LIFE

You love your bestie more than anything, and since you guys are as tight as a pair of skinnies, you spend *a lot* of time together. Being super close is great, but it also means you know all of each other's faults. If your BFF is having a B.O. problem, it can be tricky territory. The smell may be distracting for you, you're probs worried about other people making fun of her, and you're afraid that bringing it up will make her hate you. UGH! GL has the details on how to deal.

Start subtle
It's possible that your bestie just doesn't use deodorant yet. Maybe she doesn't have an older sister or just hasn't had "the talk" with an adult in her life. You can open the conversation subtly in a few ways: If you're just chatting, say something like, "I feel like my deodorant doesn't work that well, especially after gym class—which do you use?" See where the convo goes from there! Or, if you're out at a drugstore trying out new lip glosses, turn to your friend and say, "Let's make sure to swing by the deodorant aisle next—I need to restock!" The subtle hints could jumpstart a casual talk about deodorant. 

Be honest
If the subtle hints don't seem to be working, you may have to have a more serious, possibly uncomfortable talk. Bring it up when you two are in a safe space, like one of your homes, and make sure no one else is around. You can broach the topic by saying something like, "Listen, I would really want you to tell me something like this if the roles were reversed..." Then, gently let her know that you can sometimes smell her body odor. Hopefully, she'll be open to it, but understand that she might get upset. If she does get mad, let her cool off for a while. We bet that when she calms down, she'll appreciate your honesty. 

Have her back
At the end of the day, your bestie is your bestie for a reason. And if you're smelling her body odor. chances are that other people notice it, too. If you overhear people talking or see your classmates chuckling when they're around her, stick by her side. The deodorant issue will clear up eventually, and you want to make sure that it doesn't come between you. 

Have you ever had to have an uncomfortable talk with a friend?

by Jacqueline F. | 9/8/2019