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Staying fresh
Etiquette
By Nedra Wickremesinghe
The human race is often at odds with its own sense of smell; much time and effort is spent removing natural body odour and replacing it with deodorants, anti-perspirants and perfume. Yet the fact remains that we humans are richly endowed with scent-producing glands.

People have a highly individual body odour. Unfortunately it's not everyone who is aware of his or her smell. Unless a conscious effort is taken regularly to do a "sniff test" under the armpits - those with offensive smells or 'body odour' may carry on regardless, little aware of the discomfort they cause to others.

Many mammals and man among them, keep cool by sweating. Sweat is a thin watery fluid that spills out of the skin glands onto the surface of the body from where it evaporates.

Sweat glands lie in the dermis. There are two types of sweat glands. The cooling kind are termed eccrine glands. The other, called apocrine glands secrete over a wide surface especially the parts of the body which have hair growth. The hair harbours micro-organisms that cause the odour to become stronger and unhygienic.

From the end of the Dark Ages until the Industrial Revolution, European cultures experimented with perfumes to provide an appearance of cleanliness. During the 14th and 15th centuries, in Europe, perfumes, scented herbs, pot pourri and fragrant woods were sniffed, daubed, sprinkled and burnt to exclude the plague from the air and to keep it away from the body.

Unwashed clothes provided ample refuge for fleas, lice, ticks and mites, so scented white powder was rubbed into collars, cuffs and wigs. Cleopatra, that legendary queen of Egypt, was known to have spent several hours before her meeting with Mark Anthony anointing her body with olive oil scented with jasmine and other fragrant blooms.

She was known to bathe in milk and honey and daub herself with sandalwood so that when she flicked her eyelashes they would waft its scent. Mark Anthony too, quickly absorbed the many social customs of Egypt, including the use of perfumes.
The Romans followed the Egyptian baths and developed their own bath culture, using scented ointments and oils to anoint themselves.

This was done in three stages. First they got into the cold water bath to cool off and clean up before entering the warm water bath which opened the pores and induced some sweating. Finally it was the hot water bath, and it was at this stage that slaves would anoint their master’s body with scented oils. Women, however, were kept off the baths.

In modern times these facilities are offered by spas where the clients are allowed to relax in mud baths, scrubs, saunas and jacuzzis where they feel revived, rejuvenated and de-stressed. They emerge looking and feeling relaxed and glowing. So what do you do if you have body odour? Shaving and regular washing with soap does reduce odour. Deodorants help to suppress the cause.

Needless to say that in tropical countries like ours we sweat more, and personal cleanliness is of utmost importance. Regular baths and frequent changes of clothing can ensure that you achieve that well-scrubbed look and odour-free body.

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