How to avoid Con Funk
Also posted to my Tumblr.
We’ve all experienced it. The overly ripe con goer who seems to carry their own less than savory bubble of air about them. I mean… I guess that’s a way to get a little more space around yourself at a con, but if you want to be able to interact with people, you’ll have to lose the pocket atmosphere of doom you carry around.
Quick list for those that don’t want to read the whole post:
1) Shower daily
2) Deodorant/Anti Antiperspirant
3) Brush teeth daily
4) Breath mints/gum/breath strips
5) Fresh clothes
1) Showers
Chances are you’re staying at a hotel, and the glorious thing about hotels? They don’t care if you take an extra shower each day of your stay. I’ve found most people prefer to shower in the morning as part of their wake up and go ritual. But after a full day of walking around, interacting with others and sweating… do you really want to change into clean pajamas and slip into a bed with fresh sheets with your sweaty all day funky self? Take a shower some time before bed to wash off the day’s dirt. You can take another quick shower in the morning if you like, just pass on the soap. Hot water and soap dry your skin, and you’ll still be clean after a good night’s rest.
Now I know some prefer baths, so try this: Shower to cleanse in the evening and then take a nice soaking bath to relax.
2) Deodorant/Antiperspirant
I know some people are allergic/sensitive to deodorant/antiperspirant, so this doesn’t really apply to you as I’m sure you have some other kind of system in place to lessen body odor.
For those that don’t use protection but can, yes, we can smell you. Yes we know you’re not wearing protection and NO, heavy use of perfume/scented body spray is not a substitute for deodorant/antiperspirant. Smelling heavily like [insert flower or flavor of the month] is not any better than smelling regular body funk. (And some people are allergic/sensitive to perfume/body spray.) It is better to not smell you than walk into a wall of funk mixed with flowers. Seriously, that’s what happens and we can taste it. Most glide on protection is inexpensive and comes in travel size.
3) Oral hygiene
If you have halitosis don’t expect to be holding long conversations with anyone. Bad breath is just as bad as bad body odor. Brush at least once daily with toothpaste. Bypassing the arguments on what type of toothpaste works best, I’m in the ‘if it gets you to brush daily it’s worth it’ camp.
I like to go the whole nine yards: floss, brush, rinse with mouthwash. Having bits of yesterday’s meal stuck in your teeth can be embarrassing when you’ve finally scored that one-on-one conversation with your favourite celebrity. And mouthwash helps to clear out those last bits of germs and such, leaving your mouth minty fresh.
4) Breath mints/gum/breath strips
So in between times you brush, after meals or just when you want/need a refresher, have a pack of a refresher on hand. I really like those handy packs of Listerine breath strips. They dissolve almost instantly (no chewing or worrying about finding a place to dispose of chewed gum), take up almost no space in your pocket and you get more per pack than your average roll of breath mints or pack of gum. (Win win!)
As a bonus, having a pack of mints (or whatnot) on hand can score you brownie points with your buddies when they need a refresher before they speak to their fav celeb and can serve as a hint to someone who should consider finding a toothbrush.
5) Fresh clothes
When I plan for a trip I always bring 1-2 extra sets of clothing. (That is sets; top, bottom and under.) If halfway thru the day something gets spilled on your shirt, you have a spare. If you plan on going to a late night party or get together and your current clothes are funky/sweaty from the day you are covered. As a bonus, you have extra clothes to choose from each day.
If you don’t want to bring extra clothes, make use of the hotel’s coin laundry. Don’t reuse those pants from Friday on Sunday without washing. Keep in mind that your clothes absorb the sweat from your body and will catch the dirt/etc from whatever you bumped into. Do you really want to reuse Friday’s clothes before washing them? That $5 to wash a small load is totally worth your comfort and health.
I think in the end it’s important to appeal to a person’s greed. You want to chat up that celebrity? Get some tips from that awesome artist? Haggle with a dealer? Debate about the best strategy in your game of choice? Get the contact info of that attractive con goer in the superhero costume? Presentation is the key, and that’s not just how you look but also how you smell. So wash regularly and don’t reuse funky clothes. You’re at a convention and have the chance to interact with many others of similar interests (that’s awesome!); don’t chase ‘em away before you have the chance to even introduce yourself.
We’ve all experienced it. The overly ripe con goer who seems to carry their own less than savory bubble of air about them. I mean… I guess that’s a way to get a little more space around yourself at a con, but if you want to be able to interact with people, you’ll have to lose the pocket atmosphere of doom you carry around.
Quick list for those that don’t want to read the whole post:
1) Shower daily
2) Deodorant/Anti Antiperspirant
3) Brush teeth daily
4) Breath mints/gum/breath strips
5) Fresh clothes
1) Showers
Chances are you’re staying at a hotel, and the glorious thing about hotels? They don’t care if you take an extra shower each day of your stay. I’ve found most people prefer to shower in the morning as part of their wake up and go ritual. But after a full day of walking around, interacting with others and sweating… do you really want to change into clean pajamas and slip into a bed with fresh sheets with your sweaty all day funky self? Take a shower some time before bed to wash off the day’s dirt. You can take another quick shower in the morning if you like, just pass on the soap. Hot water and soap dry your skin, and you’ll still be clean after a good night’s rest.
Now I know some prefer baths, so try this: Shower to cleanse in the evening and then take a nice soaking bath to relax.
2) Deodorant/Antiperspirant
I know some people are allergic/sensitive to deodorant/antiperspirant, so this doesn’t really apply to you as I’m sure you have some other kind of system in place to lessen body odor.
For those that don’t use protection but can, yes, we can smell you. Yes we know you’re not wearing protection and NO, heavy use of perfume/scented body spray is not a substitute for deodorant/antiperspirant. Smelling heavily like [insert flower or flavor of the month] is not any better than smelling regular body funk. (And some people are allergic/sensitive to perfume/body spray.) It is better to not smell you than walk into a wall of funk mixed with flowers. Seriously, that’s what happens and we can taste it. Most glide on protection is inexpensive and comes in travel size.
3) Oral hygiene
If you have halitosis don’t expect to be holding long conversations with anyone. Bad breath is just as bad as bad body odor. Brush at least once daily with toothpaste. Bypassing the arguments on what type of toothpaste works best, I’m in the ‘if it gets you to brush daily it’s worth it’ camp.
I like to go the whole nine yards: floss, brush, rinse with mouthwash. Having bits of yesterday’s meal stuck in your teeth can be embarrassing when you’ve finally scored that one-on-one conversation with your favourite celebrity. And mouthwash helps to clear out those last bits of germs and such, leaving your mouth minty fresh.
4) Breath mints/gum/breath strips
So in between times you brush, after meals or just when you want/need a refresher, have a pack of a refresher on hand. I really like those handy packs of Listerine breath strips. They dissolve almost instantly (no chewing or worrying about finding a place to dispose of chewed gum), take up almost no space in your pocket and you get more per pack than your average roll of breath mints or pack of gum. (Win win!)
As a bonus, having a pack of mints (or whatnot) on hand can score you brownie points with your buddies when they need a refresher before they speak to their fav celeb and can serve as a hint to someone who should consider finding a toothbrush.
5) Fresh clothes
When I plan for a trip I always bring 1-2 extra sets of clothing. (That is sets; top, bottom and under.) If halfway thru the day something gets spilled on your shirt, you have a spare. If you plan on going to a late night party or get together and your current clothes are funky/sweaty from the day you are covered. As a bonus, you have extra clothes to choose from each day.
If you don’t want to bring extra clothes, make use of the hotel’s coin laundry. Don’t reuse those pants from Friday on Sunday without washing. Keep in mind that your clothes absorb the sweat from your body and will catch the dirt/etc from whatever you bumped into. Do you really want to reuse Friday’s clothes before washing them? That $5 to wash a small load is totally worth your comfort and health.
I think in the end it’s important to appeal to a person’s greed. You want to chat up that celebrity? Get some tips from that awesome artist? Haggle with a dealer? Debate about the best strategy in your game of choice? Get the contact info of that attractive con goer in the superhero costume? Presentation is the key, and that’s not just how you look but also how you smell. So wash regularly and don’t reuse funky clothes. You’re at a convention and have the chance to interact with many others of similar interests (that’s awesome!); don’t chase ‘em away before you have the chance to even introduce yourself.