Armpit Odor

Occurrence of armpit odor is one of the stages of puberty. In the human body, there are two kinds of sweat glands, which include the eccrine sweat glands and the apocrine sweat glands. The former contain protein and fatty acids and they produce a milky fluid from the hair follicles. While, the later type causes most of the perspiration or sweat. This sweat is mainly a combination of water, small amount of potassium and high concentrations of chloride and sodium. This sweat is required to cool off the body through evaporation, after exceeding a comfortable temperature. Most commonly, the sweat produced by the eccrine glands is odorless. However, the one that is secreted by the apocrine glands becomes the source of armpit odor. Freshly secreted apocrine remains odorless until it is broken down in the hair and skin cells and eaten by bacteria, which release a chemical called 3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid. This is what causes armpit odor. Read more on body odor.

Men are known to produce armpit odor, which is worse than what women do. This is due to the fact that men harbor more bacteria in their armpit than women. It is obvious that people who perspire more, are the ones who are more prone to develop armpit odor. The following description lets you know about different remedies for armpit odor and what may lead to this problem.
Armpit Odor Causes

As already mentioned, the bacteria harboring in the skin of the armpit are mainly responsible for producing the foul odor. But factors which may cause excessive perspiration, may also be the causes for armpit or body odor. Common causes include anxiety, constipation, menopause, medication, medical conditions, food and beverages and abnormal secretion of hormones.
How to Get Rid of Armpit Odor

Antiperspirants and deodorants are the most commonly used products by people who suffer from armpit odor. However, such products do not go down to the bottom of the problem and only provide a temporary solution. So, going for natural remedies to take care of the armpit odor is a better choice to make. All such remedies have been provided in the following. Read more on underarm sweating.

Lemon is considered as one good choice for armpit odor remedy. Get a small fresh lemon and cut it in half. Fill a small container with lukewarm water and squeeze both halves of lemon juice in it. Take a warm shower and dry yourself thoroughly. Thereafter, pat your armpits with the solution gently. Make use of the entire juice. Let it stay for sometime, before you rinse off.

Get rid of smelly armpit odor by consuming wheat grass in the morning with a glass of water. This must be taken with an empty stomach. The chlorophyll content in the grass is known to work internally and reduce the odor. Dabbing the armpits with baking soda also helps. Also, learn more on removing underarm stains.

Before taking a bath, mix your bathing water with some drops of rose water. This will naturally reduce the foul odor. A good alternative for deodorants is apple cider vinegar. It eliminates the odor, by reducing the pH of the skin.

Make a natural and inexpensive deodorant by mixing the juice of radish and ¼ tsp. of glycerin. Use this as an underarm deodorant by using a spray bottle. If you can arrange for a tea tree, you can make an antibacterial deodorant out it. Simply mix its essential oil with an ounce of water. This is also one of the effective home remedies for armpit odor.

For long armpit odor-free hours, grate a turnip and squeeze its juice to be rubbed on the armpits. Another simple method would be to soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and work it on the area. Drinking sage tea on a daily basis also helps in curing the problem effectively and naturally.

To conclude, apart from all these home remedies for armpit odor, what's most important is to keep yourself clean and tidy. Do not forget to get yourself a good shower daily and at least three times a day during summers and especially after working out. Practicing good personal hygiene and using the above tips may cure your armpit odor problem for good!