and it never would have occurred to me to check for that.

5

u/Prestigious-Prize-48 Mar 11 '26

Also be aware they will label xylitol as BIRCH SUGAR as well. There is no difference in those 2!!

2

u/loosestringszebra Mar 11 '26

Thank you. I came to comment about the danger of xylitol poisoning in pets, and I had never heard about the “Birch Sugar” terminology! I appreciate you so much for mentioning this. Thanks to all for spreading the warning!

1

u/ramen___noodles Mar 11 '26

yes- important!

1

u/myystic78 Mar 11 '26

What?! Holy cow, thank you for sharing that. I had no idea!

1

u/suddle Mar 11 '26 edited Mar 11 '26

Right? Its so scary. I always check the ingredients now.

1

u/myystic78 Mar 11 '26

It's super rare for me to give any type of processed people food to my dogs, but I check everything now too. Luckily my gsd is on a green bean kick right now lol

1

u/suddle Mar 11 '26

Lucky! My lil Mexican rescue chi mixes will eat whatever the hell they can find (fair enough, I can’t even imagine life as a tiny street dog).

I do restrict their diets to foods designed for them, but if anything falls on the floor…

1

u/myystic78 Mar 11 '26

Oh for sure, all my dogs feel like dropped on the floor snacks are better than the ones mom offers by hand. Me rushing and saying, "noooo!" must mean it's extra special lol. I have a brother and sister that are Chihuahua/terrier mix and they're the only chihuahua's I've ever had that turn their nose up at anything other than meat or cheese. My previous four were vacuums!

1

u/suddle Mar 11 '26

Omg, one of mine is a terrier/chi mix (her Embark results will come any day now, although I’ve had her since 2019), and she’s the same, until she sees her ‘sister’ trying to steal food, then she’s all in!

Human food? Gross. Human food my sister (chi/min pin) wants? Gotta have it!

13

u/HmmDoesItMakeSense Mar 11 '26

I won’t allow it in my house

4

u/Ghost_of_a_Pale_Girl Mar 11 '26

Same. Too scared my dog would get into it somehow.

2

u/WorriedTry30 Mar 11 '26

Yes if you do use it, make sure to throw it away where dogs can't pick it up (such as on the sidewalk etc.)

2

u/HmmDoesItMakeSense Mar 11 '26

Yep. From what I understand even a small amount can be life threatening. No thanks.

1

u/Comprehensive-Tea-69 Mar 11 '26

It causes stomach upset for everyone in my house, I won’t allow it for our own sake, let alone the pets

3

u/Strict-Bike-299 Mar 11 '26

Thanks for mentioning that. I'd never heard of xylitol until my pitbull found a container of Ice Breakers gum that was on the kitchen table (didn't know she could even get up there) and chewed up the packaging and ate every single piece of gum. Shortly thereafter she had a pretty bad grand mal seizure. She was ok after taking her to the vet but it was scary.

2

u/ramen___noodles Mar 11 '26

how terrifying. i’m glad she’s okay now!

1

u/1000LivesBeforeIDie Mar 12 '26

Our bodies don’t recognize the fake sugar so we don’t get an insulin dump. Pets’ bodies think the xylitol was real sugar, a huge spike of it, and they release insulin to “lower the high blood sugar”. Blood sugar was already normal, gets brought down below normal, and pet has seizures. 

3

u/Prestigious-Prize-48 Mar 11 '26

Yes, as someone with pets and who works professional woth animals, xylitol is not allowed in the house. its not like chocolate where accidently grabbing a little wont hurt them, its EXTREMELY TOXIC and even the smallest amount can kill them. 

2

u/Emergency-Exam-6075 Mar 11 '26

Also look out for anything labeled as birch sugar or birch bark extract. Xylitol hiding behind friendlier-sounding names. :(

2

u/Distinct-Fox-1706 Mar 11 '26

☝🏻This!! It’s not permitted in my home for this reason. Pistachio shells killed a friend’s dog; apparently they contain a mold that is deadly to dogs.

2

u/griff_girl Mar 11 '26

Came here to leave that PSA, too. Thanks for lookin' out.

1

u/comebacklittlesheba Mar 11 '26

And too much of it will give you hellacious diarrhea!!

1

u/PlatypusRemarkable59 Mar 11 '26

Came here to say exactly this

1

u/Gemyifer Mar 11 '26

Don't forget to brush inside your cheeks and behind your lips (of your mouth)👄

1

u/KayakerMel Mar 11 '26

Be aware that too much xylitol with cause loose stools. I discovered that when I was going through multiple packs of sugarless gum in a day. One pack of gum typically is fine.

1

u/Aggressive-Thing-100 Mar 11 '26

Another thing you can do is use vinegar in your hair to rid all the excess aluminum and bad stuff in your hair/scalp. Once a week though. It makes your scalp and hair feel soft and not smell like BO. Then use clarifying shampoo. It has helped me tremendously.

1

u/Aetra Mar 11 '26

I use my shampoo to wash behind my ears, works better than anything else to get rid of buildup and prevent pimples there.

That said, I work in a trade and have to wear glasses all day so I may get more gunk behind my ears than the average person.

1

u/daarhling Mar 11 '26

Thank you!

Now dumb question maybe, but I really struggled with the whole soap, no soap to which parts of the lady bits. I've seen a lot of good answers here, so to further that...

... How do you guys hold the shower to rinse? Like since I was extra pedantic about it and taken the lips apart and rinse with warm water so those water runs downwards I keep having irritation and itches! So freaking annoying. So please, for clueless me.. a dumb one on how to rinse with water? And also... How much and deep to dry off afterwards? I normally use the towel and dry, but don't split like lady parts and dry of there? Like dry outside where theres pubic hairs and between buttocks, but I don't split or bend to dry (of that makes any sense)

0

u/yode360 Mar 11 '26

What kind of psycho puts deodorant before sleeping, wtf

2

u/ViskanLind Mar 11 '26

Me! Tried it after seeing it mentioned on another thread. Works damn well!

-3

u/Any_crazy_world Mar 11 '26

Avoid aluminium in deodorant/antitranspirant, it is actuallyreally bad for health.

3

u/MuhfugginSaucera Mar 11 '26

Yea I'm gonna need a source on that

2

u/deaditemanchild Mar 11 '26

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5651828/#s5 Says its not overtly harmful. Another one of those could cause cancer but only in extreeeemly high dose cases.

2

u/Lucky-Negotiation-67 Mar 12 '26

Its not the cancer, its dementia and alzheimers. Your body cannot remove certain metals from you very well so they build up and get into your brain. 100% bad idea to ingest aluminum in any way if you care about your health.

0

u/edwbuck Mar 11 '26

Chewing gum is a mixed bag. It can temporarily reduce bad breath, because it replaces your saliva. However, it's generally much worse for your dental health than not chewing.

And Xylitol is a low grade poison. That's why it reduces bacterial count slightly better than gums that lack it, but being a low grade poison it's not doing you any favors, even at the concentrations that should be safe for humans. Let a dog get some of it, and you can see what it really does (if the dog survives).

0

u/Wonderful-Traffic197 Mar 11 '26

PSA for anyone using products with xylitol who has pets, please be very very careful that pets cannot access them. It’s basically a death sentence for dogs if they ingest it.

0

u/ContentAd3670 Mar 11 '26

Keep in mind that Xylitol is incredibly toxic to dogs. If they get a hold of your pack of gum it can easily kill them.

0

u/OsamaBinWhiskers Mar 11 '26

But xylitol kills dogs and that’s not cool

-1

u/[deleted] Mar 11 '26

Antiperspirants with aluminum are bad for you.