While you are traveling by bus or train where all hands are up, you suddenly get that unpleasant smell. It might be a hygiene issue, but sometimes you must be wondering how to get rid of body odor. Before anything else, you should know what is body odor? It is an unpleasant smell that gets produced when bacteria on the skin break down sweat into acids. The symptoms of body odor include excessive sweating and experiencing sweating at night for no reason. What causes body odor is usually stress, diet, and medical conditions. Other reasons could be excessive emotional sweating, routine and clothing, and your genetics.
Natural Ways to Get Rid of Body Odor
How to get rid of body odor is a serious question that some people are worried about. Here are a few natural ways to get rid of body odor disease:
CURE 1: Foods
Body odor(1) has a direct relation to what you feed your body. Here are foods to eat and foods to avoid on how to get rid of body odor.
1. Lemon Juice
The pH value present in the lemon juice helps in killing the bacteria causing body odor. It also lightens the skin making it more beautiful.
How to use:
- Take a lemon and cut it into two halves
- Rub it on your underarms
- Allow it to settle and dry completely
- Wash it off with warm water
Benefits:
Lemon contains citric acid that prevents bacteria to thrive on the skin.
Precautions:
In case of sensitive, add a few drops of water to the lemon juice and then use the mixture.
2. Tomato Juice
Tomato juice is another remedy which helps you to get rid of body odor. Its acidic nature cleans the pores affected by body odor causing germs.
How to use:
- Take a bathtub full of warm water
- Add 2 cups of tomato juice in it
- Soak in the mixture for 20 to 30 minutes
- Use this home remedy 3 to 4 times a week for best results
Benefits:
Tomato contains acid that kills the bacteria on the skin. The fruit also contains astringent properties which reduce the size of pores and hence less sweat.
Foods to Eat
- Your diet should comprise foods that improve body odor such as parsley, fresh citrus fruits, and white fish
- People having diabetes and suffering from body odor should stick to complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat products, sweet potatoes, and vegetables
- For toddlers, it is best to give them organic milk and milk products such as cheese
How to use:
- Take a handful of parsley leaves and boil them
- Filter the leaves and drink the strained water
- Do this daily for best results
Foods to Avoid
- Stay away from refined sugar, processed food, and alcohol. Also, limit the number of spicy foods such as garlic and red meat
- People with diabetes should avoid simple carbohydrates containing sugar such as cakes and doughnuts. It will help them to get rid of diabetes body odor. Also, it helps to combat Candida body odor. Candida is a fungus that grows in vagina, intestines, and mouth. Excess growth of this yeast leads Candida body odor
- Also, a sudden increase in body odor in females is usually due to a genetic condition called Trimethylaminuria. Consuming trimethylamine in excess emits a fishy odor from your breath, urine, and sweat. In this case, avoid foods containing choline such as soybeans and egg yolks
Benefits:
- Citrus fruits help to get rid of the musky smell on your body. These fruits detoxify your body and help you get rid of toxins that cause body odor
- Parsley leaves contain anti-odor properties. It contains chlorophyll which helps to eliminate body odor
- You can reduce toddler body odor by giving them organic milk and cheese. It does not contain any hormones unlike soya milk, and hence it helps to reduce body odor in toddlers
CURE 2: Herbal Treatment
Age-old neem leaves have various medicinal properties, and they can be used to reduce body odor as well.
How to use:
- Take a handful of neem leaves and 1 cup water
- Grind these to a smooth paste
- Apply the paste on all possible sweat-prone areas
- Let it dry and wash it off with warm water
- Also, you can boil some neem leaves and use the strained water for bathing
- Do this daily for better results
Benefits:
The neem leaves have antibacterial, antifungal and antiseptic properties. These remove toxins from the body and help to get rid of body odor permanently.
CURE 3: Essential Oils
Essential oils are beneficial almost for every problem. They are easily available and cure the problem in a most fantastic way. In the same way, essential oil also works to get rid of body odor.
1. Tea Tree Oil
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Tea tree essential oil is one of the best essential oil for body odor.
How to use:
- Take two tablespoons of tea tree oil and dilute it in 2 tablespoons of water
- Apply the mixture on sweat-prone areas such as underarms
- Do this daily for best results
Benefits:
Tea tree oil acts as a natural antiseptic and is known to have antibacterial properties. These two qualities of the tea tree oil help fight body odor.
2. Tamanu Oil
Tamanu oil helps in the regrowth of healthy skin. It acts as a natural deodorant.
How to use:
- You can apply this oil directly to the sweat prone areas, or you can mix it with other essential oils such as lavender oil, tea tree oil or peppermint oil and then dab it gently
Benefits:
Tamanu oil has its unique scent. Also, it has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that help to fight body odor.
CURE 4: Home Remedies
There are numerous home remedies to treat body odor.
1. Salt and Lemon
Salt works as an exfoliator, and lemon juice as mentioned above has pH value which helps killing bacteria causing body odor.
How to use:
- While having a bath, squeeze lots of lemon in the bathing water. Also, add salt, and fresh mint leaves to it
Benefits:
Salt, lemon and mint bath detoxifies your body and refreshes the skin thus bidding adieu to garlic body odor. Also, daily salt bath helps you get rid of ketosis body odor. While you are on a keto diet, the body will detoxify and lead to body odor. In this phase, the body odor is temporary.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar
How to use:
- Take equal portions of apple cider vinegar and water
- Apply this mixture under your armpits
Benefits:
Apple cider vinegar has acidic properties that help to kill bacteria and prevent the formation of it. It especially helps when body odor smells like onions.
CURE 5. Supplements
You can have vitamin B supplements. These are known to flush wastes that cause body odor.
Precautions:
You cannot use these supplements as a substitute for medical treatments.
How to get rid of body odor using conventional ways?
Here are a few obvious or conventional ways to get rid of body odor:
- Bath twice a day properly. Also, you should take a shower after working out or playing a sport. While bathing, clean areas thoroughly such as armpits genitals and feet
- Wash clothes after every use and wear clean clothes
- Drink plenty of water. It helps to detoxify your body naturally
- Brush your teeth thoroughly twice a day
Bottom Line
In most of the cases, the body odor issue is temporary, and you can get rid of it using the conventional or natural remedies. In other cases, where the issue is related to medical conditions, it can get treated with the help of a doctor. As science has progressed in all walks, body odor is no big deal and can get cured in most of the cases. So have patience while you work to get rid of body odor. Now that you are all good and not worried about your armpits so raise your hand confidently and say “Yes, you did it!!!”
