Showering a few times a week, especially after you exercise or do other activities that make you sweat, may be enough to rid you of body odor without drying out or irritating your skin. After your shower or bath, apply an antiperspirant and deodorant.
These glands release a milky fluid when you are stressed and are odorless until they come into contact with bacteria. Hair is particularly prone to trapping bacteria, which is why men are more likely to smell even after showering. In other words, lingering underarm odor is caused by enduring bacteria.
Body odor is caused by a mix of bacteria and sweat on your skin. Your body odor can change due to hormones, the food you eat, infection, medications or underlying conditions like diabetes. Prescription-strength antiperspirants or medications may help.
Shower daily and wash your underarms with an antibacterial soap (consider showering twice a day if you sweat excessively) While in the shower fill your hand with hydrogen peroxide and splash and rub it into each of your underarms.
Expect to Detox
If you've been using conventional deodorant or antiperspirant for years, it can take 2-4 weeks to detox and release all of the aluminum in your pits that's been preventing you from sweating.
Body odor can be quite embarrassing but it is very normal. Some individuals may be more pungent than others due to various lifestyle factors like diet and exercise, as well as factors beyond our control, like genetics and medical conditions. So, is it possible to remove body odor permanently? The short answer is no.
Right after you wash your hair, the sebaceous glands are hard at work to rebalance the oil on your scalp. Bacteria, yeast, and fungi feast on the sebum, and the results of their metabolic activity are what you can smell.
Thoroughly washing, using antiperspirants, and shaving may all assist a person in managing unwanted body odor. If symptoms persist, a doctor may recommend prescription treatments and, in some cases, surgery. Body odor and excessive sweating may also be indicators of an underlying health condition.
According to Lifehacker, it can be quite difficult to detect your own body odors because the receptors in your nose shut down after smelling the same scent for too long.
Antibacterial soaps
Dial® is a great example of a common antibacterial soap. It can be a little too harsh to wash the entire body with, but is great for the areas that have a tendency to produce unwanted odor. My male patients particularly love it. Hibiclens® is another alternative and also available over-the-counter.
With a little patience, I discovered it is possible to wean your body off of the chemical antiperspirants. I rarely notice issues with excess perspiration or stinky pits, even after my heavy workouts. It's time we really take notice of what we're putting on our bodies just as much as we care about what we put in them.
The bottom line
Body odor naturally changes as you age. For older people, this change in smell is likely due to an increase in levels of a compound called 2-nonenal. No matter the cause, there's no reason to run from these changes.
Our underarm hair traps the moisture on our skin, giving bacteria more time to produce the bad smells that you want to avoid. Shaving your armpit hair can help maximise the effectiveness of the antiperspirants that you use.
Daily showering, anti-bacterial soap, and the right underarm product can help control body odor. You can also try wearing breathable fabrics, avoiding certain foods, and shaving or trimming body hair.
We are naturally going to use our dominant side more, so the increased activity may produce more sweat and bacteria. If you are right-handed like most of the world, you will use that arm more and produce sweat that leads to molecules that release Organosulfur compounds called Thioalcohols which contain pungent odor.
Foods that tend to make you sweat more, such as hot peppers or other spicy foods, might also lead to body odor. And the aroma of foods like onions or garlic can be carried in your sweat. Drinks with caffeine or alcohol may also make you sweat more.