Day SEVEN: Under there.

Okay, this is a delicate topic...one that I've looked around and around and haven't seen approached much in the world of blogging. I've decided to take it on. What am I talking about? Moisture and odor that forms under...delicate folds of skin. Now, this may not affect everybody, but I'm willing to bet with the number of women today who struggle with their weight, we all have encountered once or twice a problem area in a "skin fold". (Think, under your belly if it hangs, in the folds between thigh and pelvis, under your breasts in the summer heat.....boys, you have places too...)

EWWWWWW, right? Right. I'm right there with you. Ew.

So...what can be done about this? Well, we could all loose weight and tone up! Wait what? Oh right..that won't work in the immediate will it. I'm sure it's something we are all striving to do anyway, but what about RIGHT NOW when it's hot outside, sticky and you're stuck in a crowded office with bad air circulation wearing tight panty hose and wishing for death? Okay, take a deep breath.

The first step is keeping the area dry. Easy right? No..probably not. It's a problem area for a reason: that's a problem. We sweat. We get nervous or drink to much coffee and voila, problem. So now what?

Deodorant helps (not the over the counter kind though, which has aliminum and other things you don't want on delicate skin). Consider the kind we made earlier this week...with a little tea tree oil (anti-fungal). It puts some cornstarch or arrowroot powder to the area which will absorb some of the moisture. After rubbing it in well, make sure the area is DRY (don't rub with a towel though, we're talking about delicate skin). A fan works, or a blow dry set to cool. Not the sexiest thing in the world but...you know. We do what we have to do. Wear loose clothing if you can to help keep the area dry and aerated. Skip the pantyhose.

I've also found using a bit of baking soda on my fingers mixed with water to gently wash the area is very helpful. Do this while bathing and rinse well afterwards! The baking soda helps to make the area a bit more alkaline, which will help ward off bacterial growth. Following this up with deodorant seems to do pretty good. Again, this is all personal experience, not medical advice.

If you have continued odor, irritation or any sort of rash...you need to see a doctor. Yeast can grow in those areas, as can bacteria and you may have a skin infection  (intertrigo) especially if you've been struggling with this for a while.

If you have yeast problems in other delicate areas (ladies) and they are reccurent, do consider looking into a diet for Candida. http://www.thecandidadiet.com/ or http://www.gapsdiet.com/ (both address this issue). Sometimes you have to work from the outside in.

I hope you've enjoyed my 7 day spree into the world of beauty. I'm trying to learn to love my lumpy/bumpy, CURVY, lush body and I'm certainly enjoying learning what it is trying to tell me.