Smell You Later- a guide to staying fresh in school

Written by: Min Yen (24-I3)

Designed by: Julianna (24-E6)

Droplets of sweat hanging from the ends of your hair, sticky skin clinging on uncomfortably and a lingering scent that follows you into the lift as you head back to class… Does this sound familiar?

With how exhausting our PE lessons can be—whether it’s running on the track, learning a new sport in our PE modules, or pushing through a HIIT session in the MPH—we’re bound to work up a sweat. If you don’t… Well, lucky you. But for most of us, myself included, PE means stepping into class fresh and leaving drenched an hour later.

Even if you don’t naturally have body odour (BO), sweat mixing with the bacteria on your skin can create an unwelcome scent. Yes, this is normal and understandable. However, with our high reliance on the lifts in school, our smelliness creates an undesirable problem: stinky lifts. 

I am sure that previously, many of you have entered a lift and immediately gotten a whiff of (or were punched in the face by) the pungent and recognisable scent of post-workout sweat. With its enclosed space, the smells in the lift are difficult to disperse, and it is indeed difficult to avoid this problem since our lifts are shared by all members of the school. Nevertheless, I believe that this problem is partially rectifiable, and in the spirit of ‘goodwill to all’, with a little effort, we can all work together to reduce this problem.

This leads me into this article’s main point: how to stay fresh after PE. Here, I will be introducing different tips and solutions to combat this problem.

1. Spray-on deodorant and Antiperspirant

Deodorant isn’t anything new, and a lot of us use it regularly. It comes in different types—sprays, roll-ons, and even perfumes or colognes. Sprays seem to be the most popular, especially in school. While most people put on deodorant before exercise to stay fresh and avoid the odour altogether, it is just as useful after PE. Drying off, changing into a fresh shirt, and then spraying yourself helps to eliminate any possibility of smelling nasty. Roll-ons might feel a little gross after PE since they can pick up sweat, but sprays are a quick and easy fix. Plus, they’re easy to find at beauty stores like Venus or supermarkets like NTUC.

For the people who sweat extremely easily, investing in antiperspirant could be useful. Not as easily found as deodorant, antiperspirants are a less popular option. However, they are extremely effective as they are designed to reduce sweat on the skin and come in many different forms. Creams, powders, roll-ons — you name it, and they probably have it. Since sweat mixing with bacteria is the main cause of body odour, removing one of these factors would definitely have a positive effect. 

Nivea spray-on deodorant collection #notsponsored

2. Applying deodorant the night before

This tip is based on my own experience, and not a scientifically proven fact. Among the many deodorant hacks online, the one tip I found most useful is applying deodorant a period of time before actually carrying out the physical activity. For this purpose, my favourite deodorant is the Nivea Black & White Invisible variation of the Nivea spray-on deodorant, since it supposedly lasts 72 hours. While I cannot confirm or deny this claim, I find that when I put some on right before I go to sleep, I find myself feeling less gross and smelly after PE the next day. 

3. Glycolic Acid

Glycolic acid as a way to prevent body odour first went viral on TikTok, where beauty influencers discovered it does more than just exfoliate. By lowering your skin’s pH, it makes it harder for odour-causing bacteria to thrive since bacteria, not sweat, is the real culprit behind unpleasant smells. While it does not stop sweating, glycolic acid exfoliates dead skin cells and helps control bacteria buildup. As a bonus, it can also lighten your underarms and reduce the chances of ingrown hairs! This multi-functional method is definitely worth a try, but be sure to choose a product with a low to moderate glycolic acid concentration(2%-9%), as underarm skin can be quite sensitive, and we definitely don’t want itchy armpits!

4. Showering

Our school facilities offer more options than you might realise. Many toilets, particularly those on level 5 near the track, are equipped with shower cubicles. Some wheelchair toilets also feature shower heads. If you’re feeling particularly sweaty or uncomfortable after PE, you could consider bringing a small toiletry kit with a towel, soap, and other essentials. A quick shower can dramatically improve your comfort and freshness level, helping you feel revitalised and ready for your upcoming lessons. This option is especially beneficial on exceptionally hot days when we sweat buckets.

5. Washing your PE attire with sulfur soap

Sometimes, regular detergent just doesn’t cut it, and that sweaty smell sticks around even after washing. This trick comes from an athlete friend of mine - they recommend using sulfur soap for getting rid of tough odours in active wear. It’s especially good for those synthetic fabrics that tend to hold onto smells. If you struggle with sticky, smelly shirts, you could give this a try! A fresh-smelling shirt would not only make you feel less icky, it would also make those around you feel less uncomfortable.

While it may seem odd to shower in a school, or shamelessly dousing yourself in deodorant, I'm here to tell you that it's okay to do so! No one will judge you for making yourself smell better, because everyone does it! Don't worry too much about disturbing others around you — trust me, it's better to smell a bunch of deodorant than get whiffs of someone's BO. By staying true to our motto of 'beautiful thinking, goodwill to all’, let's work together to create a more fragrant place for others. Stay fresh, everyone! 🤗