Fish oil has some incredible health benefits, all the way from supporting your heart and blood pressure to making your skin and hair look amazing. You can consume it as a capsule or take fish oil. Additionally, there are also some topical uses of fish oil for better health and beauty. That said, once you’re done with taking fish oil or applying it, there is a major issue to deal with—i.e. the smell. What to do about it?
Introducing The ‘Fishy’ Supplement To Your Daily Routine
What makes fish oil a sought-after best fish oil supplement, a matter of interest and discussion in many health and beauty magazines? The hype is real, and adding fish oil to your diet can do wonders for your physical and mental health.
Fish oil is a remarkable source of the essential omega 3 fatty acids—namely eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These are more than just fancy terms on your fish oil bottle label; EPA and DHA offer a plethora of amazing health advantages.
- Omega 3 fatty acids help regulate blood pressure and may prevent clots, leading to overall enhanced cardiac health.
- When it comes to bone and joint health, fish oil is a powerhouse of nutrition. The ‘good fat’ in fish oil helps improve joint mobility, while anti-inflammatory properties help with bone and joint pain and recovery.
- If you are looking for a supplement for amazing skin and lustrous hair, turn to fish oil. EPA and DHA not only contribute to cell growth, but the fat component moisturizes the skin and the follicles, giving you hydrated skin and healthy locks.
- EPA and DHA are also known as mental health boosters. Various studies show that these fatty acids are an integral part of brain development, and affect mood and memory too.
It’s not a surprise that fish oil is incredibly popular. In the world of nutrition and alternative medicine, experts frequently suggest fish oil supplements to address common ailments. While generally safe to take—in moderate quantities, of course—fish oil may lead to a few undesirable side effects, such as that signature ‘fishy’ odor.
How To Tackle Fish Oil Smell – A Brief Guide
As you can see above, there are perks after perks of incorporating fish oil into your daily routine. You can add fish oil (liquid) to your smoothies and salads. Alternatively, you can go for fish oil capsules.
For skin and hair, topical application of fish oil, alone or combined with other oils, gives you some superb healing and beauty benefits too. All that remains to manage is the smell that comes after taking fish oil orally or applying it.
For The Odor On the Skin With Topical Use
Using fish oil for dry patches on your skin or scalp? The resulting fishy odor is unavoidable, as there is no way around the smell unlike with consuming, where you can use fish oil with care. No worries, let’s focus on what you can do to get rid of fish oil odor on your skin, hair, and garments.
- To eliminate the fishy smell from your hair, a simple round of shampoo and rinse should do the trick. If that doesn’t work, try repeating the process. For severe smell, massaging lemon juice into your hair works. Dilute it to avoid it from affecting your hair, and shampoo it out after leaving it for 10 minutes—and you’re done!
- Do you have a fish oil odor lingering on your hands? Soap and water work well for mild odor. For a stronger fish smell on hand, once again, lemon juice is effective. For something stronger to cut out a truly pungent fish feel, go for rubbing vinegar on your hands. Rinse your hands well afterward and apply a moisturizer to prevent dryness.
- Garments can retain fish oil smell—or most smells for that matter—longer than skin. To remedy this, put your clothes in the wash soon after you get fish oil on them. If detergent alone is not effective, soak the clothes in a mixture that contains 20 parts water and one part vinegar. 15 minutes should be enough soak time to get rid of the smell. Wash your clothes as you normally do afterward.
For The Fishy Breathe If Consuming
There are two ways you can go about dealing with the fishy breath and burps post-eating. You can go for preventative care, which essentially means consuming your fish oil the right way:
- Excessive fish oil consumption leads to acid reflux, gas, bloating, and bad breath—the complete dreary-gut package. Avoid too much fish oil—or a stronger dosage of EPA and DHA fatty acids too. The recommended daily dosage of fish oil for a healthy adult is up to 500mg of EPA and DHA combined.
- Check that label to make sure you’re in the safe space between the production date and the best-before date. However, expiration dates are not the solo factor; your supplement may go bad sooner depending on storage and weather conditions. If your fish oil smells fishy in a bad way (less ocean-y, more fish market), it’s time to chuck it.
- Steer clear of poor quality and unpurified fish oil. Cheap, low-quality fish oil has negative effects on your gut. To make sure you walk around sans a bad fishy smell, choose products with third-party testing for purity and potency.
- Avoid risky food pairings with fish oil. While there is much debate about taking dairy with fish and fish products, it is best to play it safe. When taking fish oil liquid or capsule, avoid dairy products before and after consuming—for at least an hour.
In case you do end up getting acid reflux and the subsequent bad breath, then you can take medicine. Mouthwash helps eliminate the bad breath to some extent.
Bottom Line: Evading The Fish Oil Stink Effectively
Remember that these side effects are not common, but rather usually the result of overuse, expired/rancid fish oil, interaction with other foods and medicine, and premature digestion.
Also, you may not tolerate fish oil due to allergies or sensitivities. If you are allergic to certain seafood or have trouble eating fish due to dislike or a sensitive gut, then chances are fish oil may be tricky for you to consume with ease. Talk to your physician, as they can help you work your way around your sensitivities by suggesting specific brands of fish oil, or an alternative source of omega 3.
