The tournament stank is a problem that has been plaguing big in-person events for many years. We understand that having B.O. can be a competitive advantage for someone, but I think we’ll be a happier community overall if we’re all smelling fresh. So here are some tips on how to stay clean and freshen up for your tournament pool matches.
Why Do We Even Get Smelly?
The answer in short is sweat, but the science behind this may surprise you. Sweat itself actually has no detectable odor at all since it is mostly water (with a tiny bits of ammonia, sugar, and salt). It’s when bacteria starts breaking sweat down, multiplies, and poops is when the smell really kicks up.
There are some areas that are more prone to smell than others on the human body. The apocrine glands, found under armpits and near the groin area, produce most of the bad smells we associate with body odor. The sweat from these glands empties into hair follicles so it has extra protein which bacteria breaks down more easily (thus more smell). Be wary of spicy food and stress as these cause the apocrine glands go into overdrive (so try to stay calm and watch what you eat).
Another factor to bad body odor is not wiping properly after taking a poop. So be sure to wipe thoroughly after your time on the throne.
Check Out This Clean Tech
Here’s some tips on how to DQ the B.O. and have a fresher scent throughout your pools and the convention floor.
Warm shower with soap
Eliminating bacteria by showering helps to reset your odor to neutral before it starts building up again throughout the day. Warmer waters help to kill the bacteria
Stay dry
Try to prevent sweat from occurring by staying cool and wear breathable clothing.
Use deodorant and other products
Using deodorant or talcum powder can help keep apocrine gland areas dry. Be warned that this won’t help after the smell is already there. Things like perfume or body spray won’t negate bad smell, it only stacks on the other smells.
Consider shaving or trimming
Since hair around apocrine gland holds sweat, shaving and trimming can go a long way to reduce the body odor.
Booty wipes
As mentioned before, not properly wiping can add to the smells. So consider using wet wipes after those longer sessions in the bathroom.
Let us know if you have any tips of your own and share this with a friend.
Feel free to download and share this infographic to every TO you know to keep the FGC smelling fresh!
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