Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.
Caroline joined Boston-based SmarterTravel in 2011 after living in Ireland, London, and Manhattan. She's traveled to all seven continents, jumped out of planes, and bungeed off bridges in the pursuit of a good story. She loves exploring off-the-beaten path destinations, anything outdoorsy, and all things adventure.
Her stories have also appeared online at USA Today, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Yahoo, Boston.com, TripAdvisor, Buzzfeed, Jetsetter, Oyster, Airfarewatchdog, and others.
The Handy Item I Always Pack: "Earplugs. A good pair has saved my sleep and sanity many times!"
Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro.
Travel Motto: "Don't be boring."
Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle (when the first class private suite isn't available)."
Ever been stuck next to that person on the plane who has a powerful body odor? What if that smelly flyer is you?
Reasons You Smell Bad When Traveling
Here are some of the reasons you may smell bad while traveling, plus tips on what to do about it.
Dehydration
Traveling—and flying especially—can make you dehydrated. You may be walking more, or simply forgetting to drink the same amount of water you sip when you’re sitting at your desk. Dehydration is not only unhealthy, it is a major cause of bad breath, too. So be sure to drink plenty of water when you’re on the road. (Coffee doesn’t count—caffeinated drinks also contribute to bad breath and dehydration.) Try one of these collapsible water bottles (that way you can easily bring them through security and fill them up once you get through).
Wearing the same shoes every day (which is common while traveling, due to limited space), can increase foot odor. Try wearing one pair and packing another, so you can switch off and give one pair time to air out. Wearing moisture-wicking socks can also help, as can applying foot powder.
Stress Sweat
Traveling can be stressful. Unfortunately, your body can react to rough situations with sweat. Making matters even worse, stress-induced sweating is smellier than regular perspiration. When you’re anxious, your body produces sweat from the apocrine glands, which attracts more odor-causing bacteria than sweat caused by heat or workouts. Try packing a stronger deodorant for your trip, especially if you anticipate stressful situations.
You’re Sick
Matej Kastelic/Shutterstock
It’s easy to get sick while traveling: You can get run down, plus planes are germ factories. If you’ve picked up a cold (or are suffering from allergies), you may find yourself with a stuffy nose and bad breath. That foul breath is caused by post-nasal drip in the back of your mouth. Staying healthy is always the first line of defense, but if you are sick, be sure to up your teeth-brushing/mouth-washing/gum-chewing game.
Eating a new type of cuisine can mess with your body odor, turning it from sweet to sour. Watch out for bad B.O. culprits like cruciferous vegetables, red meat, fish, and processed junk foods, all of which can cause a bad olfactory turn.
Overindulging in Local Drinks
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There’s nothing wrong with wanting to try one or two of the special local cocktails or brews while you’re traveling. But if you drink too much alcohol, you might still smell like the bar the next morning. According to Men’s Health, stouts and other dark alcohols cause more of a stench than clearer spirits, like vodka.
Maybe you’re too busy to eat or just trying to save money by skipping lunch while traveling in an expensive destination. You might wind up with hunger pains and bad breath, as not eating can cause a breakdown in body chemicals known as Ketoacidosis, which results in stinky smells. Beat this by packing some healthy snacks to bring with you on your trip.
All of the products featured in this story were hand-selected by our travel editors. Some of the links featured in this story are affiliate links, and SmarterTravel may collect a commission (at no cost to you) if you shop through them.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2015. It has been updated to reflect the most current information.
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