ragingpeach

I think it's best not to worry about what people think.

Except with body odor. When people say you stink, care about what they think.

i might get downvoted, but i think it's a valid question. however, i think most people are, which makes it a bit of a strange question. i think it might be better in its own thread.

This thread’s kind of depressing to read. Come on people-- this is basic hygiene/consideration, it’s not rocket science. Brush your teeth (and tongue) when you wake up and before you go to sleep. Shower every 1-2 days (use soap everywhere below your face), and wear deodorant if you’re going to be around people especially indoors.

i'm hope i don't come off as aggressive or anything, not my intention. just remember that those things aren't easy for everyone (but i agree, definitely more considerate).

i don't brush often due to many health problems, one major one being OCD. i can only brush during certain time slots, which rarely occur. i know my breath is atrocious. fortunately, i imagine a mask helps. i'm also not around people often.

i shower every 3-4 days, sometimes less often (though i don't like showering less often). i also don't use much soap unless i'm taking my eczema medication or waxing. and of course i use soap in the private areas, because i've had c. diff.

might sound gross, but i've asked honest people and they swear i don't smell. and they're the kind of people who have told me when i do smell. they know about my bathing habits. i just don't smell (breath i'm sure stinks though, i haven't asked because i know). if i did smell i would definitely do something about it. like our stomach, we have probiotics on our skin, and if our skin biome is healthy we generally won't stink. now being that i have eczema i probably don't have the best skin biome, but there's certainly something good there. when my physical health issues were EXTREMELY severe and i hadn't bathed in two months, my partner at the time told me i didn't stink. and it wasn't to be kind, she was genuinely surprised because, you know, two months without bathing, a person should probably stink.

there's a guy in my building who always stinks. from conversations it seems he showers several times a day. i suspect he has a medical condition that i desperately wish he would get checked out, because i've nearly vomited around him several times. i know him well enough to know he's on medicaid, so this is something that would be covered.

so everyone's different. some of us can get away with showering less frequently, others can't. i believe there's a gene that makes your sweat not smell. just know your body and do your best not to be stinky imo

So, from one autistic person to another… smells can be rude.

Smells are a sensory thing for me. There’s a person in my building who sweats too much. His stink is everywhere and it causes me to gag.

It’s an evolutionary thing to generally be okay with our own personal smells, because it wouldn’t be helpful if we gagged at our own stink all the time (this is why the smell of our own poop usually doesn’t bother us. Also, I think mothers usually aren’t as bothered by the smell of their own baby’s poop for similar reasons). But someone else’s stink can tell us they’re unhygienic or sick.

You don’t need to smell like roses… you just need to not stink. There are unscented deodorants. I personally currently use apple cider vinegar as a natural deodorant. Although I’m starting to miss the convenience of regular deodorant.

I can’t tell you what to do… if you want to stink, stink. I’m just explaining why people like deodorant.