How to Eliminate Body Odor

Medically reviewed by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS

Last Updated: November 21, 2024 Approved

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Everyone worries about their body odor at some point or another. Who hasn't done the subtle armpit check? Fortunately, there are steps you can take to become more hygienic and eliminate body odor for good.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Finding Fast Relief from Odor

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1
Wash your body. If you find that you are a bit smelly, hop in the shower if you have the time. Body odor is created by bacteria that cause you to smell, so rinsing your body (and the part that smells worst in particular) can help to get rid of the smell quickly. However, it's important to use soap or an antibacterial detergent when you wash yourself, rather than just rinsing with water.
- When you shower, be sure to use cleansing soap to lather up your underarms, groin area, and feet, along with any other problem areas you may have.
2
Apply an over-the-counter antiperspirant. Antiperspirants form a block using certain chemicals (like aluminum) against sweating and perspiration, which helps to eliminate body odor. Many of these antiperspirants last all day, but you may need to reapply, especially if you've been doing something like exercising.
- Unlike a deodorant, antiperspirants actually eliminate the perspiration, while deodorant simply masks the smell.
- There has been a lot of talk about whether antiperspirants that contain aluminum cause breast cancer, or Alzheimer's, but medical research has never adequately proven a link between the two (or between breast cancer and parabens), so it should be safe to use.
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3
Use a deodorant to cover up body odor quickly. Sweating isn't bad for you (unless it's in excess and indicative of a larger problem) so you don't want to eliminate it entirely. Sweating serves the very utilitarian purpose of cooling your body down, but you can manage your sweating so that it doesn't happen at inappropriate times. Deodorant covers up the smell, or eliminates it entirely, while not getting rid of the moisture itself.^{[1]
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- Some deodorants last longer than others. If you are looking for a quick fix to your body odor problems, apply any deodorant that you can find. If you are looking to stay smelling fresh for longer periods of time, consider investing in a quality deodorant.
4
Use a hydrogen peroxide mixture. If you are at home and don't have any deodorant or antiperspirant on hand, try mixing one teaspoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide with one cup of water.^{[2]
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- Stir the mixture together and then dip a washcloth in the solution. Rub the wet washcloth under your armpits to relieve any body odor you may have.
5
Rub hand sanitizer on your armpits. If you are in a really tight spot and need to eliminate body odor as quickly as possible, you can use hand sanitizer to get rid of the smell. To use hand sanitizer as a relief from body odor:
- Squirt a small amount of hand sanitizer into your hand. Use your hand to rub the sanitizer onto your armpits. The sanitizer will help to fight the bacteria that are causing you to smell.
If you are sweating heavily and are afraid you might begin to smell, use an oil blotter to wipe up the sweat. These papers are very effective at absorbing moisture, so rub one of the papers under your armpit (or anywhere else you are sweating) in order to prevent yourself from beginning to smell.
7
Rub an alum stone on the area emitting the odor. Alum is a mineral that contains properties that can help to fight the bacteria that create body odor. To use an alum stone, you rub it on your armpit much in the same way that you would apply deodorant.
- If you are sweating, consider washing the stone after you have applied it to your skin.
If you are out in nature and don't have any deodorant or antiperspirant on hand, try rubbing some mud on your armpits or feet and letting the mud dry. Once it has dried, wash it off. The purpose of doing this is to dry out and remove any dead skin and old sweat that might be causing your body odor, much in the same way that a mud mask works.
9
Spritz the problem areas with vinegar. If you'd rather not use store-bought products, try using some natural remedies to solve your body odor problem quickly. Vinegar is a natural antiseptic that can help kill bacteria or fungi in your problems areas (like your feet or your underarms). Spritz some white or apple cider on those areas and then wipe your skin dry.
- You can also dilute vodka with water and spritz it on your underarms. This was famously described by Joan Rivers as an "old Broadway trick" that she herself uses.^{[3]
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- If vinegar isn't really your thing, you can try other natural sterilizers like tea tree oil or witch hazel, both of which have a similar effect to that of vinegar.
10
Use diluted lemon juice. Lemon juice is thought to be a natural antibacterial and antifungal agent.^{[4]
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Research source} Because of this, it can be used as fast relief from body odor. To apply lemon juice to your armpits or feet, you can either pour lemon juice onto a clean washcloth or rub a sliced lemon onto the problem area.
- However, you may need to experiment with how much lemon juice you put on your skin. Lemon juice is very acidic, which means that it can cause your skin to become irritated. If you find that this is the case, wash the lemon juice off and wait a couple of hours before applying a smaller amount of lemon juice to the area.
- You can also try diluting the lemon juice with water.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Practicing Good Hygiene to Eliminate Body Odor

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1
Take showers regularly. As mentioned above, taking a shower can help to get rid of body odor quickly. Making sure to shower each day and lathering up your problem areas can help to keep you feeling cleaning and fresh while you do your daily activities. When you shower:
- Make sure to use an exfoliant a couple of times a week. This can help to wash away grime, dead skin, and bacteria, all of which can play a part in creating body odor. You can purchase exfoliants at your local pharmacy, or you can make your own natural exfoliants.
2
Keep your skin dry. Bacteria like an environment with lots of moisture, food to eat, warmth, and the proper levels of pH and sodium concentration, all of which can be found in folds of moist skin. Because of this, it is important to dry off your skin whenever it becomes moist, whether the moisture is from taking a shower or sweating.
- Use a towel or oil blotting papers to wipe off sweat and other moisture.
- After a shower, consider applying powder to areas like your armpit in order to combat moisture.
- If you have exercised or performed another activity where you sweat profusely, change your clothes afterward to keep yourself fresh and dry.
Shave your underarms regularly. This can apply to both men and women, though women more commonly shave their armpits. Getting rid of the hair in your armpits can help to reduce the amount of body odor you have because hair absorbs odors easily; if you have less hair, there will be less chance that the body odor is absorbed.
4
Wear breathable fabrics. There are certain synthetic materials that don't breathe very well unless they've been specifically designed for that purpose (like polyester blends). If you're really worried about body odor wear fabrics like cotton, wool, or silk as they soak up moisture and have better breathability, which means you will most likely sweat less and create less body odor.
- You can also wear a cotton or silk undershirt under your clothing to soak up your sweat and body moisture so that your body odor does not soak into your outer layers of clothing.
Wash your clothes regularly. As mentioned above, body odor can seep into your clothing. If you sweat heavily in a shirt and allow the shirt to dry without washing it, there is a very good chance that that shirt will smell bad the next day. Try to wash your clothes every time you sweat in them to keep them, and yourself, smelling fresh.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Lifestyle Changes to Eliminate Odor

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1
Try to eat a healthy diet. What you eat can affect how you smell. If you are having problems with body odor, try to steer clear of certain foods including junk food, and up your intake of others. These foods include:
- Foods to avoid: large quantities of red meat, garlic, and onions, spicy foods, and heavily processed foods that contain high amounts of sugar. All of these foods can make your body odor worse. You should also avoid caffeinated drinks as those can add to body odor.
- Some foods to eat are: leafy vegetables, whole grains, raw nuts and seeds, healthy oils (olive oil, salmon, avocado, etc.), and phytonutrients that cleanse your insides (like parsley, cilantro, celery, mints, sage, rosemary, thyme, and oregano.
2
Promote gut health. Some intense cases of body odor can be caused by a problem with your gut. Your gut may not be able to completely digest certain foods, which in turn can lead to an increase in body odor. You can try boosting your gut health at home, but if it continues to be a problem you should seek the help of a doctor. Ways to boost your gut health include:
- Taking a probiotic supplement to help boost your intestinal flora quality.
- Taking digestive enzymes with your meals or taking some apple cider vinegar to help aid your digestion.
Chlorophyll supplements are thought to act as natural deodorizers, which can help to keep you from getting smelly throughout the day. Add a chlorophyll supplement to your normal vitamin regimen.^{[5]
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4
Eliminate stress. Stress stimulates the apocrine glands, which are a type of gland that causes body odor. This means that when you are anxious or angry and under stress you're more likely to produce more body odor.
- Meditation may help to cut down the amount of stress you feel. Meditate for 15 minutes each day and you may find that your stress is becoming more manageable (and therefore you will smell better).
- Yoga is another good way to cut down on your stress.
5
Try a detox. While there is little scientific evidence to support the healing properties of a cleanse, many people report positive experiences from the process. Cleansing your body, especially if your body odor problem comes from your gut or the food you've been eating, may help to reduce body odor and set you on the path towards smelling clean and fresh.^{[6]
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- There are lots of different types of detoxes, so plan to talk to your doctor before you attempt one, especially one of the more rigorous cleanses. This is particularly important to do if you have a medical condition.
- Some claim that you may be able to get even more from your detox if you incorporate steam or infrared sauna, although this also has yet to be scientifically verified. Try using the sauna 2-3 times a week to help detox and reduce body odor.^{[7]
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6
Stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of liquid throughout the day can help to wash out the toxins in your body. This can help to promote good gut health, which in turn can make you less smelly.
- The average adult woman generally needs 2.2 liters (0.6 US gal) of water, while the average adult man generally needs 3 liters (0.8 US gal).^{[8]
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- Some people have also had positive experiences drinking warm water with a squeeze of lemon juice to hydrate and detoxify.
7
Exercise regularly. While this might sound counterintuitive because exercising makes you sweat, getting plenty of physical exercise can actually help to combat body odor in the long run. Exercising can help you to sweat out toxins that have built up in your body that could potentially cause body odor.
- However, make sure to take a shower after you exercise and dry off thoroughly, as mentioned above.
8
Consult your doctor if body odor is a permanent problem. If you have tried the above steps and nothing seems to be eliminating your body odor, you may have a medical condition that is causing the smell. Go to a doctor or dermatologist to discuss your body odor issue and get a diagnosis. You might be diagnosed with Bromhidrosis, a condition that causes people to have excessive body odor</ref>
- Doctors can prescribe prescription-level antiperspirants. These can cause skin irritation, so make sure you're only using this if you have an actual medical issue (like Bromhidrosis or Hyperhidrosis).
- Botox can also block sweat glands and eliminate your sweating. Again, you don't want to do this unless you have an actual medical problem, because it is both expensive and painful. The effects may only last for a few months and aren't always a long-term solution.

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Tips

Do not try to put perfume in your armpits. It will only make the odor worse and will probably cause extreme irritation and redness.

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Don't mix too many soaps, deodorant, perfume, etc. because the various scents don't always blend very well.

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Helpful 6 Not Helpful 0
Soak your feet in a salt bath. Since feet are one of the problem areas, occasionally soaking them in a salt bath can help reduce their odor. The salt kills the bacteria, which eliminates the cause of the odor.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Put Johnson's baby powder onto your armpits and let it dry for 1-2 minutes before getting dressed. This works great to absorb odor (at least for me!).
Sometimes it might just be the deodorant you're using. Try out the travel/sample sizes from different brands until you find one that you like!

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Warnings

Don't put on cologne to mask odors--it will make matters worse.

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If you use a razor to shave ensure the razor is clean before you shave. You can clean the razor with disinfectant or antiseptic.

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