For many people, the constant underarm odor is an annoying and frustrating problem that is difficult to get rid of. Whether due to a stressful lifestyle, a poor diet, illness, or hormonal problems, the smell of very strong sweat can even be traumatic in some cases.
If you want to completely eliminate underarm odor and get rid of this problem for good, the following article is ideal for you. Next, from oneHOWTO, we will reveal everything you need to know about the reasons why this odor occurs and we will teach you how to remove bad underarm odor with home remedies and practical solutions once and for all.
Causes of underarm odor
The bad smell of armpits is explained, generally, due to the perspiration produced by the sweat glands that we have in the skin. There are two types of sweat glands: eccrine and apocrine glands.
The eccrine glands: are the most common and those found in most areas of our body. The sweat produced by these glands is normally odorless.
The apocrine glands : they are the ones found in areas such as the armpits, the groin, or around the genitals, they produce a thicker sweat that, consequently, does not evaporate easily. To this we must add the fact that the areas in which the apocrine glands are located are parts of the body with bacteria that, by joining with the sweat that these glands give off in the dermis, unleash a strong and annoying odor.
Although the smell that each person gives off will depend on their diet, lifestyle and medical history, it is often a problem that cannot be controlled. There are people who, despite taking optimal care of their personal hygiene, have more apocrine glands than other people, something that can produce a stronger odor.
Other causes of underarm odor
If you ask yourself this question, you should know that there are different reasons that come into play and that you should consider:
- Personal hygiene: Although it is true that many people cannot do anything to avoid bad odor, poor personal hygiene is still one of the main causes of axillary bromhidrosis. It is essential to shower daily, lather well, use neutral soaps that do not alter the pH of the skin, and use deodorant.
- Different types of bacteria: sweat gives off one odor or another on the skin of each person depending on the bacteria found in the dermis of the person in question.
- Excess apocrine glands: As we have mentioned, those people with more apocrine glands or with larger than usual apocrine glands will be prone to giving off a more unpleasant odor.
- Excess alcohol, cigarettes, and certain medications: there are drinks, medication, and products that, due to the substances they contain, increase the smell of sweat on the body. If you drink too much alcohol, smoke cigarettes, and take medications like antibiotics often, you may have a stronger odor.
- Inadequate diet: just as with alcohol or cigarettes, there are strong foods such as onions or curry that produce more odor.
- Diseases : Certain diseases such as obesity, diabetes, or others that lead to hormonal imbalances can produce a stronger body odor. This is because in some of these cases the apocrine glands cannot function properly or certain organs cannot rid the body of toxins effectively.
Bad underarm odor due to axillary bromhidrosis
Underarm odor has a well-known scientific name: axillary bromhidrosis. This disease is characterized by giving off bad body odor even at times when there is no clear reason. Although bromhidrosis usually manifests itself in the armpit area, it can also occur in other moist and warm areas such as the feet or genitals.
When we play sports, when we are very nervous or when we are overheated, our body produces sweat to stabilize our body temperature.
How to get rid of underarm odor completely
Before informing you of the possible home solutions to completely eliminate the bad smell of armpits, we will discover some useful tricks and some recommendations to take into account:
- Waxing: Hair is a big contributor to sweating as it traps bacteria and fungus on the skin. This is even more noticeable when it comes to warm, moist areas like the armpits or groin.
- Maintain proper body hygiene: It is essential to insist on proper body hygiene as it is the basis of a pleasant body odor. Part of this recommendation includes using deodorant, as it will help keep the area clean and prevent underarm odor from suddenly appearing.
- Choose suitable clothing: if you sweat a lot, especially in the armpit area, the most normal thing is that the fabric of the clothing ends up moist. This, in addition to making your sweat visible, will make the smell stronger. To prevent this from happening, choose clothes that are as loose as possible and leave aside dark colors since they are the ones that trap heat the most.
- Choose an antibacterial soap for the armpits: soaps, just like moisturizing creams, do not have the same effect on all skin types. In fact, many times, a soap that is not suitable for your skin can produce an undesirable and unpleasant smell. For this reason, it is best to use neutral soaps with a pH similar to that of human skin or an antibacterial soap for the armpits, since they are the most effective in killing bacteria on the skin. In this case, you can also use homemade germicidal soap for armpits without harmful chemicals.
- Visit the doctor: if the sweat that your body gives off tends to smell bad and you have a hard time getting rid of the problem, it is important that you put yourself in the hands of specialists to rule out possible metabolic problems or hormonal imbalance.
Home remedies for underarm odor
Now that you know some basic recommendations on how to get rid of the underarm odor for good, it’s time to put into practice some great home remedies to completely eliminate underarm odor. Take note!
Baking soda for underarm odor
Baking soda, in addition to being a star product for many household tasks, is a fabulous ingredient to combat bad odors. If you want to use baking soda for underarm odor, follow these steps:
Wash the area well with neutral soap.
- Make sure you dry the skin very well and do not leave wet areas.
- With a tissue or cotton, add dabs of baking soda under the armpits. You do not need to remove it, so you just have to let the product do its job.
- If you prefer, you can also mix three tablespoons of baking soda with two teaspoons of lemon. When you have thoroughly washed the area, apply the mixture to your armpits with a gentle massage and let it take effect. This product is also perfect for lightening the skin, so if you are wondering How to use baking soda to whiten your underarms, take a look at this other article.
Lemon for underarm odor
Lemon is also ideal for combating bad odors and for hiding unwanted stains, as it is a natural underarm lightener. We show you, below, how lemon can be a 100% natural germicidal soap for armpits.
- Cut a lemon in half and squeeze one of them. You can save the other half for the next occasion.
- Wash the area well and, once again, make sure to dry all the moisture.
- With the help of a cotton ball, apply a few drops of lemon juice to the skin of your armpits. The strong smell of sweat will not only disappear but will not appear again.
Aloe vera for underarm odor
If you are wondering how to get rid of underarm odor quickly, you should know that aloe vera is another perfect ingredient to use as a natural deodorant. You’ll need to apply it a couple of times a day for a week to start seeing results, so get yourself some natural aloe vera gel and apply some to your underarms when you wake up and before you go to bed. Let it act throughout the day and all night.
Vinegar for underarm odor
Apple cider vinegar is the most effective for removing underarm odor due to its astringent, antiseptic, and antibacterial properties. This is how you should prepare one of the best home remedies to remove underarm odor:
- Before going to bed, prepare half a glass of this vinegar. You can add if you want, a small tablespoon of baking soda.
- With a handkerchief or cotton, spread the mixture well under the armpits.
- When you get up in the morning, clean the area with just water.
- If you want to know in more detail how to use this product to completely eliminate underarm odor and eliminate the smell of strong sweat, we recommend this article on How to remove bad underarm odor with vinegar .
Milk of magnesia for underarm odor
Bloggers and YouTubers are falling for the properties of milk of magnesia, a perfect ingredient for those who are wondering how to get rid of the bad underarm odor once and for all.
Milk of magnesia for underarms is ideal because it helps eliminate excess fat and moisture quickly. For this reason, many have made this ingredient their new natural deodorant.
- Pour the milk of magnesia into a spray bottle.
- Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to give it a nice scent.
- Mix well before use.
- Use this home remedy for underarm odor twice a day; once when you wake up and once before you go to bed.
How to make antibacterial underarm soap
Antibacterial underarm soap is a product that you should always have on hand if you are prone to strong body odor. With this germicidal soap for armpits, you will be able to eliminate germs and bacteria from the whole body, as it is not only useful for the areas of the body that are more prone to strong odors.
To prepare homemade antibacterial underarm soap you will need:
- Half a glass of water
- a tablespoon of glycerin
- An all-natural bar of soap (or chemical-free liquid soap)
- Lavender or eucalyptus essential oil
Learn how to remove underarm odor with natural antibacterial soap with this step-by-step:
- Add the water to a small-medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Chop up a bar of soap (or grate it) and add it to the pot. If you prefer to do it with liquid soap, make sure it does not contain chemicals and is as natural as possible.
- Mix well until the soap dissolves.
- Next, add glycerin; a viscous liquid present in virtually all soaps. (You can learn how to make glycerin soap.
- After you have mixed the ingredients for a while longer, add the essential oil of lavender or eucalyptus. This last step will not only give the soap a pleasant smell, but due to its antibacterial properties, this component will help.
How to remove underarm odor from clothes
We have previously talked about the importance of choosing suitable clothing to prevent the bad smell of the armpits from permeating the fabric. However, there are times when it is impossible to prevent clothes from getting stained and taking on a strong and unpleasant smell. We tell you, below, how to eliminate the smell of sweat in clothes and how to whiten them.
Baking soda for clothes
Once again, baking soda is the star of this home remedy to whiten clothes and completely eliminate underarm odor from our favorite clothes.
- Mix three teaspoons of baking soda in half a glass of natural lemon juice.
- When the mixture has become pasty, rub it over the stained area of the garment.
- Once you have finished, you can put the garment to be washed in the washing machine as normal.
Salt and vinegar to remove stains
These two ingredients are usually present in a large number of homemade solutions to prevent bad odors:
- Fill a glass with white vinegar and add two teaspoons of salt.
- Mix the ingredients well and spread the liquid over the sweat-stained area.
- Leave it for ten minutes before putting the garment to wash as usual.
If you want greater effectiveness, you can also replace the detergent with half a cup of salt and the fabric softener with a quarter cup of white vinegar. Next, put your garment to wash and, when you take it out, you will see that there are no traces of sweat or bad smells.
Aspirin to whiten your clothes
Aspirin acid is ideal for removing sweat stains and odors from your favorite clothes. This option is great if some of your t-shirts, dresses, or shirts are starting to turn yellow due to underarm sweat. We tell you how to wash clothes with aspirin:
- Prepare a bucket with 2 liters of warm water.
- Next, spray 4 or 5 aspirins (depending on the size of the garment) and add them to the bucket.
- Leave the garment you want to whiten or clean submerged in the water with the aspirin for at least 7 hours. A good option is to leave the garment soaking overnight.
- When you take the garment out, you can rinse it in the washing machine as you normally would.
Hydrogen peroxide and ammonia
Finally, we discover a very powerful homemade solution to remove strong sweat odors and sweat stains from your clothes. Do not wonder anymore how to remove the bad underarm odor from your clothes, because the mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia will result in an impeccable white.
Of course, due to the ingredients of the mixture, we recommend that you avoid doing it with delicate clothes, since they could be damaged.
- In a bucket, pour 1 liter of warm water.
- Add half a cup of hydrogen peroxide and then 3-4 drops of ammonia.
- Let the garment soak for approximately 15 minutes.
- Rinse the clothes as you normally do.
