The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Milk of Magnesia
Posted by Tonya (Fl) on 08/09/2020
★★★★★
Hello I'm 52 and never had arm pit oder but I think the change in hormones has changed my chemistry. I'be tried so many natural deodorants and I just smell myself through the scent.
M.O.M (milk of magnesia) has been the savior! If you put it in a roll-on deodorant bottle you can add one drop of lavender or lemon oil or whatever antibacterial essential oil you like. it's all day odor protection.
Milk of Magnesia
Posted by Rose (San Diego, Ca) on 12/16/2013
★★★★★
It's a miracle!!! I'm an avid Earthclinic reader so when I started stinking in my armpits non-stop about 1.5 years ago I started trying the suggested remedies. I tried ACV, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda...well just about everything and nothing worked. I smelled extremely strongly of some musky scent that was overpowering. It would go into my clothes and they reeked. I finally was at my breaking point when on 2 recent occasions I had someone ride in my car and they practically were gagging and clawing their way for air - how humiliating. I had never had a BO issue and did not have to use deodorant in the past. I recently ordered a bunch of products on the internet, including Hibiclens which users said will wipe out the bacteria that causes the BO. In the meantime I tried MOM (Milk of Magnesia). I poured it in an empty roll-on container and applied it to my pits. I couldn't believe it, but after a few hours I was smell free. My clothes were smell free too! I have been using MOM when I get up and when I go to bed and it has eliminated the problem. I'm not sure if this will continue to last, but hoping it will because right now I am so happy and relieved to be smelling like a rose.
Milk of Magnesia
Posted by Jennywren (Perth, Western Australia) on 06/17/2013
★★★★★
Body/underarm odour. Yeah.
Milk of magnesia has long been used to get rid of body odour. Alas it is no longer available for sale in Australia, but there are aluminum-free deodorants online made with milk of magnesia. It worked a treat for my smelly pits - finally, something that worked!
Milk of Magnesia
Posted by Leesa (El Cerrito, Ca, Usa) on 11/14/2012
★★★★★
Milk of Magnesia is AWESOME! I have had an odor problem and tried so many things that did not work. I would start to smell after taking a shower? All I know is the MOM works like a charm for me. I emptied one of my old roll-ons and added MOM and ready to go. Must dry before you put your clothes on. Good Luck. Thanks!
Milk of Magnesia
Posted by Back2nature (Washington, Dc) on 07/13/2012
★★★★★
I have struggled with body odor all of my life. I was always the kid that got the "outdoors" smell after playing. I was using Arrid XX-Dry as a pre-teen. Then, I was forced to rotate deodorants and soaps/body wash to tame the BO problem. Arm & Hammer's Naturals line was working for me up until recently when my BO started to rage. I stumbled upon the MOM solution. I'm not sure why it took me years to locate this type.
MOM gets the job done. Here are a few tips to making MOM cure you BO:
1. Thoroughly wash your trouble area(s) with a CLEAN and/or new cloth.
2. Either use a natural soap or home ready that will clean your arms pits (note: a loofa maybe helpful to in eliminating dead skin).
3. Clean your clothes thoroughly. I used Odoban in my rinse cycle to cut the odor and/or bacteria that may have harvested in my clothes.
4. Get a small spray bottle and add MOM. Apply to clean and dry arm pits. Allow to fully air dry before applying on clothes. For those with darker complexions, applying oils after the MOM has dried will eliminate "deodorant" stains on the arm pits.
Now go out and be BO free :-)
Milk of Magnesia
Posted by Annrae (Manassas, Virginia) on 08/30/2011
★★★★★
This is a miracle! I still sweat from my hyperhidrosis, but the smell is gone!! Even my feet no longer smell! Milk of Magnesium has saved me so much embarassment I can't believe it. As an added bonus, the skin under my arms is no longer irritated and bumpy-it is smooth just like any other part of my body. Try it-it is the ONLY thing that has worked for me!
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.
Milk of Magnesia
Posted by Cat (Austin, Tx) on 07/24/2010
★★★★★
MOM (Milk of magnesia) as a deodorant works sooo well! Without reapplying, my armpits stay dry and have NO smell. It is all I ever use now. My unconvinced husband, after much cajoling, decided to try it too. He's my big hairy guy who has rotated so many deodorants. They all worked for a couple of hours then quit. Not so milk of magnesia. It works outstandingly for him and he tested it a couple of days, constantly smelling his armpits. It was hilarious. Now, it is all HE uses as well. Bonus? He's more inclined to listen when I give him natural remedies, particularly when they are as cost effective as MOM. I think this much-needed site is pure genius. Peace out!
Milk of Magnesia
Posted by Amber (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada) on 02/08/2010
★★★★★
Milk of magnesium works better than deodorant! Just rub it in under your arms, let it dry and away you go. I have used it for a week now and will continue to do so. Even if you work out hard (you'll still sweat) but you wont stink!
Milk of Magnesia
Posted by Ann (Charlotte, Nc) on 12/21/2009
★★★★★
Several months ago I started using milk of magnesia for underarm odor. Just rub a little under the arms and let dry before putting on your clothes. It works great - even better than the antiperspirant I had used for years. It doesn't contain harmful aluminum and and the magnesium is good for you.
Milk of Magnesia
Posted by Marixpress (Bronx, Ny) on 08/29/2009
★★★★★
Just use a hair dryer on cool setting and they'll be dry in a quarter of the time :)
p.s. I will NEVER use anything else on my armpits after MOM! It's a dream come true!
Milk of Magnesia
Posted by Marixpress (Bronx, Ny, USA) on 08/28/2009
★★★★★
I have struggled with underarm odor since puberty and all of my adult life. My problem was so bad that nothing over the counter or prescribed helped me. At the end of the day, I still smelled like an onion processing plant.
I read on a site that milk of magnesia helps so I went out and bought the generic store brand. After a shower, I applied some to a cotton ball and coated my armpit with a thin layer then held my arms over my head until it dried. It did not stop the sweating but the odor was completely gone.
My daily routine now is: shower, douse armpit in alcohol to kill bacteria, after alcohol has dried, shake bottle of liquid milk of magnesia and apply thin coating to armpit simply with my fingers. Instead of blowing on them to dry or waiting around, I use the cool temperature setting on my hair dryer. The whole process takes a couple of minutes. It lasts all day and sometimes even into the next day. Apply daily.
One thing I notice from time to time is the occasional swollen gland under the skin surface. When that happens, I just skip the next day and it goes away on its own. MOM is a miracle.
Milk of Magnesia
Posted by Raquel (West Palm Beach, FL) on 07/23/2009
★★★★★
I also use MOM as a deodorant, can't be without it! I had the idea of adding a few drops of essential oils (lavender and tea tree) for added protection plus I like the "clean" scent.
Milk of Magnesia
Posted by Michelle (Chattanooga, Tenn) on 06/15/2009
★★★★★
Milk of Magnesia is the absolute BEST remedy I have used so far for underarm body odor!!! I am becoming an expert in this area having already tried many of the remedies on Earth Clinic the past 6 months: baking soda (caused angry rash), apple cider vinegar (good, but not great), zinc oxide (great but didn't like the petroleum ingredients) and hydrogen peroxide (okay in cool weather, not great in hot weather).
I bought a large bottle of Milk Magnesia at the grocery store and a makeup sponge so I could rinse and reuse it every day. After I shower, I promptly go and shake up the bottle (make sure the lid is on tight otherwise heh heh a white surprise) and then I apply a very generous portion of MM to my cosmetic sponge and apply it to my pits. You can use it right after shaving, no problem... doesn't stain clothes. This one application lasts all day!
Okay, here are the secrets to this remedy. Make sure you use a generous application of the MM, it's far more effective. Make sure to apply it high and low on your armpit, not just in the middle. Better to buy a big bottle because a small one goes quickly. The cosmetic sponge will last longer if you rinse it out with water after use. Otherwise it hardens from the milk of magnesia. Am sure a sea sponge will work just as well.
Try it, you will like it!!
Milk of Magnesia
Posted by Karen (Rochester, NY) on 05/03/2009
★★★★★
I use undiluted milk of magnesia with essential oils in place of regular deodorant. I use a few drops of pure lavender oil in a full bottle of MoM, but you can choose whatever scent you like. It is a little messy to apply (I tried using cotton balls) so I put it in a spritz bottle, which gets clogged up quickly, so I went back to using the cotton balls.
I haven't experienced any side effects, and being in a very active job, I have found that one application in the morning is enough for the day and works great. I've been doing this for almost two years.
Tips:
1. Check the labels before you buy - some have other ingredients you wouldn't want like stabilizers, and artificial sweeteners. There is almost always a generic equivalent that is just pure MoM on the shelf next to the other brands.
2. When selecting essential oils - these must also be pure, otherwise you could cause irritations. Since you are using this on a daily basis, stick with the gentle oils like pure lavender. Research your oil choice carefully. For example, citrus based oils, while very uplifting, can cause a person to be hyper sun-sensitive. You could possibly use tea tree essential oil if there is an active infection/overgrowth in the body that would benefit from daily application. In any case, the essential oil should be a high grade oil.
3. Since it is wet when applied, give yourself time before you put a shirt on, especially a dark colored one! It dries quickly, but if you get it on your clothes, you'll see a whitish powdery stain (which washes right out).
