Sweat or perspiration is your body’s way of keeping itself cool. Your body releases moisture onto your skin’s surface through sweat glands and as the moisture evaporates it carries some of the excess heat from your body and helps cool you down. It is both natural and healthy to sweat when you exercise or exert yourself, are in hot surroundings, or feel nervous, anxious, or under stress.
Sweat itself when it is released is almost odorless. The odor is the result of bacteria on your skin feeling off the dead skin and sweat and releasing unpleasant-smelling by-products. You might notice this odor more prominent under your armpits, your feet after being in shoes, and your genital areas.
The odor is usually only a minor nuisance and is easily eliminated with a shower or bath to remove the offending bacteria from your skin. However, abnormal changes in sweating, either excessive perspiration (hyperhidrosis) little or no perspiration (anhidrosis), or changes in body odor may be signs of medical problems that need immediate attention.
In some cases, a prescription antiperspirant or deodorant may be needed. However, some people find deodorants and underarm sprays are not enough to stop their excessive sweating or body odor. In those cases, there are natural ways of reducing body odor that you should know about.
Perspiration or sweat comes from salty fluids the body is excreting. Body odor is a result of bacteria on the skin feeding on the sweat and the smell is the waste material excreted by the bacteria. The odor is individual to each person, depending on the particular bacteria living on the person’s skin. Excessive sweating can be caused by weather, medications, your gender, and the foods you eat. Your occupation may be a major factor in how much you perspire. Stress is also a major contributor to perspiration problems. Your body sweats to help control temperature when you are in a hot climate, or when you exercise.
The most natural way to control perspiration and body odor is to shower or bathe every day using a mild soap or body wash and warm water to rid the skin of bacteria and sweat. Using deodorant and body talc will help control the problem as well. Wearing clean clothes, socks, and underwear each day also helps keep unpleasant odors to a minimum Also wearing underwear, socks and other clothing made with cotton will help absorb sweat more effectively and keep the growth of bacteria at bay.
Potato: This is one of the more unusual home remedies for perspiration. Try rubbing a sliced potato under your armpit after it has been thoroughly washed and dried. Let the juice of the potato dry on the skin and after it is thoroughly dry apply your preferred deodorant.
Lemon juice: Here is a remedy that you just might have in your home: lemon juice. Try applying pure lemon juice to your underarms when you get out of the shower. The acidity of the juice will kill any remaining bacteria that you didn’t get during the shower to control perspiration and odor.
Apple cider vinegar: Another method to help control perspiration is to clean the underarm with apple cider vinegar. If you already use other homeopathic remedies, you probably already have this on hand.
Chamomile oil: Scrubbing your body with chamomile oil while in the shower is another way to help control your excessive sweating. It would be more effective if used along with a good body soap that is antibacterial when you shower or wash.
Baking soda: Try baking soda by itself or with lemon juice. Mix the baking soda with water or with lemon juice to form a paste and apply it to your clean and dry underarms.
Tomato juice: Do you want another method of controlling sweat and body odor? Try this home remedy. Drink a cup of tomato juice every morning for a week. The following week, drink a cup of juice every other day. If you are seeing an improvement, drink a cup of tomato juice when you feel you need it again.
There are many home cures for perspiration and body odor problems and not each one will work for everyone. You need to experiment and find which home cure will work for you in the fight against body odor.