Personal cleanliness and good hygiene practices are essential for health and social reasons. In fact, people who are perceived as smelly or unclean are often ostracized by others. To put your best foot forward, it's best to practice healthy hygiene habits daily.

Personal hygiene refers to the comprehensive cleaning of and caring for your body. Maintaining good personal hygiene includes bathing, washing your hands, brushing your teeth and wearing clean clothing. It also includes making safe and healthy decisions when interacting with others.

Hand sanitizers are popular alternatives to antibacterial soap for busy parents. However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has expressed concern that these chemicals may increase bacterial resistance to infection when overused. They also pose poisoning risks to babies who place everything in their mouth.

Jalapeno peppers have a tart bell pepper-like flavor with a spicy kick. Although jalapenos are milder than many peppers – less than 10,000 on the Scoville scale vs. the cayenne pepper, which comes in at over 30,000 – some may still find the pepper too hot.

Children often hear parents or teachers reminding them to wash their hands throughout the day, but adults could use some reminding as well. A 2003-04 Minnesota Department of Health study observed hand washing behavior in public restrooms at three events.

Bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic diseases exist on the skin and in mucus, blood and other body fluids. Some germs are transferred through inhalation and others are obtained by touch.

Many people hate to sweat, but perspiration has an important job -- it cools your body off and prevents overheating. It may become a nuisance, though, if you sweat at the drop of a hat. Scalp sweat is especially problematic. It can ruin a carefully crafted hairstyle and give your scalp an unwanted shine.

For many people, antiperspirant alone is enough to keep body odor at bay, but others suffer from excessive sweating and underarm odor that doesn't seem to go away. If you're in the latter camp, you don't need to live with this embarrassing problem. In part, how you smell depends on what you eat, drink and wear.

Personal hygiene is a topic often brought up during the pre-teen and teen years when a youngster's body is developing. However, there are times when adults need to be reminded about personal care as well. When subtle hints about showering or using deodorant have no effect, a conversation is the next step.

Because of their convenience and portability, hand sanitizers can literally be a lifesaver. Whether you're camping or simply faced with a portable toilet at a public event, hand sanitizers can be the next best thing to hand washing.

Washing hands is a basic hygiene skill for kids. The earlier a child learns to properly wash his hands, the greater defense he has against germs that may cause illness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend washing hands with soap and warm water, scrubbing for about 20 seconds.

Having good personal hygiene practices means taking care of yourself and leading a healthy lifestyle. Personal hygiene habits and techniques should be instilled by parents to their children at a very young age.