Replied By Pat (St. Louis, MO) on 06/16/2008
I, too, have had success with baking soda, but ended up with a red angry rash under my arms. I did use it just after shaving. Could this be the problem?
EC: We usually wait at least 3 hours after shaving before application. It's the only problem with this fantastic remedy.
Replied By Pat (Ballwin, MO) on 07/19/2008
I have stopped using "soap" for anything! I use bath gels that are clear, not the white ones. I also apply ACV after showering, with a cotton pad. The ACV prevents bacterial growth that causes the odor. I tried baking soda, but also had red angry rashes. I changed to corn starch baby powder and now have no rash and no odor. The ACV works by itself, but feels a bit sticky from the sugar content. The baby powder with cornstarch prevents the sticky feel and has a pleasant odor.
EC: Pure cornstarch is great, but please be wary of any products containing talcum powder. Read up on the caveats of talc here: http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/cosmetics/talc.htm
Replied By Sam (NY, NY) on 08/01/2008
Baking Soda for BO- what to do when you shave
If Baking Soda is used after shaving your armpits will become extremely sensitive even irritated. I use VCO [VIRGIN COCONUT OIL] after shaving for a few days until any small wounds (invisible to the eyes but there nonetheless) heals. VCO's effect is not as long lasting as Baking Soda - so on a very hot day a few application might be needed. However, VCO expedites the healing then one can return to the Baking Soda. Hope this helps!
Anyone has a better interim solution than VCO - please share.Thank you.
Replied By Nodame (Cabuyao, Philippines) on 10/13/2010
Hi guys, I just want to share the solution I found for my body odor. I think I started having this awful odor in my underarms when I was in high school. It was so embarrassing and didn't enjoy my teenage life. I had always stayed at home because I was always afraid that my friends would smell me. It was terrible and I tried different ways to solve it but nothing worked. I took shower 3 times a day but just after a minute out of shower my underarms would stink. My clothes smelled bad. I really prayed that God would heal me and he answered my prayer. What I did was, I bought a bottle of Active charcoal. Here in the Philippines you can buy it for $3.47. It contains 50 capsules. I take it after lunch and dinner. When I shower I use a loofah in my underarms but I only scrub lightly. After shower I pat baking soda on it. On the first day I did it, it worked immediately. I've been doing this for 3 weeks now and I always smell good. The temperature here is always 35 degrees and I always sweat but I don't worry anymore because I don't smell bad. I'm so happy that I can do anything I want now. I washed my clothes with baking soda too, I mix it with the detergent. It was effective. I also tried rubbing allum on the armpit of my clothes and it was effective too. Now all my clothes don't smell bad anymore. I also had the vaginal smell but it was gone since I started taking active charcoal. I hope these solutions can help you too. Don't give up.Replied By Marissa (Glendale, Usa) on 01/08/2011
I've been using a different kinds of deodorants since 2005 but still I have my smelly armpit and I feel so pity for myself and ashamed for having this. Until I found this website FINALLY!! Baking soda works great and I really feel comfortable at all times! Thanks a lot!Replied By Fra Fra (Mineral Wells , Tx. Usa) on 01/08/2011
You might try spraying some H2O2 under your arms and when it drys, add the baking soda. It was really helped for me.Replied By Oxygen Therapy (Miami, Florida, Usa) on 01/09/2011
I have been using a 3% solution of H2O2 with baking soda for the past 2 years as a deodorant and I never have underarm odor. Simply mix a 3% solution from your 35% FG H2O2 (I would not use the stuff available at the grocery store because the impurities in it will be absorbed into your delicate underarm. Afterall this was why I stopped using deodorants). Spray some on a cloth and dip that cloth into the baking soda and rub in on. Wipe off any excess.Replied By Sunny (South Gate, Ca) on 04/28/2013
What does this mean (FG H2O2)?
I buy hydrogen peroxide from the dollar store, do those have impurities? If so where do I buy my hydrogen peroxide? Thanks!
EC: Sunny, that would be Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide, a formulation of the chemical without additives and therefore considered safer for internal usage than standard drug store H2O2.