Armpit Odor – Causes and Remedies

Armpit Odor – Causes and Remedies

What is or causes armpit odor?

Armpit odor also known as axillary malodor normally starts when an individual reaches puberty. That is when the glands begin functioning. There are 2 different types of sweat glands in the human body. First are the apocrine glands that secrete a fluid which is milky from the follicles where hair grows and second is the eccrine glands which most perspiration or sweat comes from. This sweat from the eccrine glands is mostly water, which the body uses to cool off by evaporation as well as to moisten the surfaces of the body which cause or have any friction.

Armpit Odor Causes

Most armpit, or axillary, perspiration is odorless and originates from the eccrine glands. Contained within the sweat or perspiration is a small amount of apocrine secreted. This is the cause of the difficulty of armpit odor. Even though apocrine sweat which is new is odorless, it will modify into the distinctive odor when the sweat is fragmented by the skin cells as well as the hair, and it is then eaten by bacteria. It is actually the bacterium which makes the odor or smell by discharging a chemical known as 3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid.
Approximately 70% of females and 90% of males have this bacterium in the armpit, although women create a much milder odor than men. Individuals have problems smelling their own odor short of burying their nose into their own armpit…possibly because each individual’s brain screens out smells which are existent all the time.

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Underarm odor is problematic for many adults – whether they acknowledge it or not and normally gets worse with age. For some individuals, it can just be mild and no deodorant is needed but for others, it can be so very strong that it plainly drives other people away from them. The majority of individuals have some odor, particularly after exercising and they prefer to do something about it.

Armpit Odor Remedies

There are many remedies that can help with this problem and some of them include:

Witch hazel/alcohol – use to wipe the armpits instead of using deodorant

Alum – use a crystal rock which is made from “mineral salt potassium alum” rather than deodorant

Apple cider vinegar – eradicates the underarm odor by reducing the pH level of the skin. White vinegar is also helpful. Use cotton balls to apply to the underarms.

Baby powder – use this in areas of substantial perspiration

Baby wipes – these work but results are only temporary

Baking soda – this is a good odor-eating backup – put the powder on dry armpits

Cornstarch – can be used mixed with or instead of baking soda

Bauxite crystal deodorant – works well in controlling odors

Parsley/alfalfa – by chewing alfalfa, parsley or any other greens helps to deactivate the body odor because of the deodorizing properties of the chlorophyll

Radishes –make juice with about 2 dozen radishes, ¼ teaspoon glycerine and a spray bottle can be used not only as underarm deodorant but also to diminish Foot Odor

Rosemary – this is a great herb which is antibacterial. Put about 10 drops in 1 oz. of water and place that into a spray bottle

Sage – herbalists recommend a drink of a cup of sage tea in order to diminish activity of the sweat gland. This is particularly good for anyone who perspires extremely due to tension. Sage leaves which are fresh combined with tomato juice is also good to drink

Tea tree – another excellent antibacterial herb – put 2 drops of this oil into 1 oz. of water and use in a spray bottle

Towelettes – also known as baby wipes

Turnip juice – this reduces odor from underarms for as much as ten hours. Grate one turnip, crush the turnip thru cheesecloth to get the juice – wash underarms first and then briskly rub 1 teaspoonful under each arm.

Wheat grass – recommended to take 500 mg of wheat grass each day on a stomach that is empty with a glass of water – chlorophyll in the wheat grass radically reduces body odor