Body Odor is the last thing you want to be the cause of your embarrassment. Yet, it is a common issue most of us encounter in daily life. Are you suffering from underarm odor?  Well, you are not alone. One of the most common places for body odor to develop is in the armpits. Hot climates, exercise, too tight clothing, etc. make you sweat a lot more often accompanied by smelly armpit. Keep reading to know about getting rid of this embarrassing issue.

Is it sweating causing underarm odor?

No, sweat itself is absolutely odorless. Sweating is an important physiological reaction of your body that happens out of stress, exercise, and high temperatures. It is the body’s manner to control its temperature and therefore, sweating is beneficial.

What causes smelly armpit is not the sweat, but the Bacteria that thrive in the sweat. When the bacteria break down sweat into acids, it will eventually cause brings about the unpleasant smell.

Why all the people who sweat are not “smelly”?

Usually, the salt level of sweat is too high for the bacteria to break down. The probability of body odor depends on where the excess sweating is occurring and which types of sweat glands are involved. Body odor is caused by bacteria breaking down the sweat and is largely linked to the apocrine glands. This gland in the ear is responsible for the formation of earwax, however, these glands that scatter over the skin generate sweat. These glands are more concentrated in the armpits. This gland is said to be mostly responsible for body odor for the reason that the sweat produced by this gland has the high level of protein which will be disintegrated by the bacteria bringing about more body odor.

Who are more prone to  develop the body odor?

•  Obese people
•  People who regularly eat spicy food
•  People experiencing health issues like diabetes
•  People experiencing hyperhidrosis, a condition characterized by excessive sweating.
•  People with kidney or liver problems may experience a  strong underarm odor

How to get rid of the underarm odor?

Get rid of the atmosphere in which the bacteria can thrive:

When it comes to getting rid of the underarm odor, the key is to control the development of bacteria. Therefore, the first measure that should be taken to get rid of the odor is to create an atmosphere that the bacteria cannot thrive. For this,

• Shower twice a day and using antibacterial soap in the armpits helps to remove the bacteria that have proliferated in your armpits. If you regularly sweat, you can wipe your armpits with a damp cloth from time to time during the day.

• Shave the armpit regularly. This will lessen the armpit odor. When armpits have hair, more sweat will mount up in that area, as the evaporation rate of sweat reduce. This gives giving the bacteria more time to act on the sweat. Shaving the armpits will bring down these chances.

Using deodorants or antiperspirants:

Deodorants do not prevent or control the amount you sweat, but they make the skin more acidic, making it more difficult for bacteria to thrive and also help to mask the body odor. An antiperspirant blocks the glands from creating sweats. Lesser the sweat lesser will the chances of bacteria to propagate

Some studies, however, have pointed out that antiperspirants can be associated with breast cancer or prostate cancer risk. Here comes the significance of home remedies.

Home remedies for smelly underarm:

• Soak a cotton ball with hydrogen peroxide and gently apply it to your underarm area after you shower.
• Lettuce leaves are an excellent option to get rid of the stubborn underarm odor. After you shower, dry the underarms thoroughly. Now place one washed lettuce leaf on each armpit. Leave it on until the leaves reach room temperature.
• Apple cider vinegar is another option to bring down underarm odor. However, its peculiar smell may bother you. Therefore, apply a little vinegar to the area using a clean cotton cloth before going to bed. In the morning, during the shower, wash your underarms well with antibacterial soap. Never use the vinegar if you have just shaved your armpits or in broken skin.

• Lemon has dual action when it comes to applying it on underarms. It cleanses the area the acid contained in the lemon eliminating bacteria, thereby, bring down the chances of odor.
• After taking the evening shower, thoroughly dry the armpit and use baking soda instead of talcum powder
• Tea tree oil is famous for its antibacterial and antifungal properties and is an excellent option to get rid of armpit odor. You can use it in the morning after a shower.

Follow a Healthy routine:

Along with the remedial measure following this healthy routine will help to check the armpit odor effectively:

• Shower at least two times a day if you sweat a lot.
• Apply dusting powder in all the body folds after a shower.
• Wash used clothes regularly to get rid of the bacteria and perspiration.
• Wear cotton clothes
• Do not wear clothes more than once
• Make sure you change your bed linen frequently.
• Drink plenty of water, at least 2 to 3 liters per day
• Reduce the intake of caffeine
• Consume herbal and green tea
• Never drop into your bed without taking a shower.
• Stick on to a healthy and balanced diet enriched with fruits and vegetables, whole grains
• Avoid fatty, oily, and over spicy foods
• Avoid strong smelling food like garlic and onion. The strong smell of these foods tends to come out of out of the pores, resulting in odor. This odor, in turn, attracts bacteria that propagate and produce even more odor.
• After each use, wash them to kill the bacteria and perspiration that gets transferred to the clothes.
• Topical application of aluminum chloride at night

If the above-mentioned remedies fail, it is better to consult the doctor as the underarm odor can also be an indication of some underlying health issue.