8 tips to deal with body odour this summer

New Delhi: As the summer is fast approaching, people are losing their calm and obsessing over how to beat the summer stink.

While excessive sweating causes embarrassment, it also adds to the challenge of self-hygiene.

Excessive sweating, which is known as hyperhidrosis, could be caused due to stress, physical exercise, emotional excitement, diet, poor hygiene, hereditary hormonal imbalance, and soaring temperatures.

It is important to know that sweat itself is virtually odourless, but when comes in contact with surface bacteria it produces peculiar smells, according to the beauty expert, Shahnaz Hussain.

Here are some tips for preventing body odour:

• Be generous with the use of colognes. Colognes and Eau de Toilette constitute mainly water, or a mixture of alcohol and water, with only 2 to 5 percent perfume.
• Colognes can be added to bath water. Or, add eau de cologne to a mug of water and used as a last rinse. It has a cooling effect too.
• Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) helps to prevent body odour, as well. Making a paste of baking soda and water and applying on the affected areas such as underarm, feet, arms, helps a lot to combat the smell.
• Potato slices can also be rubbed on areas where odour forms easily.
• Addition of one teaspoon alum to your bath water also helps. Crush some mint leaves and add them too.
• Rose water can always be added generously to bath water. It is a natural coolant and also a fragrant.
• Add 2 drops of tea tree oil to two tablespoons of water or rose water. Apply this under the arms with cotton wool.
• To remove odour from the hair, add the juice of a lemon and half a cup of rose water to a mug of water and use as a last rinse.