Good Hygiene Habits

Phew! What's that smell? Well it won't be you if you have good hygiene habits! Keeping yourself clean and tidy is very important, especially as you are growing up. It will make you look better, smell better and it can even stop you getting ill. Take a look at our 5 top tips to keep you looking and feeling your best. 1. Take a bath or shower Every kid sweats, but as you start to reach puberty you may find your sweat starts to smell. This sweaty smell is called Body Odour (BO) and it is caused when sweat reacts with bacteria on your skin, especially in places such as your armpits and your feet. The best way to get rid of BO is to take a bath or shower every day. You should use a mild soap or shower gel and warm water to wash your body all over to get rid of any bacteria and dirt. If you sweat a lot or play a lot of sport you may want to wear a scented deodorant which you spray or roll on your under arms in the morning to kill bacteria. However a deodorant is no substitute for clean skin so make sure you are clean before you put it on. 2. Wear Clean Clothes There's no point putting dirty clothes on a clean body! First of all, make sure you change your underwear and socks every single day. Some items of clothing you may be able to wear a couple of times before they need washing such as trousers or jumpers but anything that is dirty or smelly should be put in the washing basket. 3. Take Care of Your Hair Your scalp produces oil and sweat which sticks to your hair so you need to wash it regularly to stop it getting dirty and greasy. To wash your hair you need to wet it and squirt a little bit of shampoo in the palm of your hand. Rub the shampoo into your scalp using your finger tips to loosen the dirt before rinsing it out. If you have long hair you may need to use a conditioner which will make it easier to brush out the tangles. How often you need to wash your hair will depend on what activities you have been doing and how quickly your hair gets greasy. 4. Brush Your Teeth It's very important to keep your teeth clean. If you don't brush your teeth twice a day you might end up with rotten teeth, gum disease and bad breath. 5. Wash Your Hands You should wash your hands with soap and warm water before eating or touching food and after handling pets or going to the toilet as it will kill germs that could make you ill.