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Millions of Brits admit their odour has held them back in life, a study found.
Research carried out among 2,000 adults found 30 per cent have avoided talking to someone amid a fear they will be offended by the smell of body odour or musty clothing.
And one in 10 have avoided asking someone out of a date.
A further four in 10 have felt the need to isolate themselves and so avoid close proximity with others due to fears they didn't smell as good as they should.
As well as work and social events, body odour has led to one in 10 avoiding working out at the gym and doing workout classes with others.
Over one third said the fear of smelling unpleasant has even held them back from hugging someone.
It also emerged four in 10 have been aware of their aroma at an interview and a further 36 per cent take pains not to give off a bad whiff in the office. Another 37 per cent said they are most self-conscious of the issue on dates.
The research was conducted by Lenor Unstoppables Active, which has an in-wash scent booster designed for sportswear, with odour shield technology said to deliver motion and moisture activated freshness to clothes.
Their spokeswoman, Laura Mcilwaine said: “We live such active, busy lives these days, and increasingly live in our gym kit.
''However, synthetic fabrics trap bad smells, meaning active wear is hard to keep fresh and this can really affect your confidence.
''We’re all looking for a solution to ensure we stay fresh and feel unstoppable no matter what, whether we’re going about our day or hitting it hard in the gym.”
The research also revealed body odour is Brits’ least favourite scent to smell on themselves and their clothes, followed by smoke, sweat and mould.
As a consequence 38 per cent admitted spraying their clothes with deodorant to get rid of such smells.
Smelling unpleasant makes six in 10 feel self-conscious and another 47 per cent report smelling unpleasant leaves them with a ‘dirty’ feeling.
A bad personal odour also leaves one third of Brits feeling unhappy and unattractive.
By comparison, favourite smells overall are freshly cut grass, coffee and bacon.
One in five felt more attractive when they know they smell good, and 55 per cent reported an upswing in confidence when they’re pleasantly fragrant.
Freshly washed laundry was fourth on the list of favourite smells, and newly baked cakes placed in fifth of the smells we love to get our noses around.
One in five even think smelling nice in the gym helps them be more confident with they’re exercising – more so than working out with a partner or listening to a playlist.
This leads to better results, and almost half of the population admit to specifically wearing gym or active-wear twice a week or more as they know they’re going to get sweaty.
Social media influencer and personal trainer Healthy Chef Steph Elswood, who has recently partnered with Lenor Unstoppables Active, said “I’m a very active person, and we all know the more active you are, the more you sweat and the more you clothes stink.
“There’s nothing worse than working out and feeling self-conscious about the unmistakable scent of your clothes, so it’s so exciting to have found the solution to keeping my active-wear super fresh, no matter how much I sweat.”
The survey, conducted by OnePoll, also revealed three quarters said it’s either ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ important to them that their clothes smell good.
THE TOP 15 SMELLS WE HATE
1. Body odour
2. Sour milk
3. Mould
4. Sweat
5. Stagnant water
6. Armpits
7. Dirty socks
8. Musty clothes
9. Damp walls
10. Cooked cabbage
11. Petrol
12. Unwashed clothes
13. Chlorine
14. Mouldy bananas
15. Nail varnish remover
THE TOP 15 SMELLS WE LOVE
1. Freshly cut grass
2. Coffee
3. Bacon
4. Fresh laundry
5. Baked cakes
6. Fresh air
7. Fish and chips
8. The ocean
9. Vanilla
10. Christmas tree pine
11. Chocolate
12. Coconut
13. BBQs
14. Baby powder
15. Petrol
ENDS
