7 tips for odor-free underarms
Lifestyle
Audio By Carbonatix
1:00 PM on Thursday, April 2
By Claire Spasojevic for Degree, Stacker
7 tips for odor-free underarms
Talking about sweat is not a usual topic of conversation, but it is something that everyone deals with. It’s also an essential bodily function: You need to sweat to cool down.
But if you find yourself getting an unpleasant whiff when you lift your arm, it can knock your confidence. Degree shares seven tipsto reduce underarm sweat, which is often where odor strikes first.
What causes armpit odor?
This might surprise you, but sweat doesn’t actually have a smell. The smell comes from bacteria that love to camp in warm, damp spots on your body, like your armpits. When you sweat, the bacteria feast on the proteins and fats in your sweat, and that’s when odor starts.
It isn’t even about the amount of sweat you have; it’s down to the bacteria and your sweat’s composition. Matt Annecharico, an R&D Scientist at Unilever, explains, "Different skin bacteria break down sweat into different smelly compounds, and shifts in hormones, diet, stress, or hygiene can change which bacteria thrive or what's in the sweat itself. As a result, the byproducts bacteria create and how they smell can vary even when your sweat output stays constant."
What does that mean? Two people could sweat the exact same amount but smell completely different.
Diet, stress levels, sleep, hormonal shifts, and genetics all play a role. So, if you’ve noticed a more pronounced odor lately, it may be time to look a little deeper.
How do I stop my armpits from smelling?
1. Get your hygiene routine right
This is your first step to getting armpit odor under control. Wash daily and rinse off after working out so that sweat and bacteria are swept away. Try these additional tips:
- Use an antibacterial soap or body wash to say goodbye to that odor-causing bacteria.
- Exfoliate gently a couple of times a week to remove dead skin cells where bacteria like to hide.
- Dry off properly before you apply your deodorant or antiperspirant. Dry skin gives your product something to cling to, whereas moisture can dilute its effectiveness.
- Trim or shave underarm hair so that there’s less surface area for bacteria to cling to.
2. Wear the right clothes
What you put on in the morning affects how you smell by the afternoon. “Clothing doesn’t just absorb sweat, it changes the climate sitting on top of your skin, affecting how much your body sweats,” adds Annecharico. Here are some easy strategies to adopt:
- Choose breathable fabrics like cotton, linen, and moisture-wicking blends.
- Give tight-fitting tops that trap heat and keep sweat sitting against your skin a miss.
- Wash workout clothes after every single wear so that bacteria can’t set up camp in the fabric.
- Rotate your shirts every day, especially if you’ve been active or the weather has been hot.
3. Take a look at your diet
Your diet plays a bigger role than you might imagine. Some foods actually change the chemical composition of your sweat.
Foods that may make your body odor worse:
- Garlic, onions, and heavy spices may release sulfur compounds that show up in your sweat.
- Red meat and processed foods can affect how your body processes proteins.
- Alcohol and caffeine.
Foods that can help with odor:
- Leafy greens like spinach and kale contain chlorophyll with natural odor-neutralizing properties.
- Citrus fruits contain acids that may help flush out toxins.
- Water has so many benefits for your body, and with odor, it helps dilute sweat.
If you’ve noticed a spike in body odor, watch your eating and drinking habits and see if any of these foods and drinks could be the culprits.
4. Think twice about caffeine and alcohol
Caffeine and alcohol get their own category because they affect sweat in a more systemic way. “Along with sleep deprivation and stress, caffeine and alcohol are linked to one system: the autonomic nervous system, which is your fight or flight response,” says Annecharico. Caffeine and alcohol can increase your heart rate and cortisol levels, contributing to increased sweating.
So, if you’ve recently been having a few too many coffees or a couple of drinks after work, you might notice that you’re sweating more. And that sweat is chemically different from what you’d normally produce.
5. Switch to antiperspirant
Your usual deodorant may not be cutting it, and there’s a reason for that. Deodorants are designed to mask odor. If your odor has suddenly changed or increased, it might be time to explore an antiperspirant, which helps to reduce sweat production at the source. That means less bacterial activity and less odor.
You can make your antiperspirant even more effective by applying it at night instead of in the morning. This gives the active ingredients time to work before your day even starts.
6. Stay on top of your laundry
Bacteria can linger in your clothes, so make regular washing a habit. Leaving sweaty clothes in the hamper for a few days can give the bacteria time to take hold.
7. Manage stress sweat
"Stress sweat is biologically different sweat, controlled by the sympathetic nervous system,” says Annecharico. "When adrenaline or heart rate rises, this system triggers sweat that contains lipids and proteins that bacteria, naturally found on the skin, love. The result? A unique smell.”
In other words, when you're stressed, your body is producing a chemically richer sweat from your apocrine glands. Bacteria love this type of sweat.
A few stress-busting techniques to adopt:
- A few minutes of breathing exercises can help reduce stress.
- Sleep deprivation drives cortisol up, so aim to get consistent sleep.
- Exercise regularly to help balance your hormones and keep your stress response under control.
Getting on top of managing your underarm sweat will help with armpit odor. A few changes to your daily habits can help address the root cause so that you can feel confident and odor-free.
This story was produced by Degree and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
