Natural Remedies for Body Odor

Cold Showers

Posted by Ron (Cluj-Napoca, Romania) on 09/02/2007
★★★★★

I started taking cold showers about five weeks ago. I started with Scottish showers (hot/cold) and then after a couple of days I tried the cold ones. I just love them: it gives me enough energy to last throughout the day and my overall mood has improved.Now my daily routine includes a Scottish shower in the morning and a cold one before I go to sleep. Usually it takes no more than 10 minutes to shower. I start from the feet, arms, armpits and then the chest. In the beginning I expected to catch a cold, which didn't happen (good thing), although I sneeze a lot more (bad thing). I've discovered that I have less BO and I am cleaner after showering, although I don't use soap or duche gel. Also, for the ones who want to try it: take it easy; go from hot to lukewarm, and then gradually go to cold. Try it for 3 weeks and then decide if you don't like them. Try it.

Ozonated Olive Oil

Posted by Steve (Phoenix, USA) on 09/20/2007
★★★★★

I have become a huge fan of Ozonated Olive Oil. First off it's definitely the best all natural underarm deodorant I've ever used. Only have to use it every other day. It works for insect bites, speeds wound healing, burns, etc. But I've found it really helps reduce wrinkles if used consistently over a couple week period. I suppose the oxygen is being absorbed into the skin and rejuvenating the tissue. I'm going to keep experimenting with this and see how far I can turn back the clock. It's not even that expensive. I bought a 1 oz jar online for only $5.99 and it usually lasts our family of four about three months. Great stuff!

Mouth Rinse

Posted by PD (Madsion, NJ) on 10/27/2007
★★★★★

All of a Suden I started having a body odor which led to Underarm odor. I went to walgreens and bought some BreathRx Antibacteial Mouth rinse. I applied it to my arms. Stung like at first because it is combating the bacteria under your arms. I work like a Charm!! I use to wash 3 times a day under my arms now I just wash morning and night. No more odors. The more you use it the less you sting and the better you smell. Keep using it until you feel no Sting. Pray Always that God will heal all problems!!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Sandy J (In the sticks, Nevada) on 07/28/2007
★★★★★

I have been taking ACV for about 6 weeks now. I feel very good, but haven't noticed any miracles. I DID notice that the whites of my eyes are much whiter now--like a child's.

However, I tried ACV as a deodorant as described by one of your readers and was amazed. I had tried this before without much luck. The trick is to use NO SOAP in the shower (I have been taking cold ones), just rinse as well as you can and then apply to your body. And I mean that I have used this in place of soap on ALL parts of my body. Proceed with caution if you have sensitive skin, but it didn't sting or bother me in any way, other than the smell. The smell goes away when the vinegar is dry. I truly put this new deodorant to the test. I hoed weeds in the morning, went to a grueling hour long Tae Kwon Do class (cold shower rinse afterward and NO reapplication of ACV) and spent the rest of the day as normal. The next morning -- still no odor. For me this is a miracle -- even toxic, nuclear waste type deodorants would not last that long for me! Thank you so much Earth Clinic and all of you who have shared your results -- you are changing lives.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Sandy (In the sticks, Nevada) on 11/24/2007
★★★★★

I have been using ACV for months now instead of deodorant. I use cold shower therapy and no soap and the vinegar is working great. When you apply it, be sure to go over the area well and not miss a spot. Cut the vinegar with water if you are sensitive. I have showered in the morning, applied ACV, done a vigorous Tae Kwon Do workout (1 hour)at noon, reshowered and NOT reapplied ACV and gone through the day without odor. In fact, sometimes it lasts until the next morning! I do believe there is something about anxiety perspiration that is different than our everyday perspiration however, because whenever I have a big social event or an occasion where I may have to do some public speaking, the vinegar has failed me. I have to rely on that nasty commercial deodorant on those days and I hate it! I would love to get some feedback on using ACV like this.

Baking Soda, Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by RJ (Cleveland, Ohio) on 01/30/2008
★★★★★

Remedy - Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda

Ailment - Natural Underarm Deodorant

I have been using for two weeks now, apply hydrogen peroxide and baking soda under my arms for a natural deodorant and have had excellent results. I was trying to eliminate the harmful ingredients from store bought deodorants, like aluminum being applied where our glands are and trying to eliminating absorbing the toxic metals and ingredients.

What I do is, after taking a cold shower (you can do hot one too), I take a cotton swab/pad and put the hydrogen peroxide on the pad and then wipe under my arms. This helps to clean the area and it will be slightly damp to hold the baking soda from the next step. Then I take the same pad and put it in the box of baking soda and get some on the pad. Then wipe the pad under the arm spreading the baking soda around for good coverage. You don't want to put clumps on, just spread evenly leaving an even whiteness. It should not be in a paste, it should be almost like a dusting. Make sure your under arm is dry before putting on a shirt and you are ready for great day.

The whole amount is under $1 USD and it lasts longer than the store bought brands. For me I would be usually pretty ripe by the evening or morning using traditional deodorants, but this has been lasting longer and with less smell when it does wear off. Give it a try, I've been pleasantly surprised.

NOTE 1: Be careful if you have chaffing under your arms, the peroxide may sting.

Note 2: It may take longer to apply than traditional deodorants and until you get used to doing it, I would recommend putting it on with as few as clothes as possible as to not have powder falling off onto your good clothing.

Good Luck!

Baking Soda

Posted by Kathryn (Melbourne, Victoria) on 10/24/2006
★★★★★

For some reason, a persistent rash flared up in one arm pit, and over the course of 12 months or more, it did appeared in the other. It got so bad that the skin broke from excessive itching. Everything and anything I used to wash with caused a flare up, except Pinetarsol. I really wasn't happy with having to use this long-term, but it was all that could keep it to a minimum. Nothing reduced it completely. Not even a cortisol cream. Luckily, I was recommended a honey-based cream which now stops the rash, but the sensitivity to deodorants, whether they be chemically laden or not, still exists. I just resigned to the fact that being a little smelly was an option I could live with when compared to the horrible rash. A friend suggested patting on some bicarb soda - how obvious! Absorbs moisture and eliminates odour's. It's fantastic that something so simple is so effective. I pat on a little in the mornings, and I an odour free for the whole day. I believe it works better than conventional deodorant. And it does not create a rash flare up. So at last, I am rash free and odour free!

Baking Soda

Posted by Jane (Los Angeles, California) on 06/25/2007
★★★★★

baking soda, wonderful cure for body odor!!! i had been suffering for years with stinky pits. just dust some baking soda under your arms a couple of times a day, and like magic, the smell completly disappears!!! it helps to know that i also have an allergy to the aluminum in reg. deoderants. however, it didn't stop me from trying everything on the market to try to stop the smell! it's a wonderful cure!!! thank you earth clinic for your help!!

Baking Soda

Posted by FK (NYC) on 07/28/2007
★★★★★

The baking soda remedy for body odor was the lucky charm! I tried the zinc oxide remedy after reading it on your site. I think it worked but my armpits were way too greasy! It was very uncomfortable. After that I tried baking soda on my armpits and let me tell you -- it's a winner. Lasts all day and is much better than any natural or chemical deordorant I have ever tried. I now wet the baking soda down before applying it.. otherwise it is gritty. I think baking soda is probably one of the safest remedies to put near your lymph nodes. No way aluminum! I wonder if some day they will attribute some cases of breast cancer to the aluminum in deodorant and location of the sentinel lymph node. Just a theory of mine

Baking Soda

Posted by Jackie (Chicago, IL) on 08/22/2007
★★★★★

OK guys, you have to try the baking soda remedy! It's awesome!! I have been wetting and then patting some baking soda under my arms after a shower and then going to the office. No b.o. all day -- amazing! One thing I suggest -- if you do wet the baking soda down before application, just make sure it dries before you put on a shirt. I didn't wait one day, put on a tee-shirt and hit the town. Later I looked in the mirror and discovered HUGE whitish stain rings around my pits. It looked terrible! I had a good laugh and then got mortified that I'd been out all day with pit rings. Ha ha.

Baking Soda

Posted by Star (Michigan, USA) on 09/11/2007
★★★★★

For years I have been using baking soda; because In my 20's I use to get cyst or boils under my arms from deodorants So at first I stop using products with aluminum, but even that made my underarms irritated, and eventually I needed surgery under my arm from the boil, and after that I did know what to do so! because I mention it to my grandmothers friend, and she said use baking soda! and I tried and have been using this for many years, maybe twenty; however be forewarned! that if you are gonna shave, you need to wait a hour or two before applying, and I use the best baking soda on the market, that well known brand because the others don't work as well, and added benefit of using baking soda, you might find you don't need to use it everyday.

Baking Soda

Posted by Tracy (Frederick, MD) on 01/21/2008
★★★★★

RE:1/17/2008: Patti from Albany, USA writes: "I wanted to find out from Erin (Fremont, MI) what type/brand of Natural Deodorant she uses (hope it's okay to ask for the brand).

Please tell her that the best thing that I have found is Baking soda. I have gone organic and was trying every organic deordorant on the market and I would still stink!! It was making me crazy, then I came here and read about everyone using BS with great results and IT IS TRUE! After my shower, I pat some in each armpit (I'm pretty liberal). And I have absolutley no underarm odor. Even in my wool sweaters which can really trap the smell...So, I put BS in a pretty bowl in the bathroom and use that. IT WORKS!

Baking Soda

Posted by Suhfyera (Singapore, Singapore) on 02/15/2008
★★★★★

Hi, I'm from Singapore but am currently residing in London. Been here for only two and a half months and about two weeks ago i noticed that my left armpit (and only my left!) would smell nearly all the time, except maybe the first ten mins after showering. Thought maybe it's the climate change but still, it was very distressing becos i don't normally have BO unless i'm sweating profusely (like i did back home on the equator) or after working out, and definitely not coming from just one armpit which is so odd! Also, it was a different BO from the working out BO (anyone know what the cause of this one-armpit smell is??), and my regular deo was not having any positive effects. But i found this site trying to figure out what was wrong with me and next morning i tried patting on a thin layer of bicarb after showering. Strode off to the supermarket and back, worked up a sweat, and ta-daaa no smell!! yayyyy! who knew something so simple would work so well. i'm so totally pleased, thank you EC. Will try ACV and oil pulling next to help with my sinuses..

Baking Soda

Posted by Joe (Huntsville, AL) on 03/20/2008
★★★★★

I read where someone wanted to know what the smell came from under her arms? My response is what is smells like....cornchips!.....very stinky when you use a washcloth to clean your pits and it leaves a smell so strong it almost knocks you down!!! yuuuuuuuuck! I have begun to use baking soda for the first time today, and so far (it's noon) no smell! I'm going to keep using the baking soda and maybe try a few other remedies suggested on your site....MANY THANKS!

Baking Soda

Posted by Jackie (Chicago, IL) on 09/01/2007
★★★★☆

Hi. I wrote in last month about the wonders of baking soda for underarm body odor. Well I still agree that it's a great remedy, however I had a side effect that I wanted to share. A few days ago I shaved and after getting out of the shower, put baking soda under my arms. I guess I had nicked an area because it hurt like crazy after the baking soda hit it. That night, I started to feel shooting pain in the same area... it lasted all night. The next morning, still in pain, I looked in the mirror at my armpit and discovered a big ole boil forming. I am guessing that a chunk of baking soda got in and irritated the area. Knowing how great turmeric is for cysts and boils, I immediately went and got some warm water and put a teaspoon of turmeric in it and chugged it down. The shooting pain stopped in about 3 hours and the next day the boil was half the size. 2 days later it is gone. My suggestion is not to apply baking soda to your armpits if you have nicked them while shaving! I continue to use the b.s. but haven't had any more inflammation in that area.