Top Reasons Our Underarms Produce That All Too Distinct Smell
Underarm Odor Causes
| Why do our underarms gather odor so readily? What can we do to stay fresh all day? |
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Ever wonder why your underarms (otherwise known, not so
affectionately as “arm pits”) tend to have a pungent and distinctly
unpleasant odor (“B.O.”) from physical exertion, heat exposure, or
simply the stress of the day that you’d had? Well, there are a
combination of reasons for this strong odor that collects in this area. Call it the
perfect storm of circumstances if you will.
The first and foremost cause of this odor is the fact that the largest concentration of
sweat glands is near your under arms. Once we hit puberty, our arm pit area begins
to have the unpleasant smell we are used to as adults due to the sweat glands
becoming more active. Hormonal shifts can also contribute to a stronger smelling
odor emitting from this area.
It is not the sweat itself that smells bad. It is the combination of the fact that the
underarm is a dark area where moisture is collecting that causes bacteria to grow.
This bacteria produces a strong chemical reaction that results in a unique odor that
smells unpleasant to the human olfactory senses, requiring deodorant to control it.
Antiperspirants are often prescribed to help stop underarm odor, but all these do is
plug the pores located in the underarm area to stop the sweat from flowing out.
Antiperspirants often use aluminum particles to plug the sweat glands.
As you know, aluminum is a metal that has been linked to many health issues
including alzheimers and various types of cancer. There is no antiperspirant that
stops ALL sweat from coming out – not even the prescription kind. We need to
sweat a little bit at least, this is the way our body gets rid of excess salt as well as
different types of toxins that come out in the sweating process.
Deodorants actually work to kill the bacteria which is caused by the moisture and
darkness of the area. In turn, it reduces of completely stops the odor that we all find
so offensive. As you know, there are natural deodorants available, and there are
also deodorants that use a variety of chemicals to help reduce the growth of these
odor-producing bacteria.
Men often tend to gather this distinct underarm smell more severely than women.
This is because men typically do not shave their underarms. Due to the abundance of
hair, the bacteria collects more readily and causes the underarms to smell more
pungent more quickly.
Women tend to shave their underarms, which helps reduce some of the buildup, but
does not stop it entirely. Men may choose to partially shave their underarms to
reduce the smell, or they may apply a natural powder to help soak up and neutralize
some of the dampness that causes bacterial growth.
It is important to wash shirts every day, especially when it is summer time. The smell
builds up in the underarm area of clothes, and can carry over to the next time the
article is worn if they are not regularly cleansed. It can also exacerbate the smell on
the underarms since it lends to the bacterial growth the next time the garment is
worn.
Washing with a good antibacterial soap is also a great way to reduce odor from the
beginning. If you shower at night, you may want to apply your deodorant (natural is
highly preferable of course) directly after your shower instead of waiting until the
next morning.
You do sweat at night, so if you don’t neutralize the odor overnight, you will be
applying the deodorant over bacteria that has already grown during the night,
rendering your deodorant less effective. If you don’t want to apply your deodorant
at night, make sure you wash your underarms again in the morning to erase the
odor-causing bacteria that grew during the night.
affectionately as “arm pits”) tend to have a pungent and distinctly
unpleasant odor (“B.O.”) from physical exertion, heat exposure, or
simply the stress of the day that you’d had? Well, there are a
combination of reasons for this strong odor that collects in this area. Call it the
perfect storm of circumstances if you will.
The first and foremost cause of this odor is the fact that the largest concentration of
sweat glands is near your under arms. Once we hit puberty, our arm pit area begins
to have the unpleasant smell we are used to as adults due to the sweat glands
becoming more active. Hormonal shifts can also contribute to a stronger smelling
odor emitting from this area.
It is not the sweat itself that smells bad. It is the combination of the fact that the
underarm is a dark area where moisture is collecting that causes bacteria to grow.
This bacteria produces a strong chemical reaction that results in a unique odor that
smells unpleasant to the human olfactory senses, requiring deodorant to control it.
Antiperspirants are often prescribed to help stop underarm odor, but all these do is
plug the pores located in the underarm area to stop the sweat from flowing out.
Antiperspirants often use aluminum particles to plug the sweat glands.
As you know, aluminum is a metal that has been linked to many health issues
including alzheimers and various types of cancer. There is no antiperspirant that
stops ALL sweat from coming out – not even the prescription kind. We need to
sweat a little bit at least, this is the way our body gets rid of excess salt as well as
different types of toxins that come out in the sweating process.
Deodorants actually work to kill the bacteria which is caused by the moisture and
darkness of the area. In turn, it reduces of completely stops the odor that we all find
so offensive. As you know, there are natural deodorants available, and there are
also deodorants that use a variety of chemicals to help reduce the growth of these
odor-producing bacteria.
Men often tend to gather this distinct underarm smell more severely than women.
This is because men typically do not shave their underarms. Due to the abundance of
hair, the bacteria collects more readily and causes the underarms to smell more
pungent more quickly.
Women tend to shave their underarms, which helps reduce some of the buildup, but
does not stop it entirely. Men may choose to partially shave their underarms to
reduce the smell, or they may apply a natural powder to help soak up and neutralize
some of the dampness that causes bacterial growth.
It is important to wash shirts every day, especially when it is summer time. The smell
builds up in the underarm area of clothes, and can carry over to the next time the
article is worn if they are not regularly cleansed. It can also exacerbate the smell on
the underarms since it lends to the bacterial growth the next time the garment is
worn.
Washing with a good antibacterial soap is also a great way to reduce odor from the
beginning. If you shower at night, you may want to apply your deodorant (natural is
highly preferable of course) directly after your shower instead of waiting until the
next morning.
You do sweat at night, so if you don’t neutralize the odor overnight, you will be
applying the deodorant over bacteria that has already grown during the night,
rendering your deodorant less effective. If you don’t want to apply your deodorant
at night, make sure you wash your underarms again in the morning to erase the
odor-causing bacteria that grew during the night.
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