Life is full of smells, which are important to our survival. They tell you what is fit to eat and what is spoiled. They even tell you who you should mate with and who you shouldn't. But sometimes you just need to escape from OPS (other people's smell) whether created from poor hygiene, too much overindulging, or poor life choices. A wearable carbon filter (like What The Smell) will save you from all OPS, but how politely you deal with the perpetrator is entirely up to you.
Poor hygiene smells are caused by lack of showering or inadequate oral hygiene and sometimes not wearing deodorant. Since the offending person may not be aware of the odor or may have a disorder that causes him/her to reek, you should try to be polite about it. When no one else is around, gently, but directly, explain that showering/brushing/deodorant wearing would be really beneficial and ask if they are having any challenges in this area that you could offer advice on. Sure it is awkward, but the alternative is worse.
Overindulging happens to the best of us because that indian buffet was sooooo delicious or because Tuesday's happy hour got a little nutty. But forcing others to ingest your aftermath (aka airborne poop particles) is particularly rude. There is no need to tread lightly in this case. Just slide over a pack of Subtle Butt fart pads and encourage the stinker to go to the bathroom and stick one in. Temporary problem solved.
Poor life choices like cigarettes and over-scenting are just unfortunate for the rest of us. I can generally deal with someone not showering, but make me walk out of an international airport terminal or put me on a train next to a guy jacked up on Axe and I start to lose my lunch. In these cases where there was a conscientious choice to engage in the act, I have no qualms donning a What The Smell to otherwise spare the world from my vomit odor and simultaneously to passive-aggressively say, "You stink." Isn't that a win-win?
Kim Castellano is the founder and chief inventor of Fashion First Aid. A former attorney, she left law in 1999 to sell Garment Guard, the first disposable adhesive underarm shields, and landed Nordstrom as one of her first accounts. She has since created more than 55 products for the problems people would rather not talk about, and holds several patents and trademarks on them.
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