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5 Home Remedies For Smelly Underarms & Armpit Odour

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Stinky underarms are just an embarrassment, to say the least! Winters are a saviour because you don’t sweat. But, come summer, those foul-odour underarms become a stubborn reality. However, this can easily be prevented and treated at home. If not, you can visit a doctor, who will prescribe you medications appropriate for preventing smelly armpits. Want to know how? Let’s get started.

6 Possible Causes Of Smelly Underarms

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When you want to know what causes smelly armpits, here are 6 most reasons for underarm smell you should be aware of.

1. Natural Bodily Function

Human bodies are covered with sweat glands that release water to help us cool down, thus enabling us to maintain the required temperature. To dig deeper, our bodies have two types of glands – one, eccrine glands that are mostly present throughout your bodies and open up on the surface of your skin and, second, apocrine glands are usually located in the hairy areas of your bodies like armpits and groyne. This gland opens up to the hair follicles before opening up to the surface.

Eccrine glands release sweat to bring down your rising body temperature and remain odourless until bacteria on your skin’s surface break it down. Consuming certain foods and drinks, and can also make the sweat smell foul. Apocrine glands, on the other hand, release odourless sweat under stress and give off a foul smell only after bacteria on your skin’s surface have acted upon it. However, this gland does not start functioning until puberty, which is generally when your odour starts smelling foul. 

2. Health Conditions

People with a health condition called hyperhidrosis sweat more than others who do not have the condition. Especially from hands, feet, and armpits. This may occur due to underlying medical conditions like an overactive thyroid. If you notice yourself smelling more than almost everyone else around you, you should consult a doctor, who is likely to prescribe medical tests to diagnose the root cause of your sweating profusely. Another medical condition that can lead to chronic foul-smelling sweat is bromhidrosis (B.O.). This may happen as a result of the consumption of certain foods like garlic. 

3. Stress & Anxiety

Excessive stress and anxiety are some of the primary reasons why your sweat may smell different. So, try changing your lifestyle to keep stress and anxiety under control, and see whether it has any effect on your sweat.

4. Infections

Some infections like HIV, malaria, brucellosis, and endocarditis can also result in secondary hyperhidrosis.

5. Menopause

Women undergoing menopause experience foul-smelling odour as they have a higher chance of developing hyperhidrosis. In such cases, doctors may recommend hormone replacement therapy or anticholinergic medications. 

6. Certain Medications

Certain drugs may result in changes in body temperature, making you sweat more profusely. Talk to your doctor, who may recommend other medications as a replacement. 

5 Simple Home Remedies For Underarm Smell

Follow these DIY home remedies for underarm smell:

1. Lemon

One of the best home remedies for smelly armpits, the acidic nature of lemons works wonders in balancing the pH of the skin below your stinky armpits. It rips your skin’s surface with this acidic substance through exfoliation, removing dead skin cells, and also lightens dark underarms. 

Ingredients

  • Few drops of lemon juice
  • Water (optional)

Method

  1. Rub lemon juice on your smelly armpits or, in case of sensitive skin, dilute the juice with water and soak cotton wool in it before rubbing it on your skin. 
  2. Let this dry for 10 minutes and then rinse it off with water. 
  3. Moisturise your underarms thoroughly after this, to prevent dryness and itchiness. 

2. Tea

Tea, specifically green tea, is rich in antioxidant and detoxifying properties, which are beneficial for treating stinky armpits. Tea comprises a chemical called tannin reduces sweat from forming on the skin, which in turn controls body odour. 

Ingredients

  • 1 tea bag
  • Warm water

Method

  1. Dip a tea bag in warm water.
  2. Once the bag has soaked in the warm completely, press it against your underarms. 
  3. Let it dry for 5 minutes and then wash it with water thoroughly.

3. Apple Cider Vinegar / White Vinegar

Booth apple cider vinegar and white vinegar are potent in acidic properties that’s just what you need to rid yourself of foul-smelling underarms. This neutralises the environment in your sweaty underarms and kills the bacteria. Not just that, it manages the pH balance in the underarms and also unclogs the pores. 

Ingredients

  • Few drops of apple cider vinegar / white vinegar
  • Few drops of coconut oil
  • Bentonite clay (optional)

Method

  1. Mix the ingredients together and give it a thorough mix, to get an even paste.
  2. Apply it on your underarms and let it stay for 15 to 20 minutes, before washing it off with water, preferably lukewarm water.
  3. Use it twice every day to make the most of its benefits.

4. Tomatoes

The antiseptic properties of tomatoes are effective in destroying the bacteria that is responsible for your foul-smelling underarms. It is a great skin exfoliator, apart from tightening pores and removing dead cells. 

Ingredients

  • 1 tomato slice

Method

  1. Rub a slice of tomato or apply the pump extracted from a slice of tomato. 
  2. Apply it on the underarms, leave it on for 5 minutes, and then wash it off with water.

5. Baking Soda

Baking soda absorbs sweat, balances pH levels, and suppresses bacterial growth. 

Ingredients

  • Baking soda
  • Water (optional)

Method

  1. Use it like talc in your underarms and dust off the extra once it has dried up on the skin.
  2. Alternatively, make a paste by soaking baking powder in water, apply the paste on your underarms, and then allow it to dry. 
  3. Next, wash it off with lukewarm water.
  4. For safety, do a patch test before trying this mask on yourself, so it does not cause irritation or itching on your skin.

Read how to get rid of stinky feet during monsoons here.

Medical Treatments For Smelly Armpits

1. Antiperspirants

Spray an antiperspirant or deodorant every few hours on your shaved armpits, so your odour does not smell foul. The chemicals present in these deodorants not only prevent foul smell but also plug the sweat glands. However, this may not work if you have developed health conditions that make your sweat smell more foul than usual. If antiperspirants don’t work for you, visit a doctor, who may prescribe the below treatments.

2. Botulinum Toxin Injections

Known as botox in short, these are injected in your armpits as a treatment for excessive sweating. On average, they take about 4 to 5 days to work and the effect lasts between 4 and 6 months. However, mentally prepare yourself before taking the injection as some find it painful.

3. Prescription Medications

Your doctor may prescribe anticholinergic medicines that specialise in stopping you from sweating. However, they may lead to certain side effects like blurry vision, dry mouth, dry eyes, and abnormal heartbeat. This treatment is generally not considered to be suitable for people who live in hot climates as well as athletes. 

4. Certain Foods & Drinks 

Certain pungent-smelling foods like garlic may make your sweat smell even more foul, especially a few hours after you’ve consumed them. So, if you have plans to step out after eating foods like these, especially during hot weather conditions, refrain from doing so. That apart, alcohol also has the same effect on your sweat. 

4 Preventive Measures For Smelly Underarms

  1. Wash your armpits thoroughly every day with soap or shower gel at least once, if not more. Wash the area, especially after sweating. 
  2. Shave off the hair in your armpits, so the odour does not get the scope to get caught up in it, making you smell even more.
  3. Cut down or, even better, completely avoid consuming smell foods like garlic and onions and reduce your intake of alcohol.
  4. Use antiperspirants or deodorants generously every few hours. Keep one handy in your bag every time you step out.

When To See A Doctor?

We all experience smelly armpits and that’s completely normal. The problem arises when the odour becomes a stigma for you to be around people, making you conscious of their presence. If that happens and all the home remedies do not work for you or aren’t effective entirely, you need to visit a doctor. 

Excessively smelly underarms are always a cause for distress. But it can easily be prevented with some lifestyle changes and DIY home remedies that we just discussed earlier. If not, you can consult a doctor and follow the prescribed treatment to keep smell underarms at bay.

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