Yeah, not nice. I rub and rub and rub with soap in the shower and I can still smell the sweat residue. Very pungeant. And I have to change my clothes sometimes two, three times a day. And also, it can happen that my clothes come out of the washing machine on 40 degrees and I can still smell the sweat in the armpits of the clothes too. Yeah, I do use deodorant obviously. I own about three bottles right now, and keep one in my hand bag at all times. I use it all the time. Not working.
What now? I don't want to stink!!!!
Sweat, on its own, is pretty much odorless. Sometimes, however, bacteria start building up on the skin, and they mix with our sweat - especially the one produced by our apocrine glands - which exist primarily in areas that are naturally hairy, such as armpits and groins. These bacteria break down the acids in our sweat, producing a bad odor. Anyone who has reached puberty can produce body odor, as this is when the apocrine sweat glands develop.
Body odor is a really awkward thing to have, isn't it?
Washing the armpits - as well as the whole body - with soap and water usually helps to get rid of bad smell. Using deodorants and antiperspirants can be useful too. However, showering sometimes is not enough. Many people experience bad armpit odor even right after taking a shower.
What does it mean when your armpits always stink even after you bathe put deodorant on?
This could be a signal that something else might be going on. As one of the participants in the discussion wrote:
If you have tried out numerous over the counter deodorants and tried other anti-perspiring strategies as well and you still find that you have very smelly armpits — whereas you did not have that problem before — you should look for the medical cause behind this.
For most people with this problem who discussed it, it can start pretty early on, since they start puberty. Most participants in the discussion described the smell as very pungent that can be prominent even after a couple of minutes after taking a shower, or despite using a deodorant.
Most people noticed this problem after some kind of activity, for example, at the gym. They usually got really sweaty, which is normal after a workout but they might also get an impression that their sweat smells worse than other people's. Wearing the same T-shirt for more than a day was out of the question. Even when they started to bathe twice or even three times a day, rubbing and scrubbing their armpits profusely, that didn't help them get rid of the bad odor. Many people switched between different cosmetic products or opted for aluminum deodorants or aluminum-free natural deodorants. However, using the deodorant may just make things worse, i.e. it would smell like deodorant mixed with sweat, so many have chosen not to use deodorant at all. Some people with the armpit odor problem changed the diet or tried a detox, such as the one with apple cider vinegar.
Sometimes, the problem was reported to be more noticeable if the clothes have been washed on 40 degrees and the armpit sweat smell remains in the clothes. Wearing polyester also makes things worse, as participants in this discussion noticed.
Usually when I wear polyester, I sweat pretty bad.
The bad smell in the armpits may be occasionally connected to the odor in the other parts of the body, such as genital/groin odor, however, it is usually a problem on its own.
What do experts say?
Causes for bad armpit smell
Body odors are often caused by three things: diet, stress, and underlying medical conditions. So these should be the first things to look upon. The armpit odor is usually a result of bacterial overgrowth. Stress also plays a significant role, because when stressed we sweat more, and prolonged stress could lead to a hormonal imbalance that could be a culprit for bad odor. Things that can make you smell really bad are also using the wrong deodorant and especially overusing it, wearing synthetic fibers, and having vitamin deficiencies or being on a low carb diet. What we eat can cause a bad smell. For example, spicy foods, cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli and cabbage which are high in sulfur, alcohol, red meat, etc. People who have tried out numerous products and anti-perspiring strategies but still found that they have very smelly armpits — whereas they did not have that problem before — should look for the medical cause behind this problem. Sometimes profuse sweating and armpit smell can be linked to some underlying condition. While sweating is normal, some people sweat more than usual. This condition is called hyperhidrosis. Excessive sweating could lead to more prominent armpit odor. Anxiety disorders, such as social anxiety that can be a result of hyperhidrosis can make worse by increasing "stress sweat" enormously. Trimethylaminuria (TMAU) is a genetic disorder that inhibits your body's enzymes from breaking down trimethtylamine (TMA), a fishy-smelling compound found in choline-rich foods, such as milk, eggs, saltwater fish, and legumes. Because your body is unable to digest TMA, the excess is released through your sweat, breath, and urine, and causes you to stink. Celiac disease is another health problem that reported to cause a bad armpit smell.
Treatments for bad armpit odor
Since the bacterial overgrowth is the most common cause for bad armpit smell, the treatment with antibiotics could provide relief. Your doctor may tell you to apply Neosporin, an antibiotic cream usually used for little cuts and scrapes or very minor skin infections, things that don't require systemic antibiotics. Microwave thermolysis is a revolutionary FDA-approved treatment for patients suffering from excessive sweating. Botox is another very effective treatment for excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis). Botox stops the signal that makes you sweat and it's meant to keep your armpits dry for over six months at a time. However, Botox can ultimately cause secondary sweating in other locations like the palms, in which case iontophoresis may be suggested. It is a medical treatment for excessive sweating that's widely used for people who've got the sweating on their feet and the palms of their hands. Very severe hyperhidrosis may need to be treated with permanent surgical removal of the sweat glands by a plastic surgeon.
Using products that contain aluminum
Many people opt for deodorants that contain aluminum when try to gt rid of bad odor. In fact, it is hard to avoid aluminum in cosmetic products nowadays. Majority of deodorants today have aluminum as active ingredients. The experts, however, DON'T recommend using deodorants and other cosmetic products that contain aluminum because they are toxic to the skin, they can block sweat glands, lead to skin irritation and most importantly they can lead to breast cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
Another problem with aluminum chloride is that it helps reduce sweating by blocking sweat glands. In this case, our bodies may see the aluminum in the antiperspirant as an invading toxin. And how does the body release toxins? By sweating. So, instead of getting rid of the bad smell, using aluminum deodorant may lead to a vicious cycle of attacking sweating with antiperspirant and the body counter attacking the aluminum with sweating. The higher the aluminum percentage of the antiperspirant the worse it may be.
Links:
Discussion highlights
User's Suggestions & Judgments
- Just shave your armpits
- I know that both drinking lots of alcohol and lots of coffee can make your armpits smell much worse than they would if you didn't do those things.
- I am using baking soda, believe it or not.
- I've also heard that it is possible to mix the baking soda with some corn starch.
- I'm female and have been using men's deodorant, which works a touch better than female deodorants, especially if you look for the sports ones.
- Full disclosure: my armpits don't smell like roses now that I use this zinc deodorant.
- It has zinc in it.
- You lack of vitamins B and Zinc.
- FDA approved for hyperhidrosis, non-invasive, uses microwaves.
- I have heard that botox is one of the best treatments for hyperhidrosis even though it can ultimately cause secondary sweating in other locations like the hand palms of forehead, but if you are desperate that might be worth it and I would absolutely consider it for myself.
- He said that the operation to removed the sweat glands, which he does with south eastern patients that request it allot costs around the same!
- Try miraDry treatment.
- Hello Botox didnt help my armpits from not smelling.
Medicine used to suppress armpit smell
- He told me to apply Neosporin.
- Neosporin is an antibiotic cream usually used for little cuts and scrapes or very minor skin infections, things that don't require systemic antibiotics.
- I tried the suggestion of Neosporin and it is AMAZING!
Natural treatments
- Hey, this is like the third time I have heard about people using vinegar and baking soda under their armpits.
- I stopped using store brand antiperspirants and deodorants as well and have a homemade deodorant that works so incredibly well.
Related Claims & Medical Studies
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Majority of deodorants today have aluminum as active ingredients, and they can lead to breast cancer.
https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/consumer_safety/docs/sccs_o_153.pdf
https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/DevelopmentResources/Over-the-CounterOTCDrugs/StatusofOTCRulemakings/ucm110774.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16045991
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14639125
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2797685/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6075842/
In conclusion
Bad armpit smell that persist even after showering and applying deodorant is an annoying problem for many. The cause behind it is in most cases benign, meaning that the body odor is a result of stress or what we eat. However, although rarely, in some cases bad odor that won't go away can be a sign of underlying condition, so it is important to discuss any unusual change in your body chemistry with your doctor.