How to get rid of underarm armpit odor
For many people, constant armpit odor is an annoying and frustrating problem that is hard to get rid of. Whether due to a stressful lifestyle, an improper diet, an illness or hormonal problems, the smell of very strong sweat can even be traumatic in some cases.
If you want to completely eliminate armpit odor and get rid of this problem permanently, the following article is ideal for you. Next, from UNHOWTO, we reveal everything you need to know about the reasons why this smell occurs and we teach you how to remove armpit odor with home remedies and practical solutions once and for all.
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Axillary bromhidrosis: very strong smell of sweat
Underarm odor has a well-known scientific name: axillary bromhidrosis . This disease is characterized by giving off bad body odor even at times where there is no clear reason. Although bromhidrosis usually occurs in the armpit area, it can also occur in other humid 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. However, what happens when armpit odor suddenly appears at times when sweating is unusual?
How to get rid of underarm armpit odor
Before informing you of the possible home solutions to completely eliminate armpit odor, we will discover some useful tricks and some recommendations to keep in mind:
- Waxing – Hair is a major contributor to sweat, as it retains bacteria and fungi on the skin. This is even more noticeable when it comes to hot and humid areas such as the armpits or the groin.
- Maintain proper body hygiene : It is essential to insist on proper body hygiene, as it is the basis for a pleasant body odor. Part of this recommendation includes using deodorant, as it will help you keep the area clean and prevent the appearance of a bad underarm odor suddenly.
- 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 getting damp. This, in addition to making your sweating visible, will make the smell stronger. To prevent this from happening, choose clothes that are as tight-fitting as possible and leave out dark colors, since they are the ones that trap the heat the most.
- Choose an antibacterial soap for your armpits : soaps, like moisturizers, do not have the same effect on all skin types. In fact, many times, a soap that is not suitable for your dermis can produce an unwanted and unpleasant odor. 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 to kill bacteria on the skin. In this case, you can also use a homemade germicidal soap for armpits and without harmful chemicals.
- Visit the doctor : if the sweat that your body gives off tends to smell bad and it is difficult for you to get rid of the problem, it is important that you put yourself in the hands of specialists so that they rule out possible metabolic problems or hormonal imbalance.
Home remedies for armpit odor
Now that you know some basic recommendations on how to remove 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 the armpits
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 a mild soap.
- Make sure to dry the skin very well and not leave any wet areas.
- With a tissue or cotton, add touches of baking soda to the armpits. You don’t 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 washed the area well, 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 the armpits , take a look at this other article.
Lemon for armpits
Lemon is also ideal for fighting bad odors and to hide unwanted stains, as it is a natural underarm lightener . We show you, below, how lemon can be a 100% natural germicidal underarm soap.
- Cut a lemon in half and squeeze one of them. You can save the other half for the next time.
- 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 on the skin of your armpits. The strong smell of sweat will not only disappear but will not re-appear.
Aloe vera for armpit 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 will need to apply it a couple of times a day for a week to start seeing results, so grab a natural aloe vera gel and apply a little to your armpits when you wake up and before bed. Let it work all day and all night.
Aloe vera is also 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. Don’t miss out on other beauty tips with aloe vera !
Vinegar for the armpits
Apple cider vinegar is the most effective in 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 armpit odor:
- Before going to bed, prepare half a glass of this vinegar. You can add, if you want, a small spoonful of baking soda.
- Using a tissue or cotton, spread the mixture well over 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 armpit odor and eliminate the smell of strong sweat, we recommend this article on How to remove armpit odor with vinegar .
Milk of magnesia for armpits
Bloggers and youtubers are falling for the properties of milk of magnesia, a perfect ingredient for those who wonder how to remove the bad smell in the armpits once and for all.
Milk of magnesia for the armpits is ideal because it helps to 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 pleasant scent.
- Mix well before using.
- Use this home remedy for armpit odor twice a day; one when you get up and one before going 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 odor. 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 it 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 falls apart.
- Then add the glycerin; a viscous liquid present in practically all soaps. (You can learn how to make glycerin soap in this other oneHOWTO article.)
- After you’ve mixed the ingredients for a little longer, add the lavender or eucalyptus essential oil. This last step will not only give the soap a pleasant smell, but due to its antibacterial properties you will make this component help.
How to remove armpit odor from clothes
We have previously discussed the importance of choosing the right clothing to prevent underarm odor from permeating the fabric. However, there are times when it is impossible to prevent clothing from staining and taking on a strong and unpleasant odor. We will tell you, below, how to eliminate the smell of sweat in clothes and how to bleach them.
Baking soda for clothes
Once again, baking soda is the protagonist of this home remedy to whiten clothes and completely eliminate the bad smell of armpits from our favorite clothes.
- Mix three teaspoons of baking soda in half a glass of natural lemon juice.
- When the mixture is pasty, rub it into the stained area of the garment.
- Once you are done, you can put the garment to wash 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 regularly.
If you want greater effectiveness, you can also substitute the detergent for half a glass of salt and the fabric softener for 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 odors.
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 shirts, dresses or shirts are starting to turn yellow due to the sweat that occurs in the armpits. We tell you how to wash clothes with aspirin:
- Prepare a bucket with 2 liters of warm water.
- Next, spray 4-5 aspirins (depending on the size of the garment) and add them to the bucket.
- Leave the garment you want to bleach or clean submerged in the water with the aspirin for at least 7 hours. A good option is to let the garment soak overnight.
- When you take the garment out, 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 remove strong sweat odors and sweat stains from your clothes. Wonder no more how to remove armpit odor from your clothes, as the mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia will result in an impeccable white. Of course, due to the ingredients in the mixture, we recommend that you avoid doing it with delicate garments , as 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.
Why do armpits smell
The bad smell of armpits is explained, generally, due to the sweating produced by the sweat glands that we have in the skin. There are two types of sweat glands: eccrine and apocrine glands.
Eccrine and apocrine glands
- The eccrine glands , on the one hand, are the most common and are found in most areas of our body. The sweat produced by these glands is normally odorless.
- However, the apocrine glands , which are those 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 found 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 odor.
Although the smell that each person gives off will depend on their diet, their lifestyle and their medical history, many times it is 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.
Why do my armpits 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 cannot do anything to avoid the bad smell, poor personal hygiene is still one of the main causes for which you can suffer from axillary bromhidrosis. It is essential to shower daily, soap yourself 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 apocrine glands than usual will be conducive to giving off a more unpleasant odor.
- Excess alcohol, cigarettes and certain medications : there are drinks, medications and products that, due to the substances they contain, increase the smell of sweat in the body. If you consume alcohol excessively, smoke cigarettes, and take medications such as antibiotics often, you may have a stronger odor.
- Inadequate diet : in the same way that it happens with alcohol or cigarettes, there are strong foods such as onion or curry that produce more smell.
- Diseases : Certain diseases such as obesity, diabetes or others that involve 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 get rid of toxins from the body effectively.
If you want a more detailed explanation of why armpits smell , we will tell you about it in this other oneHOWTO article.
This article is merely informative, at one HOWTO we do not have the power to prescribe any medical treatment or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
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