Home Remedies For The Armpit Odour

The bad smell of armpits 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 in the underarm 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 spend excessive heat, our body produces sweat to stabilize our body temperature. However, what happens when the smell of strong sweat appears at apparently normal times when sweating is not common?

The bad smell of the armpits is explained, generally, due to the sweating produced by the sweat glands we have on the skin. There are two types of sweat glands: eccrine and apocrine glands.

As we said in the previous section, our skin is smart and sweats, mainly, so that we can maintain an optimal body temperature and not suffer from excess heat. For this reason, it is essential to hydrate a lot throughout the day but, above all, in summer and when we play sports.

Eccrine and apocrine glands

We have already mentioned the existence of two types of sweat glands so that, next, we will see what is the function of these glands and how they differ:

• The eccrine glands , on the one hand, are the most common and those found in most areas of our body. The sweat produced by these glands is normally odorless.
• However, the apocrine glands , which are found in areas such as the armpits, the groin or around the genitals, produce a thicker sweat that, consequently, does not evaporate easily. To this we must add the fact that the areas where the apocrine glands are are parts of the body with bacteria that, when joined with the sweat that these glands give off in the dermis, unleash a strong and annoying smell.

Although, as we will see below, the smell that each person gives off will depend on their diet, their lifestyle and their clinical history, it is often a problem that can not be controlled. There are people who, in spite of taking optimal care of their personal hygiene, have more apocrine glands than other people or simply have bigger glands, something that can produce a stronger smell.

Why do my underarms smell bad?

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 can not do anything to avoid bad odor, poor personal hygiene is still one of the first causes of axillary bromhidrosis. It is essential to shower daily, soaping well, use neutral soaps that do not alter too much the smell of each one’s skin and use deodorant.
• Different types of bacteria : sweat gives off a smell or another on the skin of each person depending, also, on the bacteria that are in the dermis of the person in question.
• Excess of apocrine glands : As we have mentioned, those people with more apocrine glands or apocrine glands larger than usual will be able to give off a more unpleasant odor.
• Excess alcohol, cigarettes and certain medications : there are beverages, medication and products that, due to the substances they contain, increase the smell of sweat in the body. If you consume alcohol in excess, smoke cigarettes and take medications like antibiotics often, you may give off a stronger odor.
• Inadequate diet : in the same way that happens with alcohol or cigarettes, there are strong foods such as onions or curries 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 can not function properly or certain organs can not get rid of toxins from the body effectively.

Before informing you of the possible homemade solutions to eliminate the bad odor of armpits completely, we discovered some useful tricks and some recommendations to keep in mind:

• Depilation : hair is a major contributor to the appearance of sweat, as it retains bacteria and fungi on the skin. This is even more noticeable when it comes to warm and humid areas such as the armpits or groin.
• Maintain proper body hygiene : although we have already commented, it is essential to insist on proper body hygiene, since it is the basis of a pleasant body odor. Part of this recommendation includes using deodorant for strong underarm odor, as it will help keep the area clean for a longer period of time.
• Choose suitable clothes : if you sweat a lot, especially in the underarm area, the most normal thing is that the fabric of the clothes ends up moistening. This, in addition to making your sweating visible, will make the smell stronger. To prevent this from happening, choose clothes that are as tight as possible and leave dark colors aside, since they are the ones that trap the heat the most.
• Choose the most appropriate soaps : soaps, as with moisturizers, do not have the same effect on all skins. In fact, many times, an unsuitable soap for your dermis can produce an unwanted and unpleasant odor. For this reason, it is recommended that you use neutral soaps with a pH similar to that of human skin, antibacterial soap for armpits or germicidal soaps, as they are the most effective to eliminate bacteria in the skin.
• Visit the doctor : if the sweat that your body gives off smells often and it is hard to get 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.

Now that you know some basic recommendations to eliminate and avoid underarm odor, it’s time to put into practice some of the best homemade solutions to remove the armpit odoronce and for all:

Bicarbonate for underarm odor

Baking soda, in addition to being a star product for many household tasks , is a fabulous ingredient to combat odors. If you want to use baking soda for underarm odor, just follow these steps:

1. Wash the area well with a neutral soap.
2. Make sure you dry the skin very well and do not leave wet areas.
3. With a handkerchief or cotton, add touches of baking soda in the armpits. You do not have 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 washed the area well, apply the mixture in your armpits with a gentle massage and let it make its effect. The bicarbonate, in addition, is also a great option for those who want to bleach their armpits easily.

Lemon as underarm deodorant

We have already named it in the previous section, but it is important to insist on the benefits and properties of the lemon, a great ally against bad odors. Have you ever heard that lemon is one of the best natural deodorants that exist? From a COMO we reveal to you that it is a completely true rumor, since the lemon acid ends with germs and unwanted bacteria.

1. Cut a lemon in half and squeeze one of them. You can save the other half for the next occasion.
2. Wash the area well and, once again, make sure to dry all the moisture.
3. 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 manifest again.

Aloe Vera for the armpits

Aloe vera is another perfect ingredient to use as a natural deodorant. This solution is not a short-term treatment, but you should only apply it a couple of times a day for a week to start seeing results. Get a natural aloe vera gel and apply a little in your armpits when you get up and before going to bed. Let it act throughout the day and all night and, soon, you will notice how bacteria and odors disappear from your armpits.

In addition, aloe vera (also called aloe) is perfect to avoid irritation, so if you decide to shave your armpits so that the hair does not retain bacteria, do not forget to apply it after waxing. This plant is very beneficial also for hair, nails and cellulite, so if you are interested in knowing the properties of aloe vera do not hesitate to take a look at this article.

Vinegar for the armpits

Apple cider vinegar is the most effective to remove underarm odor due to its astringent, antiseptic and antibacterial properties . To use apple cider vinegar as a deodorant to eliminate underarm odor, follow these steps:

1. Before going to bed, prepare half a glass of this vinegar.
2. If you wish, you can add a small spoonful of baking soda, an ingredient that, as we have seen, is perfect for combating bad odors.
3. With a handkerchief or cotton, spread the mixture well under the armpits.
4. When you get up in the morning, clean the area with water only .

The antibacterial soap is perfect for removing germs and bacteria and, in addition, is useful for many parts of the body. In fact, there are many people who carry small bottles of antibacterial soap on top to wash their hands from time to time, since personal hygiene is essential to eliminate odors permanently. To prepare homemade antibacterial soap for the armpits you will need:

• Half a glass of water.
• A spoonful of glycerin.
• A bar of all-natural soap (or liquid soap free of chemicals).
• Lavender or eucalyptus essential oil.

To prepare the antibacterial underarm soap that will help keep odors at bay, follow these steps:

1. Add the water in a small-medium pot and bring to a boil over low heat.
2. Chop a bar of soap (or rale it) and add it to the pot. If you prefer to do it with liquid soap, make sure it does not contain chemicals and be as natural as possible.
3. Mix well until the soap melts.
4. Next, add glycerin; a viscous liquid present in virtually all soaps.
5. After mixing the ingredients for a while, add the essential oil of lavender or eucalyptus. This last step will not only provide a pleasant smell of homemade antibacterial soap, but due to its antibacterial properties you will achieve that the soap will effectively perform its function.

We have spoken before of the importance of choosing suitable clothes to avoid that the bad smell of the armpits impregnates the fabric. However, there are times when it is impossible to prevent clothing from getting dirty and picking up a strong and unpleasant odor. We tell you, next, how to eliminate the smell of sweat on clothes and how to whiten it.

Bicarbonate for whitening clothes

Once again, baking soda is the protagonist of this home remedy to whiten clothes and eliminate the sweat smell of our favorite clothes.

1. Mix three teaspoons of baking soda in half a glass of natural lemon juice.
2. When the mixture is pasty, rub it in the stained area of ​​the garment.
3. Once you have finished this step, you can put the garment to be washed in the washing machine normally.

Salt and vinegar to remove stains

These two ingredients are usually present in a large number of homemade solutions to prevent bad odors. If you have both products at hand, we tell you what you should do:

1. Fill a glass with white vinegar and add two teaspoons of salt.
2. Mix the ingredients well and spread the liquid through the area stained with sweat.
3. Leave it for ten minutes before putting the garment to be washed as usual.

If you want more effectiveness, you can also replace the detergent with half a glass of salt and the softener for a quarter cup of white vinegar. Next, put your garment to be washed and, when you take it out, you will see that there are no remains of sweat or bad odors.

Aspirin to whiten your clothes

The acid in aspirin is ideal to eliminate stains and odors of sweat in your favorite clothes. This option is fabulous if some of your shirts, dresses or shirts are beginning to acquire a yellowish tone due to the sweat that occurs in the armpits. We tell you how to wash clothes with aspirin:

1. Prepare a bucket with 2 liters of warm water.
2. Next, spray 4 or 5 aspirins (depending on the size of the garment) and add them in the bucket.
3. Leave the garment you want to bleach or clean submerged in the water with aspirin for at least 7 hours. A good option is to leave the garment soaking overnight.
4. When you take out the garment, you can rinse it in the washing machine as you normally do.

Hydrogen peroxide and ammonia

Finally, we discovered a very powerful homemade solution to eliminate strong sweat odors and sweat stains from your clothes. The mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia will leave your clothes impeccable white color but, due to the ingredients of the mixture, we recommend that you avoid doing it with delicate items , as they could be damaged.

1. In a bucket, pour 1 liter of warm water.
2. Add half a cup of hydrogen peroxide and then 3-4 drops of ammonia.
3. Leave the garment soaking for about 15 minutes, no more.
4. Rinse clothes as you usually do.