Why do teenage boys STINK?!?!?!

Purplehair

Wed, Oct 10 2007, 8:50 am

Sorry, didn't know it was a previous topic of discussion. Or that it was taboo to mention anything previously mentioned..
I also didn't know that it was possible to rip said labels off (my sons don't use any Axe products).

chavamom

Wed, Oct 10 2007, 9:57 am

I didn't say it was taboo Rolling Eyes

just that we had had a long discussion once about ripping the labels off vs. buying other brands - which I started!

Purplehair

Wed, Oct 10 2007, 10:00 am

Which, once I "searched" for it, was back in 2005. Sorry, I only joined at the beginning of this year.

sunnybrook

Wed, Oct 10 2007, 8:00 pm

1] It could be a fungal infection (as in athlete's foot) which smells yuck. I used to be able to tell at night when my sons took off their shoes -- the "aroma" quickly reached me! Rolling Eyes

Then my friend told me a very simple solution: boil up 5 tea bags in a small pot of water, let stand a few minutes. Pour into a basin big enough to soak their delicate little footsies, add enough cold water so it is comfortable and covers the ankles-- and make sure they soak for about 20 minutes. The tannic acid or something makes the skin chemistry inconducive to the fungus. No more itch, very soothing -- AND NO MORE SMELL!!!!! Very Happy

Together with this, rinse all their laundry, esp sox and underwear, with VINEGAR. Also antifungal. Fungus is very stubborn, clings even after it seems to have disappeared.(have you ever had mildew on walls???) So keep up the foot baths for a few days straight, then at least once a week, esp after sports, summer, long walks.
For inside the shoes, talc is good, as is baking soda. I also once got something filled with a clay which absorbs the moisture and smells (at Miles Kimball catalog). Should let air out at least a day between wearings -- fungus likes moisture in dark places.
May you have much nachas from all the boys -- and girls too! Very Happy

amother

Wed, Oct 24 2007, 12:48 am

My sister complained endlessly about her teenage son's stinky feet. It turns out he had some kind of foot fungus that made his feet smell really bad! After taking him to the doctor and using the cream, his feet stopped smelling. Check it out.

Imaonwheels

Wed, Oct 24 2007, 3:13 am

About AXE. I was stuck at a bus stop in Petach Tikva with their tremendously non Tznius video ad on a screen in front of me and my 14 yr old nephew for 20 min until the bus came. We had a lot of packages so I could not walk to the next stop. I decided then and there never to buy one of their products.

Some families sweat more than others, its heredity. From their fathers's side my big boys suffer. They bathe, deodorant, sit in front of fans etc. No help. My poor gs's suffer as well. In addition my ex's kids have their fathers sweating and their mothers psoriasis. All cotton clothes and gloves on babies so they don't scratch.

Back to topic. At our height we had 2 boys rooms each with 3 residents. Little boys room always a mess but never smelly. Big boy's room was a major machlokes in our house. Close the door and risk finding the 3 of them asphyxiated in the morning or leaving it open and endangering the entire family. The mere bending over to touch a shoe lace was enough to send even my little boys out of the room. And when we got into the army...

We lived through that. What I may not live through is my younger boys preoccupation with deodorant. I described it my older son who smokes like that feeling when you inhale and you have a sore throat. My nephew really should use a little. He's 14 1/2 and is hairy. My Rachmiel just feels older. The fact that my 12 yr old has to copy them is ludicrous. When they all are home there is a half hour in the morning when the hall and bedrooms smells of a strong male perfumy deodorant that causes me to choke.

Smelly feet = athletes foot. DD who is a licensed medical cosmetologist says she was taught if nothing is growing there they won't stink.

The sheets and pillowcases must be changed more often or that smell will get into the mattress and pillows. They often put their socks on the shoes before going top bed. I run and grab them so they go through the wash. I also suggest not allowing sleeveless undershirts. Boys like them but it means shirts are in danger as well, esp good white shirts.

Getting rid of the problem? Marry them off. She will take care of it. It is the only thing that worked for me.

Imaonwheels

Wed, Oct 24 2007, 3:17 am

Anything topical never really cures it. The Israeli army issues cream to all new soldiers w/their basic equipment. I used to buy it in quantity and once asked the kupat cholim nurse why it doesn't come in buckets. You can control it by meticulous hygene and rubber slippers for the bath and mik. Crocs (what we all have for house shoes) can be thrown into water w/bleach - trhe only true anti fungal that works. There is also an antifungal powder to put in the shoes. We get it from the kupat cholim but their is a variety made by Dr. Scholls.

sunnybrook

Wed, Oct 31 2007, 6:37 am

Did anybody ever notice that Arab construction workers can work hard all day, sweat-producing, in a terrible heat wave-- but no BO? They cant afford to buy junk food so they subsist basically on healthy food....We should learn from that!

Imaonwheels

Thu, Nov 01 2007, 4:47 am

Please don't ask what Arabs eat, you would retract your statement after barfing. BTW, they eat plenty of junk food. I have a choice to sell 'Bisli shtachim and Bamba Shtachim'. It is the same stuff in a bag printed in Arabic and costs MUCH less than what Osem charges us Jews for junk.

Barbi, the hilarious Frenchman who manufactures all kinds of natural creams and such and used to live in Gush Katif tells the story about how he gave an Arab worker a lift and the Arab confided that his bad smell was pushing everyone away from him, including his wife. Barbi gave him a natural deodorant potion he sells. He said later he got an earbeating from the Arab's Jewish boss. "You ruined my best worker! I always knew where he was by the smell and now he can sneak up on people."

chavamom

Thu, Nov 01 2007, 4:52 am

I was going to say I had never noticed that arab workers don't stink. I must have had some exceptions to that rule working on our moshav.

I found one of my boys *does* have athlete's foot. Hopefully curing that will help the stinky sock phenomena.

cookielady

Thu, Nov 01 2007, 8:59 am

delete

Last edited by cookielady on Tue, Feb 03 2009, 5:54 pm; edited 1 time in total

greenfire

Thu, Nov 01 2007, 9:01 am

anybody ever see kids who get wet in the shower and don't soap or really wash up ...

teach the boys to use soap both in the shower and in the laundry ... maybe that'll help ...