Natural Remedies for Body Odor

Chlorophyll

Posted by Te (Charlotte, Nc) on 06/20/2013
★★★★★

Eating leafy greens or taking chlorophyll will help with body and breath odor. Also get rid of smelly tops or clothing because the odor is trapped in the fabric.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Anon (Anon) on 02/02/2013
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Pour half teaspoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide into palm, rub palms together, rub underarms. It keeps odor away all day.

Baking Soda

Posted by Naturalgirl (Lansing, Mi) on 10/31/2012
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A simple, but effective answer for armpit odor is a dusting of baking soda every morning... A miracle solution! And some people choose one other answer... Rubbing virgin coconut oil on their armpits. I believe the baking soda is best.

Detox

Posted by Caleb (Calgary, Ab, Canada) on 06/21/2012
★★★★★

This is first hand experience. I used to have very strong under arm odor. I was working in the office as an IT personnel so no sweating and during the day I had to visit the washroom sometimes more than once and use the commercial hand soap to work up a lather on my underarm then use some wet paper towels to wipe so it wouldn't be so smelly and embarassing. I used to smell myself so I know that others could smell me too. I tried so many things including ACV which worked great - for days on end but it'll come back. One day I decided to do a liver cleanse using epsom salts, grapefruit juice etc as I read that it's a great way to detox the liver. I did about 6 of these. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least that my smelly under arm odor vanished. Not only that but my stool used to smell (very bad) and that too disappeared. What happened was my colon needed a cleanse and the liver cleanse with the salts did that. The odor has not returned and that was about 4 years ago. I have gone for 3 days without taking a shower just to test it and there's none. I work all day doing whatever and exercise and even if I sweat there's no odor. It's wonderful! The body has to find a way to get rid of what is decomposing in the colon otherwise it'll poison the entire body so the odor comes out thru the sweat glands, breath and stool. Now I'm odor-free! Hallelujah!! If I'm contipated for a couple days then there would be a slight smell in the stool but other than that everything is fresh. So do colon cleanses! It'll take the smell away

Detox

Posted by Caleb (Calgary) on 07/30/2013

Sorry all, I didn't visit this particular page for a while as you can see. Here's my response to your questions. I'm still happy to say that I don't have underarm odors anymore and I don't use any deodorant. Sometimes I put 2-3 drops of oil (lavender etc just for the accented good smelling oil). I go to work without any deodorant, gone 3 or4 days without taking a shower just to prove that it's not there, shower every 2 or 3 days when I want and I don't smell. Of course there'll be a little body smell but I have to dig my nose in. I did the liver cleanse and it was with grapefruits I bought at the supermarket and squeezed the juice. Do a search for "grapefruit Epsom salts olive oil liver cleanse" and you'll get the formula. However I haven't done that since I did that first post so this is what I do now if I want a colon cleanse. You can google for "sea salt flush". It has to be sea salt – totally unrefined and no additives. Use 2 level teaspoons of sea salt to 1 litre of water (I use filtered water) and drink it on an empty stomach, preferably in the morning before breakfast. Weekends work best for me as I don't have to go to work. It's not the most pleasant but it works and all of the water comes right back out in about an hour taking all of the smelly remains with it so make sure you stay at home and have unrestricted access to the washroom. You'll be going there several times in quick succession.

Mary, in response to your question of how many times I do it – I do it now maybe every couple of months if I notice that there's odor when I go to the washroom. When I did the liver cleanse the odor elimination was a wonderful side effect. I wasn't expecting that. So you don't have to do the liver cleanse if you don't want to, you can just do the colon flush. You do it till you notice no more odor and that might 1, 2 or 3 times, it all depends. I also take psyllium husks in between to add more fibre and does a good job of cleaning the colon so I don't do the flush often, only when my body tells me and it has its way. Be odor free like free and I wish you all the best.

Detox

Posted by Timh (Louisville, Ky, Usa) on 06/04/2012 2041 posts
★★★★★

Anytime my B.O. increases I know, by experience, my Kidney functions have decreased. So if chronic B.O. is a problem, a good detox program would certainly be advised.

Salt

Posted by Jennifer (Chicago, Illinois, Us) on 06/10/2012

UPDATE: OK, there's bad news and good news. The bad news is, the iodized salt I was using on my underarms stopped working after three days. Don't know why, maybe it killed off one sort of underarm-dwelling bacteria only to be replaced by another one that doesn't mind salt?

The good news is, I combined two other remedies from here on Earth Clinic and for the last two weeks they've been working great!

The remedies are "stop using soap" and fresh lemon juice in place of soap and deodorant. This combo eliminates ALL odor for me and lasts almost two days... Without using deodorant! Today it was 90 degrees in Chicago and my underarm smells exactly the same as my forearm, no joke. I still can't believe it!

Here's what I do. Once every 5 days or so, I take three small lemons and run them through my juice extractor whole. The remedy page suggested just squeezing them, but it's easier to run them through the juicer for me and anyway, the skin contains essential lemon oil which is a powerful germicide in its own right.

I put the juice in a small plastic spray bottle with two tablespoons of salt just for the heck of it. I think the salt keeps the lemon fresh longer, too, since I just leave it in the shower rather than refrigerate it. When I get in the shower, I spray under my arms, dampen a clean washcloth with warm water and rub back and forth a bit before rinsing. Then, when the shower is over, I spray the lemon again as a deodorant (no rinse).

It doesn't burn, except maybe the tiniest bit if I push too hard while shaving (no soap or gel), and it lasts me beyond the next morning! My health is kind of a mess at the moment (the reason I started smelling so bad), so sometimes I skip a day showering when I don't have to go anywhere. Ever since the no-soap-lemon-juice trick, I can skip a day and go out, even in hot weather! I wouldn't have believed it if someone told me, but it's true.

I've noticed a couple of things about this. The washcloth is key to making it last longer, and it should be a CLEAN washcloth, or at least a clean side of one. My washcloths are the giant spa kind and take forever to dry, so I fold them in half and keep track of what side is clean (I wasn't a washcloth person before this, only use them for this).

Also, I really do think the combo is what does it. I tried using soap followed by lemon juice and it didn't work quite as well. I think it's because the soap is very alkaline, so it cancels out the acidity of the lemon. Also, as people note on the no-soap page, it leaves a film that bacteria can feed off of.

Even though I didn't have real problems with this until I got sick, I've never smelled this fresh in my life! And without deodorant!!

So grateful for this site. :O]

Dietary Changes

Posted by Nycbgirl (Las Vegas, Nv) on 05/11/2012
★★★★★

While going through menopause my BO was so out of control that I didn't know what to do! So the first thing I did was change to deodorant that was made out of salt crystal, it's wonderful! No odor at all ever!!!! I bought it at Walgreens for about 7 dollars. Then I went on a diet and changed my eating habits and as a result I no longer have an odor on my skin.... Sometimes I smelled yucky, my husband said I smelled like a mans locker room! Thanks! Anyway I have been off the diet for a few weeks and the odor is coming back so back on my clean eating program again... as a side note the baking soda worked for under my arms but I developed an itch so bad that I had to stop using it.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Joyce (Cambridge, Canada) on 06/09/2012
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Hello, Also try rubbing or use a spray bottle to apply Apple cider vinegar to your armpits about 5 minutes before showering. Shower and dry well. No need for deodorant. Make sure the oral form of ACV you are using contains "Mother. " (organic).

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Heather (San Diego) on 06/23/2012

You are misinformed. Most baking soda does not have aluminum in it. It is an advertising thing Bob's Redmill started putting on its products because it was being bombarded with phone calls inquiring about aluminum content.

That said, BAKING POWDER often does, and you should look into that separately.

The main brand of baking soda in the US (orange box with hammer) has been contacted by multiple people to verify this. They state there is no aluminum in their products. You can google it.

Here is a link to an article on the subject. http://www.gapalicious.com/2011/05/09/does-arm-and-hammer-baking-soda-contain-aluminum/

Milk of Magnesia

Posted by Lon (Stanhope, Nj) on 11/26/2010
★★★★★

I've been having very good luck with Milk of Magnesia, the cheap kind without any other additives. The more expensive brand has bleach or something added to it, which we don't want, so check the label. I dab it under my arms with a piece of gauze.

Lemon and Water

Posted by Ssk (Toronto, Ontario/canada) on 08/13/2010
★★★★★

Lemon and water cured my body odor
I have been suffering from very bad body odor all my life. I have to wash twice a day and use antiperspirants (which I am not so comfortable with). Then a friend told me about lemon water and it works wonders. First thing in the morning mix 2 tablespoons of lemon juice with a cup of water and drink. Make sure you don't have anything before it. Basically what it does is detoxes your liver so it has to be the first thing through your system. After a couple of days the odor was gone! No more antiperspirant! I do this everyday. If I miss a day, the odor returns. I have been doing this for about 8 months now and it is still just as effective.

Milk of Magnesia

Posted by Ts (Orlando, Florida) on 04/28/2011
★★★★★

I have tried several different formulas over the years, suffering from underarm odor since a teen. Clinical deodorants, natural deodorants, salt crystal, tea-tree oil, witch hazel, and NOTHING has worked as well as MOM has. I have only been using it for a week now, but I hope it lasts for me as long as some users have reported. Before, I did not have profuse sweating, but immediately after showering I could notice an odor. Alternatives to aluminum-based deodorants would work for a couple of days, but this is actually going over a week now on MOM and I'm super happy about it.

I find using a small spray bottle works best for application, I purchased mine in the travel/trial-size product area of the local pharmacy. I spray one spray under each arm before bed and after showering, and allow to dry before dressing, and have no trouble with odor now AT ALL. I still sweat mildly, but it's natural for our bodies to eliminate sweat, so I'm not worried about that. It was just the BO and now it's GONE! I highly recommend this to anyone, it's a cheap and effective solution.

Zinc Oxide Ointment

Posted by Gean (Salina, KS) on 06/17/2009

I have to add that body odor can be caused, not just by bacteria, but if you are detoxing in some way your sweat itself will smell very badly. Keep up the detox, drink lots of water, exercise, and do castor oil packs over the liver, and it will eventually go away. Zinc ointment works for me somewhat, though there is limit to what it can do when doing heavy detox. When I am not detoxing, the sweat is absolutely odorless.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Anne Cutty (New York, New York) on 12/11/2008
★★★★★

I put apple cider vinegar to the test for underarm deodorant. I am pleased to report that it works! Here's the skinny: I dunk a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar and apply it to my underarms. The trick to making this remedy work for at least 24 hours (no odor whatsoever) is to wait before you jump in the shower. I try to wait a minimum of 2 minutes. I have tested the time frame for the past week and washing it off under 2 minutes from the time you apply it shortens its effectiveness. So go and brush your teeth or hop around the apartment to some music before you wash it off. The longer you leave it on, the better. Also like someone else reported here, I don't use soap to wash the vinegar off. I just hold my arms up one at a time to the shower and then do a sniff test.

The real test will be next summer on a hot and humid Manhattan day, but so far so good this season!

Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda

Posted by Lana (Somewhere, Israel) on 05/25/2008
★★★★★

Body Odor Remedies: Hi All!
Just wanted to share with you - after drinking the standard recipe for ACV and soda [1/4 tsp soda and 2 Tbs ACV in a glass of water] twice a day for a couple of months, I have no need to use deodorant of any kind! If I do perspire, it has no odor. My hubby even claims that my poo has no smell. How's that for a complete natural deodorant?

Iodine

Posted by Bill (San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines) on 08/19/2010

I agree completely with Tom from Regina. For those people who doubt or are afraid of Lugol Iodine's efficacy, it would be useful to research the older history of Lugol Iodine's use -- which started round about 1829 when lugol's was discovered. Since this time, Lugol's Iodine was used quite successfully against the Asian Flu Epidemic of 1918, used for hypo and hyperthyroidism and was used regularly as a successful cure for allergies such as asthma in 6-9 mgs amounts as well as for a host of other ailments, including candida(Google "Orian Truss Candida").

Current research by the Iodine Project highlights the benefits of larger dose iodine -- backed up by the most current and up to date independent research, and also highlights something called "iodophobia" -- the successful spread, by the drugs companies, of the fear of iodine poisoning in order to belittle and sidetrack lugol's efficacy and thereby to simultaneously promote their own horrific synthetic drugs instead. Why else is lugol's iodine now sold only in 2 oz bottles? And why else is it so hard to purchase the original strength 5% Lugol's now? And, if it's so dangerous or poisonous, why is it so easy to buy Lugol's Iodine for you're dog, cat or horse from the vet?

It is only since the 1950s -- with the advent of the notorious Wolff-Chaikoff Effect report on Iodine's efficacy, that suggested iodine was both poisonous if taken in higher amounts than 1 mg and therefore useless if taken for hypo and hyperthyroid conditions. Dr Abraham's demolished the Wolff-Chaikoff findings as truly amatuerish research, that was simply used as "spoiler research" or "scare research" in order to destroy lugol iodine's useful medical reputation.

Here is Dr Abraham's rebuttal to the Wolf-Chaikoff research findings:

The Wolff-Chaikoff Effect: Crying Wolf?

And here is a link to a huge amount of other independent research on iodine -- which seems to heal everything from flu to fibroids to fibrocystic breast disease to candida to cancer -- but only in amounts over 100 or 1000 times greater than the current RDA of 150 micrograms a day. Here is the link to alot of the current iodine research:

Iodine Group Research

Liquid Kelp Mineral Water

Posted by Teri (Elkhart, IN) on 04/10/2007
★★★★★

re: PH (remedy), Iodine (remedy), Hirsutism (ailment)... I'm a woman, and for years I suffered from strong body odor. It was diagnosed as hormonal (too much testosterone) because I also have mild-moderate hirsutism hair growth, and I was put on oral contraceptives to remedy this problem. It helped some, but I didn't want to stay on medications forever as they had many side effects.

Based on what I learned from this site, I used PH strips and found that my body was VERY ALKALINE! That strong body odor was an amonia-like smell that my body was producing because of a vitamin or mineral deficiency.

I was having other symptoms that related to exhausted adrenal glands, and found that iodine sometimes helps this. I started taking liquid kelp drops and in a few days my PH was in the normal range, and the body odor was gone. Completely gone! I'm going try Lugol's next because I can't get my body temperature all the way up to normal and my skin is still sucking up the iodine quickly when I paint.

I am still trying to figure out how to handle the hair growth (chin, abdomen), and I am experimenting with mega doses of folic acid (and B12), as I hear that this has helped others. Licorice root, Omega 3s, ridding my body of metals, saw palmetto, etc. didn't help. I also now only drink mineral water. If you have any ideas, I'd love to know of them. I love this site. Thanks.

Celery

Posted by Anna (USA) on 02/13/2007
★★★★★

If you eat celery, it eliminated all body odors.

Activated Charcoal

Posted by Charity (Faithville, Us) on 05/05/2020

I am currently using a lot of outdated coconut oil after showers daily on my skin 1tbsp a day. I keep waking up in the middle of the night and I think it has been detoxing me. coconut oil is amazing. God told me to use this up on my skin, even though I was avoiding it an it's messy. Sunbathing is good for skin too. I get at least 15 minutes each side of my body whenever it's good enough weather. Ginger is some amazing stuff and helps detox body and odors. If you have some stored bad fats in your body, use some soy lecithin granules 1 tsp day to emulsify them out of your body. Also feeds brain cells choline and inositol. Apple cider vinegar with the mother or veil in it, don't heat or cool or it ruins the antibiotic function of the veil in it. I use 1 tbsp. in glass of water daily and then have 1/4 cup of kefer to feed good microbes. Try some milk thistle at bedtime to detox liver. Msg can be toxic in your body and stuck there if you don't have any l-taurine. B vitamins are needed for gut health. If you have stress issues it helps and you can also add ox bile if you have trouble digesting food. Chanca Piedra will get rid of stones in organs, so they function better. You may need some zinc to reduce sebum. Foot soak in Epson salt. Some kelp or vitamin k to absorb calcium and vitamin d. Vitamin A in the form of beta carotene. Find a place and start low dose and slow and keep adding until you feel better. Stay hydrated...and if you leave water out for one hour, no lid, the chlorine will dissipate from the water. When I shower daily I use white vinegar 1/8 cup mixed in 1//3 cup water and use my hand to splash my skin with it and then rise that off. I also use it to treat scalp and long long hair. Blessings, Charity

Severe Body Odor

Posted by Gerald (Ny, USA) on 07/23/2015

Great tips listed for getting rid of the BO but the key is to treat any and all clothing that you've ever worn before (and sweated or smelled in). Spray full strength white distilled vinegar under the arms and private area before putting in the wash cycle. Then add a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle. Splash vinegar under your arms at the end of your shower and let sit for about 5 minutes then rinse. It balances the pH which caused the BO and kills the odor. *Please note however, if you use the vinegar on your body but you do not treat your clothes, your odor will return as soon as you wear them because washing them with detergent alone does not destroy the odor causing bacteria. This WORKS!

Best wishes!

Severe Body Odor

Posted by Mt (Ottawa, Ontario) on 03/08/2014

Try to eat one clove of garlic a day -do it at dinner (it has to be fresh and you have to properly chew it -it goes well in a salad or you can smash it and mix it with a tsp of honey, avoid chinese garlic). Do not try to over do it -too much garlic can lower your BP and also increase blood coagulation time.

Drink Stinging Nettle tea each day -about 0.5l.

Drink a tea from the dandelion root each day-about 1 cup

Include dandelion leaves in salads.

Make an ointment from Extra Virgin Olive oil (100 ml), Extra Virgin Coconut oil (100 ml) and a smashed garlic clove -after mixing the components let the mix stay for a day and after that filter out the large pieces of garlic. The ointment has to be stored in a glass container (keep it in a dark place).

Use the ointment on all your skin after showering (spread small amounts of it before you dry out).

For the showers use warm water followed by cold water -repeat three times.

Stop using commercial soap and shampoo. Go for natural solutions (Allepo soap).

Use the info from the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG4M71vMbTs) to get lacto bacillus culture. Mix some of it with water and apply it to all your skin each morning.

In the summer go to the seaside -expose full body to the sun and also wash in the sea multiple times a day -let the salt dry on your skin.

Acidophilus Applied Topically

Posted by Dee (Texas Hill Country, Tx) on 02/24/2014
★★★★★

I solved armpit odor problem by mixing cornstarch and acidophilus powder (maybe 1/4 c. cornstarch and one or two acidophilus capsules), and applying it to my armpits with a powder puff. These good bacteria must have broken down the self-protective biofilm the stinky buggies made.

Bad Body Odor Treatment

Posted by Sunny (Newburgh Ny) on 08/14/2017

Use chlorophyll and make sure ur getting enough magnesium and zinc in ur diet. Make sure to remove foods that produce smell like garlic and onion. Choline foods, probiotics and digestive enzymes too might help.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Taram7 (Cincinnati, Oh) on 01/01/2014
★★★★★

Best thing I have found for Body Odor that even sensitive skin people can use is hydrogen peroxide... apply to underarms however you want :) can be reapplied as needed and IT WORKS... no odor :) its cheap too.