Body odor is any strong or unusual odor
related to the body. The medical term is bromhidrosis. Occasional abnormal body
odor may be a temporary effect of a metabolic change, such as fruity breath in
diabetic ketoacidosis, but by far the most common cause of abnormal body odor
is excessive perspiration or hyperhidrosis (overactive sweat glands).
Sweating, or perspiring, is necessary to cool
the body and is triggered by warm temperatures, exercise or physical exertion,
or as a stress response to nervousness, fear, embarrassment or anger. Fluid from
sweating in combination with skin bacteria produce the familiar odor recognized
as body odor.
The two types of hyperhidrosis include
primary or focal hyperhidrosis, in which your hands, feet and armpits sweat
excessively; and secondary hyperhidrosis, in which you may sweat all over your
body or in one area besides your feet, hands or armpits. Secondary
hyperhidrosis is caused by other conditions, such as anxiety disorders,
cancers, diabetes, hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid), lung disease, pheochromocytoma
(tumor associated with hypertension), tuberculosis (serious infection affecting
the lungs and other organs), or other infections.
Here are some homemade remedies for body odor
that you can use from your home kitchen
1.
Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass
helps to reduce the body odour. Take 500 mg wheatgrass along with a glass of
water.
2. Baking
Soda
Baking soda
facilitates in absorbing the moisture from the skin. Apply some amount of baking
soda under your armpits. This will help in reducing the body odour.
3. White
Vinegar
Make a
solution of water and white vinegar. Apply it under you armpits while taking a
bath.
4. Apple
Cider Vinegar
Take apple
cider vinegar and mix it with water. Apply it on the underarm area as a
deodorant. Apple cider vinegar will regulate the pH balance, letting you get
rid of the odour.
5. Bath
If you sweat
excessively during summers then bath at least thrice a day. This will make you
feel fresh all day and also reduce the body odour. Make sure to dry yourself
completely after every bath.
6. Powder
Use baby
powder or talcum powder. Powder will soak the sweat and prevent the odour.
7.
Antibacterial Soap
Use
antibacterial soap while bathing and don’t forget to cleanse the underarms
thoroughly.
8.
Vitamin A & B
Vitamin A
& vitamin B supplements are very helpful in preventing sweat and
controlling the body odour.
9. Apple
Eating an
apple a day can help you to keep away the body odour. Apple is a very rich
source of zinc, which helps in controlling the body odour.
10.
Parsley
Consuming
several springs of parsley on the daily basis can help in eradicating the body
odour.
11. Herbal
Deodorant
Make your
own herbal deodorant by mixing 5 drops of sage, 5 drops of coriander, 5 drops
of lavender essential oil and 2 ounces of witch hazel. Mix it all together.
Before use, shake the mix well.
12. Tea
Tree Oil
Use tea tree
oil for body odour. Wipe your underarms using tea tree oil. It is a natural
antiseptic, which will kill the bacteria and prevent them to form again.
13. Witch
Hazel
Apply witch
hazel to clean your underarm. This will work as an antiseptic agent, destroying
the bacteria, which creates the odour.
14. Honey
After you
finish bathing, take 1 tablespoon of honey and add it to tepid water. Rinse
yourself thoroughly with it.
15.
Alcohol
Mix alcohol
and water. Wash your armpits via this solution. This will help in reducing the
sweat.
16.
Rosewater
Fill your
bathtub with lukewarm water and add rose petals or several drops of rose water
in it. Bathing in rosewater will help in providing a long lasting fragrance.
17.
Homemade Deodorant
Mix radish
juice (about 2 dozen) in ¼ tablespoon of glycerine. Mix it. Shake it well
before use. Store it in the fridge for longer use.
18.
Tomato Juice
Pour a cup
of tomato juice in your bathtub and fill the rest of the bathtub with water.
Soak yourself in this water to reduce the body odour.
19.
Homemade Spray
Take 1 cup
water and add several drops of your favourite essential oil (orange, mint,
rosemary, and grapefruit) in it. These oils are great and strong to kill the
odour. Mix it well and fill this mixture in a spray bottle. Shake well before
use.
20.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Wash your
armpits with hydrogen peroxide. Take 8 ounces of water and add 1 tablespoon of
hydrogen peroxide. Wash your armpits with this solution, several times a day.
Hydrogen peroxide will dry the skin and thus, the sweat won’t come, and no
sweat means no odour.
21. Curd
& Gram Flour
Take gram
flour and mix it in curd to form a paste. Apply this paste on your overall body
and let it stay for 1-2 minutes. Rinse your body with water, thoroughly. This
will remove the bad odour from the body.
22. Bael
Leaves & Soap Nut
Take dried
bael leaves and mix them with soap nut. Use this mix instead of using soap.
This will lessen the odour and make the body odourless.
23.
Gooseberry & Ground Betel Leaves
Take
gooseberry powder and dried ground betel leaves powder in equal proportion. Mix
them well. Apply this on your body before taking the bath. This will thoroughly
wash away the body odour.
24.
Tamarind Leaves & Banana Tree Root
Mix tamarind
leaves and banana tree root powder in an equal amount. Apply it on your whole body
before bathing. This will fight from bacteria, which causes the odour.
25. Mint
Add mint in
your bath tub and bathe with this water. Mint will kill the odour and
leave a fresh and sweet fragrance.
26.
Turnip Juice
Grate turnip
and squeeze the grated part. Collect the juice and use it on your underarms.
This remedy will help in reducing the sweat and odour from the body.
27. Alum
Take alum
and dissolve it in a bucket of water. Take a bath with this water, but make
sure not to rinse your hair, just the body. You will get the expected results.
28. Milk
Drink a
glass of milk on the daily basis. Milk is heavy enough to mask the smell of
garlic and onion.
29. White
Fish
Eat white
fish instead of eating red meat. Consuming white fish won’t produce body odour.
30. Tea
Soak tea
bags in warm water and put your feet in that water. This will help in removing
the odour from your feet.
31.
Cornstarch
Sprinkle a
little amount of cornstarch on your feet or sprinkle it in your socks that you
are going to wear. This will absorb the sweat and leave your legs sweat-free.
32. Lime
Juice
Take lime
juice and water in equal ratio. Mix them well. Apply this mix on your underarms
and notice the difference in a few days.
33. Lemon
Juice & Baking Soda
Take lemon
juice and mix baking soda in it. Rub it on your underarms and leave it for 2
minutes. Wash it off thoroughly and then, apply a 2-3 drops of tea tree oil on
your armpits. This will leave your body odor-free
What
causes body odor?
Occasionally,
abnormal body odor may be an effect of a metabolic change, such as fruity
breath in diabetic ketoacidosis or changes in body chemistry in liver or kidney
failure. However, abnormal body odor is usually caused by hyperhidrosis
(excessive, abnormal sweating). Primary hyperhidrosis (affecting only the
hands, feet and armpits) has no identified cause, but may be genetic. Secondary
hyperhidrosis is caused by other conditions, such as acromegaly (disorder
recognized by continuing growth of the hands, feet and face), anxiety
disorders, cancers, certain medications, glucose (sugar) control disorders,
pheochromocytoma (tumor associated with hypertension), substance abuse,
tuberculosis, or other infections.
Causes of body odor
Body odor
may be caused by a number of disorders that either cause excessive sweating or
directly contribute to an abnormal odor. Examples include:
- Acromegaly (disorder recognized by
continuing growth of hands, feet and face)
- Anxiety disorders
- Glucose (sugar) control disorders such
as diabetes
- Hereditary tendency to develop
hyperhidrosis (genetic trait)
- Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
- Lung disease
- Medication side effects
(antidepressants, antiseizures, omega-3 fatty acid)
- Pheochromocytoma (tumor associated
with hypertension)
- Spine or nerve trauma
- Substance abuse
In some cases, body odor may be a symptom of a serious or life-threatening condition that should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting. These conditions include:
· Cancer
· Heart disease
· Kidney failure
· Liver failure
· Stroke
