I wonder sometimes how people can cruise through life completely unaware of their dreadful B.O.
Because, you know… surely you’d do something about it, right?
I mean, you could take more showers, invest in a heavy-duty deodorant, wash your clothes more regularly, do pretty much anything in your power to avoid being “that person”.
But according to experts, people who smell bad can’t actually smell their own body odour.
Apparently, the receptors in our noses that would normally respond to our own smell practically shut down after being bombarded with the same scent for so long.
It's the same reason why we can't smell the inside of our houses - our sense of smell is quick to adapt, and slow to reset.
In simple terms, the poor sod squished up against you on the train has absolutely no idea how bad they really smell, so be kind.
Wait. I wonder if I smell too...? #awkward.
Maybe you only smell on particularly sweaty days (#sweatsesh), or perhaps you always smell like you need to take a shower. Either way, the experts reckon there's a simple trick you can use to fool your nose and essentially reset your sense of smell, allowing your own body odour to be detected better.
Listen: Mamamia Out Loud discuss the latest Siri trick you really need to hear (post continues after audio...)
And all we need to do is take a whiff of coffee.
Yep, I know. Mind blown.
Because coffee has a strong, single-scent component, it works to give your nose a break from what you've been smelling all day (i.e. your bad B.O). Walk into the perfume section of any department store and you'll be sure to find coffee beans close by. Take a whiff in between perfumes for the ultimate smelling experience.
Who would've thought that our humble coffee bean would play such a vital role in the way we smell? Or at least, how aware we are about it.
So let's hope our fellow smelly humans give this coffee-sniffing thing a go (and then perhaps take a shower). As for me, has anyone seen the office coffee tub?