Hi Kind Friends!
I've been dealing with body odor since I was in middle school and it's been something that's made me feel embarrassed often. I've tried many antiperspirants over the years and nothing worked for more than a few hours. This past year, I've found a lot of items and hacks that have worked better for me, mainly because they address the cause of the odor rather than hiding it.
And no, the hacks don't involve showering more often than you already do!
"For Good" is not accurate, we are all going to smell from time to time, but I know you are frustrated with your BO - I was too! I hope these tips help you as much as they do me.
The first three tips are based on personal experience, with my tried and true body odor hacks that I had to share. The last item is a new one I will be trying, but has shown to be helpful for many other people. I'm hopeful it will work for me too and will update this blog post once I know for sure.
1. Eat Oranges 🍊 (or Other Acidic Food) Daily
I accidentally came upon this idea after having a hyper fixation with oranges and eating two a day for a month. I know, that sounds a little silly, but that's how it happened!
When I eat two oranges a day, I need to re-apply deodorant less. When I googled why this happened, as it was the only change in my diet, I came across articles talking about how vitamin C and acidic fruits can help flush out toxins and move water through your body. Oranges are also good for vaginal health, according to Femtech Insider.
Now I'm only eating one orange every other day and it has less of an effect, but I keep this hack in mind when I have big events coming up and try to load up on oranges and orange juice for the week of so I have less stink when I'm stress sweating!
Acidic food can affect teeth health, or cause heart burn, so check in with your body on this tip.
2. Use an AHA or BHA Deodorant Instead of an Antiperspirant
I know, last year I would have ignored anyone that told me to not use an antiperspirant. I thought the key to smelling better was to sweat less, but that's just not true. All of these tips relate to bacteria, toxins, and PH for a reason.
Then, the more I thought about it, I wondered why I would try and stop my body from releasing sweat, when that is helpful for removing toxins from my body.
Since then, I've tried plenty of deodorants that didn't impact my sweat production, across many price points. None of them helped with my BO until I tried Saltair's AHA serum deodorant. 😍
It's fantastic and only $12. I just re-bought the product. One serum bottle lasted about two and a half months. AHAs (alpha-hydroxy acids) and BHAs (beta-hydroxy acids) are chemical exfoliants that help remove dead skin cells and unclog pores, with AHA and BHA deodorants working to lower the PH of your skin, which makes it harder for odor-causing bacteria to grow. Coveteur has a good article about how it works.
Noticing a theme here?
3. Use Toner on Your Underarms Daily Or as a Spot Treatment
I use and love the Dickinson's Hydrating Toner with Rose Water, which comes in a 16 Fl Oz bottle and lasts forever. Rose water, in particular, has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe and calm irritated skin. The main star of this show though, is the benefits of witch hazel and bacteria. It is also antibacterial, but stronger than rose water on it's own. Read what the US Department of Agriculture has to say about witch hazel here.
I've used toner on my face on and off for years, as my facial skin doesn't always need it, but when I saw Abbey's video about how toner can help with BO, I became obsessed again. After my workouts, to clean up any sweat under my arms, I use toner on my underarms before I re-apply my Saltair deodorant.
If you don't shower in the morning and may have sweat a lot at night, wiping your under arms with toner as part of your skincare routine could help with BO as well.
I go on walks daily and have been increasing my exercise this year, but it isn't possible for my to shower after each since it's throughout the day rather than at a set time. This hack with toner has helped a lot.
4. Use PanOxyl (or Other Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Washes) on Your Underarms Before Your Body Wash
I saw this Instagram Reel from Dr. Zubritsky and she mentioned that PanOxyl, a 4% Benzoyl Peroxide acne wash, minimizes body odor.
I became fascinated by this idea and bought the product on Amazon after reading the reviews. Dr. Zubritsky mentions that a lot of BO is related to bacteria that may not have been picked up by your body wash and it seems like the reviewers agree.
My product is coming in today, so I haven't personally tested this tip, but look through the reviews and see for yourself if you'd like to try it.
I plan to use it on my underarms only, in the shower, have it sit for 10-30 seconds, then wash off with my current body wash. You should still use body wash to get those moisturizing benefits on top, depending on the benefits your body wash brand promotes. I'll report back on if this works for me!
Because I have sensitive skin and often get dry patches, inflammation, eczema rashes, etc from stress and harsh products - I'm going to proceed with caution for this hack and start with doing it once or twice a week to see how my skin reacts.
Acne treatments can be very drying, so be sure to moisturize once you are out of the shower.
And that's how I've been minimizing my BO this year!
Know that if you also feel embarrassed by BO, it is a natural thing that a lot of people deal with. Remember to listen to your body and adjust these tips as needed based on your skin type and sensitivity, as they may not work the same way for you as they do for me. With a little experimentation and patience, you'll find the right mix for you.
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