SmileTutor Blog Students Advice For Students The Singaporean Student’s Handbook For Basic Hygiene

The Singaporean Student’s Handbook For Basic Hygiene

(Credits: Cosmopolitan)

Objectively, we all think we smell good, right? 

Or if we don’t smell good, at least we don’t smell bad… right? 

But are you sure about that?

Now, I’m not calling anyone out. I’m just very passionate about hygiene and smelling good. 

I even told my friends once that deodorant would be subsidised and distributed to secondary schools and junior colleges every term if I were president!

Do We Actually Smell Good?

Living in Singapore, it’s impossible for us to not shower every day. Even if we’re tired, we want to get all the sweat off us.

But I hate to break it to you, but although showering and brushing your teeth every day is a good start, it doesn’t necessarily mean you smell good.

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So many people brush their teeth, but they still have bad breath. People shower every day, but they still have BO. And don’t even get me started on the smaller, “lesser thought about stuff,” like the “dense fog” that musty clothes have!

Perhaps you started noticing BO recently, or you’re wondering if you do have it and just can’t smell it on yourself, and that’s why you’re here.

So today, let me share my tips on hygiene and smelling good, and I’ll also give you some tips that most people overlook when it comes to taking care of their hygiene!

Preventing Odour

Now, this is the most important aspect of hygiene and cleanliness to me, because it’s an indicator of your health and how well you actually take care of yourself.

When most people think of odour, they think about two things: underarm BO and perfume. 

But odour doesn’t just refer to the poison you smell when you lift your arms.

To me, the worst odour is often bad breath, especially garlic breath, and when I can smell the grease on people’s scalps. 

And it’s worse because most people misunderstand perfume. It should be an accessory to complement you, not to cover any bad smells up. 

Think about that one smoker you know and how they always spray perfume after smoking. And it doesn’t help, right? Because now you smell the perfume AND the smoke.

So personally, it is more important to prevent odour first before even thinking about adorning yourself with perfume. 

It took me years to realise everything that I’m about to tell you. So once you learn these tips, you’ll have people asking

The Food You Eat Affects Your Body’s Odour

Science has actually proven that you are what you eat!

Have you ever noticed how everyone’s BO smells different? Some people smell like onions, while others can have an acetate-like smell. And some smell “fruitier,” while some lucky individuals don’t have any BO at all!

Personally, I’ve noticed that on days when I eat fish, any odour I have smells different from days where, say, I eat less meat and more plants instead.

And it’s an actual thing! A diet high in meat, alcohol, and sulphur-rich foods like eggs and onions can make you smell worse, like acetate or sulphur!

Tips On Using Deodorants

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It’s always shocking to me when some people don’t wear deodorant, but everyone does have their own reasons. 

However, there was a brief period where I had to trial and error with deodorants, and I learnt a lot from it.

I also realised that many people are in fact using deodorant but use it wrongly. 

So take note of these 3 tips to be a deodorant expert!

1) Try different deodorants 

(Crystal deodorant)


Nivea, Rexona, and Dove deodorants dominate the deodorant market here, but there’s more than those three brands!

Besides brands, most commercial deodorants are aluminium-based. But some people have found better luck with alternative deodorants, like ammonium or potassium-based crystal deodorants and zinc, baking soda, or microsilver-based ones! 

And experiment with different formulas too. If a stick deodorant doesn’t work, a cream, gel, spray, or deodorant balm might work!

2) Let Your Deodorant Dry Properly 

Have you ever smelt both BO and the strong smell of deodorant mixed together? 

From my experience, that’s usually when someone is sweating already and puts deodorant on.

Or they use a gel deodorant that takes time to dry, but they don’t give it time, and the two mix together. 

To prevent this, when you’re out of the shower, towel dry and put your deodorant on as soon as possible.

Then just “air your pits” to let the deodorant dry properly before closing your arm.

3) Wash It Off Properly 

Alternatively, it could’ve been because they did not wash their deodorant or antiperspirant off properly and it builds up.

If you think about it, the product forms a film over your pits that has to stand up against hours of sweat! So it has to be strong. But it’s also mixing with your BO, which you don’t wash off properly.

With some deodorants, I’ve even had to wash twice. So don’t be afraid of using strong soap and even scrubbing if you have to!

Don’t Just Brush Your Teeth

Most people just brush their teeth and neglect the rest of their mouths!

Honestly, I didn’t use floss until I was a teenager, but once I did, I never went back. There are so many food particles that get stuck in between your teeth that your toothbrush can’t get to them.

And don’t forget to scrape or brush the white layer off your tongue! Not only is it unsightly, but it can contribute to bad breath too.

Lastly, seal the deal with mouthwash. It’s like a liquid air freshener but for your mouth!

Dry and Store Your Clothes Properly

When people don’t fully dry their clothes and put them in their closet, there’s a certain “staleness” to the air around them, and they smell musty.

And it’s such a waste to me. You don’t want to put so much effort into your bodily hygiene just to be embarrassed—not by your BO, but by your clothes!

So make sure your clothes don’t stay for too long in the wash after they’re done and that they’re completely dry before putting them in your closet.

Also, consider hanging a perfumed cabinet deodoriser to subtly perfume your clothes!

Mind Your Toes

(Credits: Andrea Jean Cleaning)

Remember to wash the shoes you love often and to deodorise them if you’ve been caught in the rain. You don’t want to put so much effort into your bodily hygiene just to be embarrassed—not by your smelly feet, but by your smelly shoes!

A simple and cheap hack is to put unused tea bags in them!

And this is slightly off-topic, but use a footpowder if your feet sweat a lot. It has worked wonders for keeping my feet drier than usual.

Air Your Room and Change Your Bedsheets often

Modern hotel room in Sri Lanka.

Lastly, this is one that most people don’t think about. 

But I once had a friend who always smelt musty, but I just chalked it up to their clothes.

And I visited them once and was surprised that their family members, who were sitting in the living room at that time, didn’t smell the same way my friend did. In fact, they smelt pleasant.

However, the moment I entered their room, I was hit with the overwhelming smell of must! It turns out that my friend was one of those homebodies who PC-gamed every day with the windows shut and curtains drawn.

So the air in their room was really stale, and the smell just kind of permeated into his clothes. Yikes…

Conclusion

And once you’ve done all of this, you can finally top it all off with perfume!

Honestly, I can tell you that most Singaporeans are nose blind to bad smells. Or if they’re not, then I just don’t know how they can put up with it. 

But once you start to take notice of your own hygiene and can start smelling yourself, whether it’s good or bad, you’ll begin noticing just how much odour is around you! 

Smelling good might seem like a trivial thing, but there are countless benefits, from your social life to your own personal satisfaction, and it could really change your life. I’m serious!

But if you already smell good but need help with your schoolwork, SmileTutor has a tutor from primary school to university who can help!

Gabrielle See

Hey there, I’m Gabrielle! I’m a passionate writer who loves writing about lifestyle and advocating for holistic wellness. I struggled in school when I was younger but have since come to enjoy academia and learning. So with that, coupled with my previous experience in early childhood, I believe that I could bring a unique perspective and practicality to my advice and writing. When I’m not writing, you can find me baking something sweet in the kitchen, admiring my dog or exploring something new in our tiny country!