Apple cider vinegar: Mix apple cider vinegar with a small amount of water in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture onto your armpits. The acid in vinegar helps kill bacteria. Lemon juice: Mix lemon juice and water in a spray bottle.
Many people experience smelly armpits from time to time. When people sweat, the liquid mixes with the bacteria on the skin. When this dries, it can cause an unpleasant smell. Several remedies are available for excessive sweating, including over-the-counter treatments, prescription medications, injections, and more.
Hydrocortisone cream and calamine lotion are both effective home treatments for an irritated and inflamed armpit rash. A candida rash or other fungal rash requires a different approach. Try over-the-counter antifungal treatments that contain clotrimazole, nystatin, or ketoconazole.
The culprit is an enzyme called C-T lyase, found in the bacterium Staphylococcus hominis, which dwells in human armpits. These bacteria feed on odorless chemicals released in sweat, which the enzyme then converts into thioalcohols—a pungent compound responsible for the offending smell.
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.
Body Odor Treatments
Try a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water to fight body odor. Use 1 teaspoon of peroxide (3%) to 1 cup (8 ounces) of water. Wipe this on affected areas (underarms, feet, groin) with a washcloth. This may help destroy some of the bacteria that create odor.
What causes the unpleasant smell is the bacteria that build up on your sweaty skin and react with sweat and oils to grow and multiply when sweat reacts with bacteria on the skin. These bacteria break down proteins and fatty acids, causing body odor in the process.
Apply some apple cider vinegar
"Apple cider vinegar is a great natural underarm deodorant," says Georgianna Donadio, PhD. She suggests applying it directly to your armpits to kill body odor.
How is an armpit yeast infection treated? Treatment for your armpit yeast infection may include an antifungal medication. Your healthcare provider may recommend an antifungal cream, ointment, powder or other solution. You can apply the antifungal directly onto the infected area of your skin.
Deodorant users may have had microbial populations comparable in size to those with stinky pits, but the perfumed product seems to turn the bacterial ratio on its head: Those subjects had an average of 61 percent Staphylococcaceae and 29 percent Corynebacterium, with 10 percent left to other opportunistic microbes.
When your body temperature rises, these glands release fluids that cool your body as they evaporate. Apocrine glands are found in areas where you have hair, such as your armpits and groin. These glands release a milky fluid when you're stressed. This fluid is odorless until it combines with bacteria on your skin.
Armpit boil symptoms
The bacterial infection causes a hollow space around the follicle that fills with pus. If the area of infection increases around the hair follicle, the boil will grow larger. Symptoms of a boil include: red, pinkish bump.
Skin infections caused by viruses usually result in red welts or blisters that can be itchy and/or painful. Meanwhile, fungal infections usually present with a red, scaly and itchy rash with occasional pustules.
Mix about 1/4 tsp. baking soda with a small amount of lukewarm water in a bowl until it forms a paste. Apply the paste to your underarms, gently patting it onto your skin with your fingertips. Make sure the paste is completely dry before getting dressed.
Apple cider vinegar can help body odor by reducing the pH of the skin. This lowers the pH level of the underarm area and prevents foul-smelling bacteria from growing there. It also acts as a natural astringent, closing the pores and reducing sweat production.
If the deodorant doesn't work, consider another old-fashioned remedy you haven't tried: baking soda. It changes the pH of the armpit and helps to keep it dry, and both of those things help get rid of odor.