How many times have you stood next to someone who smelled awful? I mean, smelled to the high heavens, and you know it is not smoke or bad perfume, but body odor.

For athletes, that “someone” could be you. It is critical to shower after a hard game or workout. This applies to students and people as well, for general health.

The best thing to do, if you are close to them, is to tell them they stink. When I say close, I mean family members or best friend type of close. Do not be that stranger who goes up to someone and says, “You stink.” No, do not do that.

I’m going to get personal here. I don’t usually share these embarrassing moments but when I was a kid, I began puberty early. One of the things I could not grasp immediately was how important personal hygiene was.

Of course, as a kid we do not need to wear deodorant. At the tender age of nine, though, my older sister came in the room throwing soap and deodorant at me saying, “It is not cute to smell. If you want boys to like you, wash yourself every day.”

This was wise advice from my wild older sister.

Body odor does not always come from puberty or being active, it can also come from stress, or health conditions such as diabetes or kidney diseases. If this is true for you, please visit your doctor if you suspect anything is amiss.

Here are a few ways to stay fresh if it isn’t medical.

As an active student myself who hangs with ballet dancers, swimmers and ball players daily, the advice they often give me is showering at least four times a week. Everyone is different, though. If body odor is strong, or a person is an athlete, chances are it is going to be at least once a day.

Deodorant is another way to stay smelling fresh. Let’s keep in mind, again, people do have sensitive skin. There are deodorants out there which are hypo-allergenic and unscented.

Some products out there such as Dove or a natural claimed brand, Toms, has worked for me. Unfortunately in terms of other brands it can be expensive as an alternative for college students on a budget.

In some cases, a person may prefer a natural alternatives to chemicals. Natural in this case is a deodorant which has no artificial chemicals, scents and are not tested on animals. From what I observed, it is still difficult to choose one at this time, since not all brands work for different people.

But at the end of the day, there are still people who do not wear deodorant at all. And they may not need to. But if you think you need to fix your smelly situation, look into some of these tips. To each their own.