Other methods and techniques

Underarm liners (underarm pads, sweat guards, dress shields, etc.) are also another great option for this problem. The work as antiperspirants, but also have the added benefit of removing (or better, preventing) the stains left by antiperspirants on clothing. This is possible because the underarm liners are directly applied to the clothing. They can be either reusable, or disposable. If they are reusable, they are lined with a double layer of ply cotton on one side, or a nylon or vinyl barrier on the next side. They are best used for women. However, remember that you can’t use the same underarm pad for too long otherwise the body will persist (since it is embedded in the sweat pad). 

Special creams (such as Triclosan) or soaps could also be a great ally in your fight against body odor. Triclosan for instance is an antibacterial and antifungal cream effective against the bacteria that are commonly present under the armpits and the groin. Soaps and foams based on plant extracts (such as chlorophyllin or liquorice) are also a great alternative.

How Does Your Diet Influence Your Body Odor?

Last but definitely not least, a change in diet has a huge role to play in the way you smell. Watch out for what you eat, as the ingredients of your foods could easily be translated into body odor. So yes, you truly are what you eat (or at least, smell like)! Researchers have demonstrated that “non red meat eaters” had a less pungent body odor and are henceforth found more attractive in that sense. This is possibly due to the fact that digestion of red meat releases a handful of amino-acids residues, which when mixed with bacteria, produce a strong body odor. And the fact that red meat is not easy to digest makes it even worse. Other foods that can increase tour body odor are fish, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, junk food, or a low-carb diet. Fish smell is attributable to Choline, a vitamin from the B-complex that is richly found in fish species like tuna and salmon. However, the body odor can only be detected with excessive consumption of those fish species (almost daily). Junk foods are rich in carbohydrates which convert into glucose, and the excessive glucose reacts with the bacteria and this causes body odor. Broccoli and cauliflower are vegetables rich in sulfur. Sulfur is broken down by the body and absorbed into sweat, giving you a “rancid butter-like” odor.

Read More: Natural Body Odor Remedies

Body Odor for Sexual Arousal

Research has shown that our body odor is an important part of the sexual response of other people towards us. This observation is even noticeable with animals: dogs for instance get aroused by sniffing the buttocks of their female counterparts. In humans, smelling a person’s body odor can trigger a hormonal response which would stimulate someone to have desire for sexual intercourse. However, it is not clearly determined whether or not this is caused by the odor of the sweat itself, or the overall combined odor of the sweat and other physical and topical secretions.