Body Odour: Deodorant for Kids & Teens

Teenage Body Odour | Deodorant for Kids & Teens

Do you remember that gorgeous new baby smell? Remember how delightful your son smelt as a baby? Unfortunately times change and now the reality is that - your boy stinks! Why? Because they are growing up and its normal. 

Long before your son starts displaying the more obvious signs of his changing body, hormones are being released in his system. They are starting the journey to adulthood. Facilitated by oils, skin bacteria and new sweat glands. The result can be a horrendously smelly adolescent or even pre-teen, who doesn’t even necessarily realise he stinks. 

Parents and kids shouldn’t be alarmed by normal body odour. It’s caused by hormonal changes that come when children start puberty. There’s nothing quite like the smell of body odour to remind parents their little boy is growing up!

Before you go running for the deodorant for your teen, there are a few things you should think about.

Why Adolescents Smell- a little bit of biology!

Adolescents sweat more. New hormones released at the onset of puberty cause an increase in the amount of moisture sweat glands produce. Additionally, teens sweat in more places. There are two types of sweat glands in the human body- eccrine glands and apocrine glands- and they function quite differently. 

Eccrine glands are spread all over our body and they produce sweat that is mainly salt and water. Eccrine glands open directly onto the surface of the skin. This sweat helps regulate body temperature and is usually odourless.  

Apocrine glands are located mainly in the armpits and around the groin (they are also found on the hairline and eye lids). They start working to make oils as well as sweat at the onset of puberty.  Activation of the apocrine glands only happens at the onset of puberty. 

Some research has suggested that this smell is an evolutionary thing. That it sends out a message telling others of the species they were reaching sexual maturity! 

Apocrine glands are much less numerous than eccrine glands. They are found in places which normally have hair or, in the case of adolescents or pre-teens will have hair, like the armpit and genital region. These apocrine sweat glands continuously secrete a concentrated fatty sweat into the gland tube. 

Emotional stress stimulates contraction of the gland, expelling its contents. The apocrine glands make sweat at the same time as the eccrine glands, and they make even more sweat when you are stressed!

Stinky feet

Smelly feet are caused by something different. While feet don’t have the glands that produce oily sweat. Socks and shoes hold moisture allowing bacteria and yeast to grow on feet. This causes a different type of bad smell and the bacteria and yeast can cause tinea. 

The sweat glands in the feet can produce copious amounts of sweat every day so it’s not surprising that stinky feet can be an issue at the onset of and during puberty when sweat glands are more active. 

Managing Adolescent Body Odour

While increased body odour is a normal part of adolescence, being able to manage it is an important part of growing up. When kids start to smell, simple changes to their hygiene routine are essential.

Daily (or twice daily) Showers/Baths

Body odour is natural, but it still can make kids and teens self-conscious. So when body odour starts, they should start taking a shower or bath at least every day. 

Showering or bathing with our ‘808 Dude Shampoo & Body Wash for Teens’, removes the bacteria that causes body odour, so a daily shower or bath with soap and water – paying particular attention to the armpit area, genital area and feet – is key. 

Washing after exercise is especially important to rinse away sweat that has combined with bacteria on the skin. It is also important that kids wear fresh underwear, socks and other clothing daily because sweaty clothes can help bacteria grow and cause more odour.

Frequent Application of Deodorant

A good deodorant for kids and teens, like our ‘808 Dude No More Stinky Pits’, can eliminate odour including odour caused by sweating in active adolescents. Besides practicing good hygiene, staying hydrated and eating a healthy diet that doesn’t include a lot of greasy food should help keep body odour at bay. 

Adolescents with foot odour should use cotton socks to absorb moisture and avoid wearing shoes without socks. Similar to body odour, careful washing in key areas can help keep foot odour at a minimum.  

Adolescents should be encouraged to scrub carefully between the toes which is a great place for bacteria to breed. Washing the feet more than once each day will help, especially during really warm weather or when participating in sports activities with closed-in shoes. Once the bacteria is removed, be sure the feet are completely dry before putting on a clean pair of socks. Another tip is to use our all natural deodorant for kids and teens on the bottom of dry feet.

Having the ‘talk’ - about Body Odour

One of the many responsibilities of parenthood is teaching children about hygiene. When they were little you had a very hands on approach. As adolescents and pre-teens they require and deserve more privacy and independence. However, they still need some adult supervision and honest constructive feedback and education. 

As parents you have to teach them to keep their body odour under control, for both your sakes! 

It can be a delicate issue and it can be uncomfortable to start this conversation especially with a more sensitive teenager. However, having a direct and respectful talk now can also help with other issues they will face during puberty. 

Dealing with these smaller issues of puberty in a sensitive and respectful way will make your teenage son more likely to come to you with other issues as they go through adolescence.

Tips for ‘having the talk’

• Never ever say anything in public or around their friends, this is private conversation! 
• Don’t turn it into a joke 
• Turn the conversation to one about increasing maturity and responsibility
• Talk about your own journey through adolescence
• Talk to them about the biology of what is happening
• Talk about the need for extra showering and the areas they now need to focus more on
• Give them a say in how they want to manage their own hygiene choices

A good conversation now, helps to maintain that great relationship you already have with your son!

Body Wash & Deodorant for Kids and Teens - Roll on vs Spray

Many deodorants on the market today are filled with harsh chemicals like Triclosan, Aluminium, Parabens, as well as artificial dyes and fragrances. It’s normal to have health and safety concerns about chemicals. After all, this is your son and you don’t want to expose them to anything that could cause them any long term health issues. 

Deodorants that just mask the smell are not a viable solution for an adolescent! A deodorant for kids or teens needs to have anti-bacterial properties. 

Antiperspirants that create a seal to prevent sweat contain aluminium.  Selecting an aluminium-free deodorant for your teenager is perhaps one of the best ways to prevent exposure to this dangerous compound which has been linked to breast cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Why choose a Roll On vs Spray?

In addition to having anti-bacterial properties, a deodorant for kids and teens needs to be easy and quick to apply. An easy to apply roll on or stick deodorant that lasts through the day is ideal and most adolescents will find the routine stress free. 

808 Dude Teen Deodorant for Stinky Pits is an Aluminium free, quick drying roll on deodorant that neutralises odours by using the antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties of Cedarwood, Bergamot, Citrus, Geranium and Sandalwood oils. 

An important part of your son’s hygiene routine is also showering every day, more often if necessary. Showering routinely is essential in smelling fresh (and for his confidence). Here  is a full body wash and shampoo that helps to wash away bacteria and combat bacterial growth is the easiest and least complex option. 

808 Dude Shampoo and Body Wash for Teens is an easy to use head to toe product using one easy squeeze tube. It is formulated to remove the bacteria and grime that can cause teenage body odour. 

808 Dude Shampoo and Body wash contains Aloe Vera, a wonderful moisturiser that also tones and firms the skin, Ginseng that nourishes the hair and stops dandruff in its tracks, Bergamot oil which has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties and Rosemary Leaf oil which has natural antiseptic properties, to name just a few. 

For more information and a break down of our deodorant and body wash ingredients, we recommend reading our article on ‘Natural Skin Care Products’. Alternatively, if you are debating different types of deodorants for your kids /teens, check out our article on ‘Roll On vs Spray’.

Have you purchased our 808 deodorant for your son? How did he find it? Do you have any other tips or tricks for naturally removing teen body odour? Leave us a comment below!

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