Why do I have Smelly Armpits? and How to get rid of it?

Although Smelly armpits is a common condition, it’s certainly gross. It lowers self-esteem, confidence levels, and eventually make us feel doomed or frustrated. Isn’t?

Did you ever come across such frustrating moments? Leave a comment below by sharing your experience, if you have any. Well, I’ve got a bunch.

Whatsoever, commonly known as Body Odor (BO) and technically as Bromhidrosis, such odors are a pain in the ass. Oh! Of course, who wants to smell like a rotten fish.

That being said, it’s also not the biggest problem we need to keep worrying. Just including a few steps to your routine can help to minimize or prevent armpit odor. Let’s check those holy grail steps in this article.

How to get rid of Body Odor: Effective Home Remedies

 

What Causes Armpits Odor?

Firstly, let’s dive into the factors that lead to smelly armpits.

While thoroughly researching the internet, I found from authoritative websites like Mayoclinic that our body is usually covered with sweat glands and there are two main kinds of sweat glands which are Eccrine and Apocrine.

Eccrine glands cover much of your body parts and occur on the skin’s surface layers. Whereas, Apocrine glands occur in areas that contain hair follicles, for instance, armpits. These apocrine glands firstly empty into the hair follicle and then open up to the surface.

Now, when your body gets heated, Eccrine glands release sweat to cool down your body. This sweat produced is typically odorless, until bacteria start breeding. That happens when you consume certain drinks and foods or a few medications, cause eccrine sweat to smell bad.

Apocrine glands start working once you hit puberty. These glands work on stress, secreting an odorless fluid. The fluid begins to develop an odor when it comes in contact with the bacteria on your skin.

 

Steps to Prevent Smelly Armpits

Simply using an Alcohol-based Deodorant or an Antiperspirant doesn’t solve the problem. Seriously! People who sweat a lot or for whom excess underarm sweat is produced, deodorant is not a solution. Because If you keep applying a deodorant or antiperspirant on a daily basis, it leads to several skin issues. Trust me! I got one.

So, I realized myself and started using other alternate prevention steps or hacks that helped me.

If you’re eager to know about the prevention steps, the first most thing you need to do right after reading this post is to Shave your Underarms. Yes, underarm hair traps moisture and creates the perfect environment for the bacteria to breed. Thereby, a fishy odor from underarms becomes a common problem. So, shave your armpits frequently to keep the stink under control.

Next up, don’t take me wrong but Shower frequently with an Antibacterial Soap. Shower at least once a day and scrub your armpits gently every other alternative day. Avoid using harsh or strongly scented soaps which make your armpit odor worse.

If you’re a workout freak, shower immediately after a workout so that the bacteria don’t spread.

Moreover, wear loose-fitting, breathable fabrics like cotton or linen if you are a person who sweats a lot. Such fabrics allow you to stay cooler by absorbing the sweat produced. Also, you can wear sweat proof shirts which greatly solve your problem.

 

Home Remedies to get rid of Smelly Armpits

Here are some DIY hacks you can try at home to completely avoid the foul smell of smelly armpits.

1. Apple Cider Vinegar Spray

Make a spray using ACV, water, and rosewater. In a spray bottle, add 5 tablespoons of Apple cider vinegar, half cup rosewater, and fill the remaining bottle with water. Spray it onto your underarms and leave it on for a couple of hours. Later, wash off your underarms, Apple cider vinegar has microbial properties and is acidic in nature which helps to destroy the smell by getting rid of bacteria.

 

2. Apply Aloe vera gel

Before shaving your underarms, apply aloe vera gel and massage your armpits. Then shave the areas gently with a good razor. This keeps your underarms soft and controls the sweat for quite some time.

 

3. Lemons the Life savior

Squeeze lemon juice into a spray bottle and add 5-8 drops of Tea tree essential oil. Keep spraying your underarms twice or thrice a day. After spraying, let it rest for a while and wash off immediately. You can also rub your armpits with Lemon Ice cubes every day.

But be careful while applying potent ingredients like lemon or apple cider vinegar to your armpits, especially if you’ve sensitive skin to avoid any irritations.

 

4. Neem Leaves

Make a paste of Neem leaves by grinding a handful of leaves in a mixer. Add water to get a smooth consistency. Apply this paste onto your armpits and leave it for 30 minutes or until it dries. Trust me, this is the best home remedy you can try to get rid of bad odor from any parts of your body.

 

5. Other Useful Hacks

Whenever you head out and your armpits keep sweating a lot, wipe the sweat off using Baby wipes or Anti-sweat Wipes and then use a natural deodorant. Such natural deo’s are safe to use as they’re not made with any chemicals, fragrances, or parabens that irritate your skin. Check these Natural Deodorants for Men and Women which are best for fighting armpit odor.

Keep hydrating yourself by drinking at least 2 liters of water each day. And also, use Mud masks like the Indian Healing Clay mask which helps in removing pigmentation, dead skin, and also prevents underarm sweat or odor.

 

Up to the very end!

I hope all these preventive steps and Home remedies will help you in getting rid of Smelly Underarms in no time. If you’ve tried any other home hacks, please let us know your experience by leaving a comment below.