The career ladder that has become the most sought after exercise has its staircase full of the young, the smart and the gullible - all striving to beat the other in a race that knows no bounds. As the race picks momentum, the inclined steps prove to be a challenge to most climbers, as they strive to hit the goldmine.

Being a tough game, everyone is prone to sweating as a result of physical exhaustion or stress. Though a natural occurrence, the emission develops into an awful smell. As wonders would have it, the smell is not easily detected by the person from whom it is emitted; instead,  much of its effects are easily sensed by other nearby persons.

Sweat causes much embarrassment and robs people of their dignity and respect. It has led to lost business deals, thwarted opportunities and shattered relationships- mishaps that could be well managed and prevented in good time.

To avoid smelly-sweaty moments, a little drop of perfume comes in handy. One can choose to wear a deodorant; a substance which removes or conceals unpleasant bodily odors. It usually comes in different packages of liquid bottles and cans. You can also wear perfume; a fragrant liquid or solid typically made from essential oils used to impart a pleasant smell. This is also called ‘cologne’, after a famous city in Germany that was synonymous with perfume processing. Cologne was a place of leisure and pleasure.  Perfumes are meant for clothes but not skin contact, except for those incorporated in soap and other cosmetics.

Also good for you are antiperspirants; substances applied to prevent or reduce perspiration. Far from the notion that antiperspirants and deodorants are the same thing, they aren’t. Antiperspirants work by clogging, or blocking the skin pores with powerful astringents that cause contraction of cells and other body tissues, so that they can’t release sweat, while deodorants work by neutralizing the smell of the sweat and antiseptic action against bacteria. Deodorants are preferable because they don’t interfere with sweating, a natural body cooling process.

Good colognes cost much more than ordinary cosmetics due to the amount of relatively costly chemicals used in the production. However, most low income persons can make ‘their own’ perfumes from home. A mixture of baking soda works wonders because it neutralizes the odor of sweat.

Though good for our image, perfumes have side effects that are both direct and indirect. Antiperspirants contain Aluminium salts that affect the proper functioning of the brain. Perfumes and other sharp fragrances can enter the body through inhalation, ingestion, or absorption. The first indicator of a fragrance irritation or allergy is usually a skin rash after the use of a perfume, cream, or lotion. Reactions to fragrances include breathing problems and contact dermatitis (an itchy and inflamed skin rash).

Once a person has developed fragrance irritation, it is likely that the sensitivity will grow over time and with repeated exposure to the perfume. Irritation may result into an uneasiness that may also cost you another business deal. You’ve got to be on the watch out all the time. Using excess perfume is also a common practice that is not only irritating but also causes side effects to the people around you. Respiratory infections may be activated especially for persons with allergy.

There are currently mild colognes that can be worn and will not necessarily cause any side effects to the person wearing them. Using little amounts of perfume reduces the risk of contacting any infections. When selecting perfumes, it is necessary to observe the concentration levels and the ‘sharpness’ of the smell. This will reduce chances of causing more irritation to the people around you, instead of making the air fresher!