How you clean your armpits could be making you stink, dermatologists warn (2024)

FAQs

How you clean your armpits could be making you stink, dermatologists warn? ›

Improper cleaning of your body — especially in the underarm area — when showering could lead to lingering bacteria, which leads to the smelly sweat even after you could've sworn you lathered up sufficiently.

Your provider numbs your underarm area, then draws a grid to show the location of each sweat gland. He then uses a handheld device to deliver the energy to the glands, destroying them to eliminate the source of your excessive sweat and body odor.

If sweating is excessive, it can cause smelly armpits even if a person washes regularly and uses deodorant or antiperspirant. The first thing that a doctor will recommend is usually a prescription strength antiperspirant. Sometimes, these might burn or irritate the skin.

Moreover, hot water still on the body keeps warming the skin after a shower, which can give rise to additional sweatiness. If you still smell after taking a shower, you might not be thorough enough in your cleansing methods. Perhaps you forgot to wash your armpits or other sensitive areas entirely.

Your body odor can change due to hormones, the food you eat, infection, medications or underlying conditions like diabetes. Prescription-strength antiperspirants or medications may help.

Lemon juice has citric acid, which kills the bacteria. As a remedy for smelly underarms, you can take a lemon and juice it, then mix this juice in water. You can put this lemon juice in a spray bottle and spray it on your underarms.

Antiperspirant or deodorizing sprays can help you manage body odor in the armpits. If these don't have an effect, your doctor might prescribe stronger sprays or recommend Botox injections.

Limiting frequent bathing can lead to dirt, sweat and dead skin cells build up leading to Your clothes have a strong smell. You can reduce these effects by showering regularly and washing with mild soap and warm water. Sweating in the groin area can attract fungi and bacteria that lead to bad odors.

Baking soda and cornstarch: Cornstarch and baking soda are naturally water-absorbing agents. Mix two parts cornstarch and three parts baking soda to create a natural antiperspirant deodorant powder. Lemon juice: Rub half a lemon directly on your armpits daily to reduce skin pH and make it uninhabitable for bacteria.

Armpit masks for detoxing often involve charcoals, clays, or apple cider vinegar. You mix up the ingredients, so say proponents, and slather them onto your pits, keeping your arms raised above your head as they dry.

What's the best deodorant for stinky armpits? ›

Best Overall

Give your pits the protection they need with our top pick, the Uriage Clinical Strength Deodorant. It's a roll-on antiperspirant that glides on in just a few swipes to keep sweating at bay. The aluminum-based formula works by reducing underarm wetness, though it also targets odors.

Showering a few times a week, especially after you exercise or do other activities that make you sweat, may be enough to rid you of body odor without drying out or irritating your skin. After your shower or bath, apply an antiperspirant and deodorant.

“The most common cause of odor coming from that area is caused by the action of bacteria on sebum,” explains Dr. Robert Brodell, Chairman of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. “The other major cause is what I'm going to call a 'yeast infection. ' We call it intertrigo.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

The odor occurs due to the action of specific bacteria that are optimized in damp skin folds and from perturbations in the skin barrier function often linked to skin pH imbalance. Underarm odor is caused by bacteria which undergo breakdown.

You're likely to start by seeing your primary care doctor. In some cases when you call to set up an appointment, you may be referred to a specialist in skin diseases (dermatologist).

Shower More Frequently

Shower at least once daily (or every morning and night) and scrub your extra-sweaty areas with a scent-free, deodorant soap. Stay away from strongly scented soaps, which can make your armpits smell worse. Benzoyl peroxide, a common ingredient in acne washes, doubles as an armpit odor killer.

Your doctor will look everywhere: Count on being examined around your face, lips, inside the mouth, ears, neck, chest, torso, buttocks, arms, underarms, legs, fingernails, palms and even the soles of your feet.