Let’s face it, in the United States, a pungent body aroma is not going to make you the life of the party. So powerful is our cultural distaste for body odor that every day, some 95 percent of all Americans over the age of 12 reach for one product or another that will enable them to feel safe and secure in the company of others.

Body odor begins with sweat. The body has two types of sweat glands, and both types produce sweat that is made up largely of water. The eccrine glands, which are located on almost every part of the body, produce the sweat that cools the body. The apocrine glands, which are located in the armpits, around the nipples, and in the groin, produce sweat whose function, at least in modern times, is not clear. One thing is obvious, however. The sweat from the apocrine glands can make you stink, because it contains a substantial amount of oil, which provides food for bacteria. It’s this bacterial feeding frenzy that causes the offensive odor. Here’s what the experts recommend you do to come up smelling like roses:

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