Body odor is a major concern for some people. Human beings are very sensitive, not just about how they smell, but they are equally concerned about how others smell.

People react to scents, sometimes complementing the other person on the perfume he or she is wearing. In those cases, it is obvious the smell encouraged a favorable perception of that person. A person’s smell can attract or repel us, and sometimes we may not even be aware that it is the body odor that attracted us. But we are aware that people tend to judge us by the way we smell, so we purchase expensive perfumes to mask unpleasant body odors.

5 Common Habits that Lead to Underarm Odor

There are many reasons why a person has repulsive body odor, but the majority of these causes are because of lifestyles and habits. The following 5 are common habits that encourage body odor, especially underarm odor.

1. Not Bathing Regularly

This one is kind of obvious, but it needs to be mentioned. You, obviously, will stink if you haven’t bathed for days. Your sweaty soiled body is a breeding ground for the microbes that multiply abundantly, and these produce different stinky chemicals that ultimately make you smell really repulsive.

2. Clothing Habits

The microbes that create bad odor love all things damp and they multiply in any such favorable environments. Clothes, if folded or crumpled up and kept while still damp, is a great breeding ground for them. Wearing damp, sweat soaked clothes also make you stink badly.

Wearing clothes that don’t absorb moistures makes your sweat pool on your own body, especially the underarms, creating bad body odor.

3. Dietary Habits

If you practice good hygiene, yet you are troubled by bad body odor, your diet may be the contributing factor. People react differently to the food they eat, but consuming foods like garlic, red meat, curry, cabbage, etc. can change your body odor.

4. Alcoholism

People who drink excessively often try to cover up their odor with breath mints. But most of them don’t realize that the odor comes from their skin pores too. Only 90% of the alcohol consumed is metabolized by the body; the remaining is excreted through different ways, including the sweat pores.

5. Smoking

Smokers also have a distinct body odor, as the tobacco mixes with their body chemistry and creates not just bad breath, but bad body odor, as it gets excreted through the skin pores, too.^[1] Secondhand smoke can also cause similar problems, as the smell of smoke can clings to your body and clothes.

5 Effective and Natural Remedies

The human body has two types of sweat glands. The apocrine glands are located in the underarms, genitals, and around the nipples. The eccrine glands are found in the underarms, hands, and feet. The bacteria, ever present on our skin, multiply rapidly in damp, sweaty environments, and they produce chemicals that have an unpleasant odor. The key to controlling body odor is to control the environment in which these bacteria live.^[2]

Rather than resort to perfumes to cover up body odor, try out these five home remedies for body odor that will leave you feeling healthy, clean, and fresh.

1. Bathe Regularly Using Soap

Bathe regularly and make sure to use soap to wash off all the oil and sweat from your body, along with the microbes clinging to them. Soap also helps to kill bacteria.

2. Stay Calm

Stress stimulates the sweat glands. Anxiety and fear cause emotional sweating. So to avoid body odor, you need to stay calm, cool, and collected.

3. Stay Dry

Ensure you wear clothing that can soak up your sweat and keep your underarms and the rest of your body dry. Cotton undergarments are best for this. Men should wear cotton undershirts. Get a good antiperspirant; it will help you stay dry by blocking the sweat glands, thus reducing the bad bacteria fodder.^[3]

4. Watch What You Put in Your Body

As described in the causes, what goes into your body usually affects your body odor. So to improve your body and underarm odor, it’s best to limit your smoking habits, alcohol consumption, and the intake of strong smelling foods like onions and garlic, especially before a romantic date.

5. Apply Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar, or even the simple white variety, can make your skin anti-bacterial by lowering the pH level of the skin. Splash some on your skin or underarms just after your shower and this will help keep away the body odor, as the bacteria cannot thrive in an acidic environment.^[4]