Disclaimer 1: I am not a health professional. Always check in with your health team before changing things up or trying new things you’re unsure of. This is not medical advice.
Disclaimer 2: This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure, here, to find out what that means!
KCon LA 2023 – the biggest K-Pop convention in North America – just wrapped up a few weeks ago, and fan recaps have been circulating around social media. While there’s lots to unpack across all the different videos, a common theme emerged from pretty much all of them:
The smell from fellow fans. Many are saying it was bad. Like, BAD-bad.
But…bad smells aren’t new to conventions and concerts. Attendees of various events have always taken to social media afterwards to remind others that, well…maybe they need to up their hygiene game.
But a huge glaring issue is that…not everyone can use chemical-laden products, or even control their smells. For instance: some chronic illnesses come with a myriad of smell-related symptoms that the person just cannot help no matter what they do.
But it’s also true and valid that…bad smells in confined spaces are still hard to deal with.
So here’s 11 natural and scent-sensitive hygiene expert tips to either 1. prevent body odor, or 2. help yourself when you encounter it from others.
Prevention is King
In my experience, prevention is the absolute best approach. Here’s 5 strategies that might help you manage your own hygiene like a pro.
1. Reduce Toxin Exposure A Week or Two Before
This should be a no-brainer. But it really isn’t. Convenience has taken center stage in our lives, and with that comes a million different chemicals and toxic ingredients. And when we ingest or encounter these things, our bodies naturally try to expel it through the usual methods: liver, kidneys, bowels. You get the picture.
The problem is: sometimes there’s so much of it that the body freaks out and sends it out by any means possible. Including the breath, or through our skin. And this can create a smell. A really bad smell.
What hygiene strategy I would try: start eating really clean a few weeks before the convention or concert, and switch out household chemicals to natural alternatives. No more processed foods (or fast food). Switch out toxic hair products, laundry detergents, toothpastes, body washes, and deodorizing sprays (etc) for natural alternatives.
Ideally this should be a permanent switch. Limiting toxin exposure helps our bodies do their important day-to-day things. AND you might suddenly lose any allergies. Win-win.
2. Epsom salt baths and/or Infrared Sauna
Epsom salt baths (for your feet or whole body) are great at helping to draw toxins out of you. There are tones of blogs that talk about how to do them, so I won’t get into it here. But I highly stress that if you’re going to do this: really read about what to expect and prepare for. They can be intense if your body is holding onto a lot of gunk.
Infrared saunas are similar to Epsom salt baths (draw out toxins), but they can come with some health warnings because of how it works. Most places will ask you to provide some information to make sure it’s a good fit for you (and if they don’t, look for a place that does).
As mentioned in the disclaimer, always double check with your health team when trying things like these, too!
What hygiene strategy I would try: test out an Epsom salt bath on my feet, or have a short session in an infrared sauna, a few weeks before the event. If everything goes okay, try either the full bath with Epsom salt or the full infrared session about a week before, while also doing strategy #1!
3. Switch from Regular OTC Deodorant to Natural
Regular OTC deodorant was one of the first chemical products that I stopped using…more than a decade ago. At first it was just because of the aluminum content, but then I kept hearing stories about how it actually seemed to increase body odor for some people. And those same people also noted how they didn’t get as much body odor after they stopped using it.
Wasn’t deodorant supposed to help that kinda thing? Weird.
What hygiene strategy I would try: go natural. My personal recommendation and what I use: Coconut oil. First cold pressed coconut oil (with no other ingredients). It eliminates the bacteria that are creating the body odor.
There are other recommendations out there, but that one is my go-to. It feels weird, but it works. And you’ll smell like coconut. Win-win.
4. Switch to Natural Toothpaste, and/or Start Oilpulling
Some of the ingredients in mainstream toothpaste/mouthwash are downright scary. And your mouth is actually quite sensitive. So if it’s stinky like a skunk…just remember that skunks only spray when they’re upset. Aka? Maybe your mouth is also upset.
The question is: WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT TO YOUR MOUTH?! It’s so cute and helps you live your life. Let’s be awesome to our mouths instead, okay? Of course there can be medical conditions, too – always check into that with your health team if you think it’s something serious.
What hygiene strategy I would try: natural toothpaste. Make sure that they have ingredients that: 1. pull toxins out (bentonite clay/activated charcoal) OR fight bacteria (colloidal silver/coconut oil), and 2. remineralize or help protect teeth (xylitol/trace minerals). If you see an ingredient you don’t know, whip out your phone and search it up. There are a few wolf-in-sheeps-clothing brands out there.
If you want to make your own, here’s my simple recipe (approximate measurements):
- a few tablespoons of baking soda (this helps scrub the teeth)
- 40 drops trace minerals (this helps remineralise)
- a teaspoon of coconut oil (helps with any bad bacteria)
- a half teaspoon of xylitol (helps protect teeth)
- a little bit of water (to make it into a paste)
- OPTIONAL: 22% fat dark cocoa powder (can help fight bacteria/cavities)
Mix it up into a paste. If it dries out, add a bit more water and mix again. Adding the cocoa powder makes it smell like chocolate and it looks ridiculous when brushing. Just DO NOT swallow this (xylitol is great for your teeth, but bad for your tummy).
Oil pulling is taking a small half teaspoon of coconut oil and swishing it around like mouthwash for 10-20 minutes. Do not try to gurgle it, trust me. Do not swallow it. Spit it out into the garbage as coconut oil can harden and block your drain over time. There’s tones of blogs about it. But basically it fights the bad bacteria, pulls toxins out, and helps protect your teeth.
5. Wear Cotton or Linen
This one is something I’m still learning about myself. But basically, cotton and linen are the only really “breathable” clothes. Breathable for this post means “less sweat and trapped bacteria.” As you probably guessed from the above points…that’s important in the fight against body odor.
I’ve also been reading that synthetics like polyesters can increase body heat. The majority of the really cute affordable clothes out there are made from polyesters or polyester derivatives. So, uh, if you’re going to a convention or concert that is packed and hot, maybe consider splurging a bit to get some natural material clothes.
What hygiene strategy I would try: on a budget, I’d go thrifting (or browse the sales at non-thrifting stores) and buy a few 100% cotton and/or linen pieces that can be mixed and matched into a bunch of outfits.
But When it’s Not You…
Even if we put a lot of effort into ourselves, it doesn’t mean that someone else will do the same. We aren’t born knowing this stuff, and….some people really can’t help what their body chooses to do. So what can WE do if we still want to enjoy the convention or concert without the bad smells? Here’s 6 different ideas!
- Vinegar spray bottle and a small towel: dilute some vinegar with water, and discreetly spray the little towel you brought. Swish the towel around you without touching anyone else (and keep it away from phones/screens). Vinegar can dissipate smells within about 15 minutes – even bathroom smells!
- Spray your mask with a natural scent: Prepare some rose water (or natural scent of your choice, but rose water smells divine). Mist your mask with it when you notice the problem, and it should help block out some of the badness.
- Nose filters: This was a tip from a chemical sensitivity website (I haven’t tried this one myself). But after a quick search on amazon and reading some reviews, it sounds like these filters are almost invisible, can last for hours, AND block some of the bad odors. Every little bit helps, right?
- Carry extra coconut oil: If you’re the type of person to find and confront the source of the smell politely and respectfully, offer them some coconut oil and explain how it can help get rid of the bacteria that causes the smell.
- Carry rose water: If you struggle with confrontation, cutely ask people if they’d like to smell like roses. If they agree, pretend they are a model/goddess and spray them with your rose water. Roses are also antibacterial so it makes a great body spray if consent is given!
- Wait and try not to think about it: Yep. The brain will start to get used to it if we stop thinking about it. It’s definitely hard when the smell is extremely bad, but it’s not impossible. Unless maybe it’s a pig farm. But if you drove by one of those, you’d understand that’s a TOTALLY different story.
Conclusion?
It can be so frustrating when bad smells invade our senses, especially if we’re trying to enjoy something! But hopefully the strategies and ideas above will help you come up with a way to solve it either before it’s a problem, or in the moment if needed.
When the smell is coming from someone else, though, that’s where things become difficult. A lot of chronic illnesses come with unexpected smells, so we have to be understanding that sometimes it’s not always in someone’s control, and it may be very embarrassing for them. Everyone should get a chance to enjoy what they love, though, regardless of their ability. So the best we can do is prepare ourselves, and share awareness of what works!
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