Awkward Health Hassles—Solved! These Easy Fixes Help You Feel Fresh and Confident
Get relief from everything from foot odor to facial acne
Whether you’re chasing after the grandkids or catching up with friends at a luncheon, little issues like sweaty palms or foot odor can feel like big distractions. The good news? These awkward health hassles are incredibly common and incredibly easy to fix. With a few expert-backed tricks and household staples, you can stay confident, comfortable and fresh, no matter where the day takes you. From bad breath to blemishes, here’s how to handle the most common health hiccups quickly and discreetly so nothing gets in the way of your fun.
6 quick fixes for awkward health hassles
We all deal with awkward health hassles that can throw off our confidence. But with a few smart fixes, you can tackle them before they even start. Here’s how to feel more at ease in every situation.
Banish sweaty hands with a bathroom staple
The same antiperspirant you use to block underarm sweat works for hands too, notes a review in Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology. The trick: Apply a smooth layer over the palms of your hands just before bed the night before a meet-and-greet, then wash off any remaining residue in the morning. Since sweat glands are less active at night, applying before bed allows the active ingredient, aluminum chloride, to “plug” sweat glands more effectively, helping you shake hands with confidence for up to 24 hours.
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Freshen breath with a zinc lozenge
To lean in and share inside jokes without worry, dissolve a zinc lozenge in your mouth before you head to a get-together. Instead of masking odor like gum or mouthwash, zinc molecules kill bacteria that produce halitosis-triggering volatile sulfur compounds. The payoff: A single lozenge can fend off bad breath for up to 12 hours, suggests Stony Brook University research. Bonus: Zinc lowers your chance of catching a cold while you gab, suggests a study in Molecular Medicine.
Nix foot funk with milk of magnesia
Wish you could step out in your favorite strappy sandals without worrying whether you’re wafting off a funky foot odor? Give milk of magnesia a try. Japanese research suggests that dabbing cleansed feet with a cotton ball soaked in diluted milk of magnesia (also known as magnesium hydroxide) and letting it dry tames microbes responsible for foot funk, keeping feet fresh for up to 24 hours.
Block vaginal odor with bamboo
As temperatures climb, our underwear can start to feel like a tropical zone. And this hot and sticky situation can become a breeding ground for bacteria, notes a Hungarian review, which can boost embarrassing vaginal odors. To the rescue: bamboo! A surprising study in Thermal Science found that, compared to people wearing pure cotton, folks wearing bamboo underwear felt up to 25 percent cooler and experienced significantly more sweat evaporation. Even better, bamboo kept them more than twice as cool and dry compared to a natural-synthetic blend. Try: SERISIMPLE bamboo underwear.
Stop a nosebleed with a nasal spray
If a nosebleed strikes as you’re about to sit down to dinner with the family, grab Afrin (a.k.a. oxymetazoline) nasal spray from the bathroom cabinet. Very gently blow your nose, then mist two or three times into each nostril and pinch for at least five minutes, recommends the Mayo Clinic. A study in the Hawaii Medical Journal suggests this stops 75 percent of nosebleeds in their tracks and even helps prevent them from recurring by quickly constricting blood vessels in the nose.
Tame acne with clove oil
Still dealing with frustrating jawline breakouts long past your teen years? Adult acne is more common than ever, especially during menopause, when shifting hormones can increase inflammation and oil production. A fast fix: dab “meno-spots” that pop up along your jawline or chin with a drop of clove oil. Its eugenol tamps down inflammation and speeds healing, according to a Taiwanese study. Plus, the natural antimicrobial properties of clove oil help prevent future blemishes.
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