How To Get Rid Of Your Offensive Body Odour

Body odour can be embarrassing in social circles, subject you to humiliating remarks and ruin your confidence or self-esteem. It is often fuelled by factors including excessive perspiration and skin bacteria, poor personal hygiene, obesity, high level of toxins in the body as well as certain medical conditions such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, liver and kidney disease.

Find helpful tips to help you get rid of that offensive body odour and get back your confidence…

1. Improved personal hygiene

Poor hygiene can make the apocrine glands (located in the underarms, genitals, and around the nipples) and eccrine glands (located in the underarms, hands, and feet) emit offensive odour when they interact with bacteria building up on the skin.

Therefore, bathe at least once a day and twice on hot days with antibacterial soap and warm water, paying particular attention to areas prone to sweat. It’s also a good idea to disinfect your bath water to foster getting rid of bacteria colonies on your skin. Disinfecting bath water with hydrogen peroxide or cider vinegar works for those with very offensive body odour.

In addition, always wear clean, breathable clothing and underwear, and shave your armpits regularly. Doing this aids quicker sweat evaporation, giving bacteria less time to break down sweat.

Maintaining proper scalp and hair hygiene also help prevent foul smell.

2. Reduce intake of spicy foods. Strong-smelling spices such as curry, garlic and onions can make your sweat smell, so, if you have body odour, cut their intake to the barest minimum.

It is also said that excessive intake of red meat, alcohol and caffeine may make body odour worse. Watch your intake of those as well.

3. Regular exercise. Accumulation of toxins in the body overtime can trigger body odour, therefore, engage in regular exercise to enable you sweat out toxins and avoid further build up.

Aiming for at least 30 minutes of exercise daily will help detoxify your body. Take a shower afterwards and avoid putting previously worn clothes back on.

4. Dry your body properly after bathing. Bacteria thrives in moist or wet areas, therefore, after bathing, take time to dry your body, especially odour prone parts, including your private areas, armpits and feet, with a clean towel.

Also, make sure to always have a clean handkerchief handy to wipe off sweat in the course of the day.

5. Let your feet breathe. Smelly feet can announce your arrival or presence in the most humiliating way. Routinely, soak your feet in warm water with a bit of salt to kill bacteria giving that offensive smell.

Always wear clean shoes as well and avoid keeping your feet in them all day to prevent moisture build up which encourages bacteria to breed.

You may also use an antifungal spray for your shoes. Powdering your feet too helps absorb sweat and keep your feet dry.

6. Drink lots of water. This helps you sweat out toxins and keep your skin properly hydrated. If a build up of toxins is responsible for your body odour, drinking lots of water, at least 8 glasses per day, in addition to regular exercise may be all you need to get rid of that foul smell for good.

7. Eat foods rich in probiotics. Including yoghurt with lots of live and active cultures in your diet, for instance, over a 6-month period may help promote the growth of healthy bacteria which will curtail the activities of those bacteria causing foul smell.

Here are a few natural remedies you may also try out:

8. Lemon juice. Its acidic property helps restrain the growth of bacteria. Apply on odour prone areas with a clean cotton ball daily.

Lime juice, which is more acidic, is also said to be very effective. Cut lime into half and apply directly on your armpits daily before bedtime. Wash off during bath next morning and apply a good quality roll-on antiperspirant.

9. Apple cider vinegar. This can reduce foul smell and help lower the pH level of the skin, preventing skin bacteria from breeding. Add one cup to lukewarm bath water or apply on your armpits with a clean cotton ball. Allow to dry and rinse off during bath or shower.

Avoid this option if you have sensitive skin or test on a small patch of skin first to see reaction before proceeding. Do not apply on broken skin.

10. Mint bath. Boiling mint leaves in four cups of water, adding to bath water and soaking in it for 10 minutes once every two days is also said to help as its antiseptic properties kill odour causing skin bacteria and reduce the level of toxins in the skin.

11. Baking soda. This may also help absorb sweat, reduce body odour and kill bacteria. Mix a tablespoon baking soda with lemon juice and apply to your underarms and other sweat prone areas for a few minutes. Wash off with water without scrubbing and take a shower or bath. Repeat this once daily.