Natural Remedies for Body Odor

Severe Body Odor

Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn) on 04/13/2017

HI U OLE PATOOTS DOIN,,,,,,,,,, this is not original with me, but I read a Sports Illustrated article on the subject many years ago and decided to resurrect it based on a recent EC post. You have two kinds of sweat....one is thermal and the other is emotional. The thermal kind comes from all your body, but the emotional comes from a different set of glands that are located on your feet, palms and armpits. If you are afraid of dogs then your scent glands tell the dog that and it causes it grief and it will bite you. Whereas, you nearby friend is not afraid of dogs and does not put out this scent so the dog is not alarmed by them. He wags his tail at them.

I have been in many a meeting where the room was cool, but some were sweating profusely under their arms. Dear hearts, they were in nervous city. Thermal sweat has no odor unless you don't bath and it turns putrid. Emotional sweat always has a foul odor, and if you let your armpit hair go, only makes it worse. Our dad always made us trim our under arm hair. He was ahead of his time. I had several friends who were clean, but stunk to high heaven. My regret is that I never told them. Guess I was not a good friend after all. Here is the article from yesteryear.

https://www.si.com/vault/1981/10/26/826069/the-story-of-sweat-a-warm-intimate-tale-told-in-an-inoffensive-manner

I know dang well that this will send 99% of you to school on sweat.

========ORH=========

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!

Salt

Posted by Tom (Bristol, Uk) on 12/04/2012
★★★★★

Have detox baths 3 times per week with a cup of himalayan salts. Everyday when you shower soak a washcloth in hot water with himalayan salt dissolved in it and hold the warm washcloth under each armpit for a number of minutes. The salt will draw out any impurities and kill and bacteria. Dont use soap underarms just scrub lightly with this cloth after holding it there for a while. Thats it. No more smell.

Baking Soda

Posted by Naturalgirl (Lansing, Mi) on 10/31/2012
★★★★★

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.

Baking Soda

Posted by Miranda (Campbellsville, Ky) on 11/05/2012

Try this: I buy a real lemon, cut off one end, rub that under my arms once a day. After a day or two, no more oder at all. Makes me feel lemony fresh too : ) Keep it in my frig, when the end gets funky, just take a knife and cut off a slice and start over. Works much better and lots cheeper than storebought.

Coriander Oil

Posted by Cendriyon (Springs, Gauteng, South-africa) on 09/20/2012
★★★★★

I would like to post this my daughter had a very strong body odour that I tried everything and land on essential oil.

I add few drop of coriander essential oil on her roll-on (men roll-on) and you can't imagine how the smell disapeared like magic its been 3 days now and no more smell.

I can tell you, I know what I am talking about your child jumping on you and that body odour but you have to live with it, it's your child you can not reject her.

Coriander essential oil, give it a try!

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

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]

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Joyce (Cambridge, Canada) on 06/09/2012
★★★★★

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/

Lime

Posted by Deirdre (Earth Clinic) on 06/01/2010
★★★★★

I have tried almost all of the remedies posted on Earth Clinic for body odor the past few years -- apple cider vinegar, baking soda, milk of magnesia, magnesium oil, hydrogen peroxide, the thai crystals -- and they've all been pretty good... However, none have had long lasting results (ie, 24 hours) like lime juice.

I have been testing fresh lime juice on my armpits the past week and have to tell you all that this is BY FAR, the best home remedy for body odor that I have ever tried! After a shower, I squeeze a dime-sized amount of fresh lime juice into my palm and to apply each arm pit. The effect lasts all day, even through rigorous workouts and walks in the hot, humid weather with the dogs! What a phenomenal remedy.

Oh, by the way and in response to recent posts on the site about milk of magnesia for body odor, the reason why milk of magnesia may be effective for body odor is that one of the ingredients in it is chlorine (goes by the name sodium hypochlorite on some bottles of Milk of Magnesia)!! We confirmed it with manufacturer last year and stopped using it shortly thereafter. Read Connie's thread here for more info: https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/milk-of-magnesia.html#RF

P.S. If you apply the lime juice soon after shaving, it will burn for a good hour or more! I try to wait an hour or two before applying or I shave at night and then apply the lime juice first thing in the morning.

Anti-Candida Diet, Grapefruit Seed Extract

Posted by Healthnut (Los Angeles, Ca, Usa) on 10/09/2011

This Yay is not for anti-candida diet because I don't follow that, but I've always had a very strong/unpleasant body odor, it started with puberty and I think it's because I got parasites (pinworms) as a kid and never told any adults because I didn't want to suffer the humiliation of having them pulled out of me like other kids did. I think the pinworms would go away and come back and I just dealt with them and this has caused my very strong unpleasant BO, because parasites release toxins in your body and the horrible smell is the evidence. I've used natural deodorants from healthfood stores for the past 15 years, they are not that effective but I use them anyway. I can't use anti-perspirants, they cause huge sweat balls under my armpits that hurt and they make me smell worst.

Last night I had a breakthrough, I bought GSE (grapefruit seed extract) and put it in fresh pressed coconut milk/water and drank that. I put about 30 drops. today, I woke up wiht no BO whatsover and that is almost impossible for me, I have a super strong odor, usually an hour or two after washing/shower. I am besides myself, happy and decided to look up GSE and BO and sure enough people have used it. I also rubbed GSE under my armpits. I'm doing my own parasite (pinworm) cleanse by eating 11 cloves 3x a day, cranberry juice, I'll incorporate the other ingredients prescribed by curezone.com I hope this helps a lot of people out there. God bless you all!!!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Ms Robert (Usa, Virginia) on 03/17/2011
★★★★★

Mary from Minneaplois really got me to thinking... It only makes sense that the really horrible underarm odor is internal. I took her advice, got me a good colon cleanser, I already use crystal deoderants, and added probiotics to my regimen. It makes sense that keeping the colon free of fecal matter reduces or rids the body of embarrassing odor, from breath to underarms. So, while I agree that using ACV, & other remedies can be successful, don't forget to keep your digestive system healthy, it all starts there. Be aware of the unhealthy foods we eat that can contribute to unhealthy digestion, and lets load ourselves with the one thing we've heard forever, WATER! I began this a week ago, and already I've seen remarkable results. The underarm odor is all but gone, and I just feel better.

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!

Clove Oil

Posted by Brittney (Acworth, GA) on 06/10/2008
★★★★★

hey i thought id share something that has been working pretty well for me lately to combat under arm odor. i read alot of the articles that others have written about how to stop the stink so i went with the no soap theory and. . . well at first, it wasn't what i would have called a good idea but i kept it up, then i moved on to the cold shower theory which is, well cold! but i've continued with both no soap and cold water for about a month now (maybe less) and that stinkyness had become just faint. whereas before I smelled pretty rancid! However that faint stink has still been a bother to me (thankfully no one else can smell me- unless people are just tying to be polite) but anyway, i've created my own new theory and its been working very well. what i do is i have continued with no soap and cool/lukewarm showers (cold is too cold for me) then when i get out i use a cotton ball to apply a mixture of witch hazel and 1 drop of clove oil to my armpits and after they dry out i powder them with corn starch. Now im happy to say that i am quite a bit closer to being stink free! my faint stink isn't stinky anymore. this process had helped me out alot. maybe it will work for some of you stinkers out there. (oh, i forgot to mention that i don't ever use deoderant anymore either) and please only use 1-2drops of clove oil under the arm at first becaude it will stink like crazy at first. over time it will no longer sting or burn with the application though. just soak a cotten ball with witch hazel and add 1 drop of clove oil and when you're all dry powder on some corn starch (the stuff at the grocery store) and you should be good to go! thanks for your time EC! God bless.

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 Tom (Regina, Sk) on 08/18/2010

Could you provide a URL link and/or a short snip segment where you got that?

It's very deficient in basic chemistry and nutrition science, to say the least. It could be that the rare person with kidney disease will have electrolyte balancing problems, but the amount of K in LUGOLS or SSKI in mere drops is puny compared to any amount of food. Directly injecting ANY substance or element into the blood without it passing FIRST through the digestive system for proper surveillance and possible sequestration WILL have deadly consequences. In a large amount, it's called a lethal injection for exactly that reason and purpose! Case in point: squalene, found naturally in shark liver oil and olive oil, where it's just one of many substances the body uses. It's a major component of the nerves' myelin sheath insulation in mammals. Yet it's been found in vaccines, and we have major autoimmune diseases like ALS, MG, MS where the body's nerve sheaths are under attack.

Plus nascent Iodine is outrageously expensive per mg of Iodine compared to LUGOLS! http://purebulk.com/atomic-iodine-2-nascent
How pure is your Atomic Iodine 2% (nascent)?
You will receive one or more dropper bottles (see above quantity) of 2% Atomic Iodine, approximately 400mcg per drop (also about 200% RDA per drop). LUGOLS has 6. 25 mg TOTAL iodines per drop, in a 2:1 ratio of KI:Iodine. So the Iodine portion is about 2. 1 mg= 2100 micrograms per drop. This is about 5 times per drop what nascent iodine products have, not even counting the blatant fact that THE PRICE is about 10 times per ml vs LUGOLS! (120 ml nascent iodine is $114, vs about $12 for a 100 ml LUGOLS)

Of course Lugols (and SSKI) has potassium in it! That's the 'K' in SSKI, and Mr. Lugol early 1800's discovered that the only way to dissolve both forms of iodine (Iodine and iodide) in water was to first dissolve the KI, then the iodine will dissolve in the water:
http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/HISTHTML/MANUALS/LUGOLS.PDF

That's not even considering the fact that LUGOLS, since it has BOTH forms of iodine, can supply any and every organ, gland and tissue by itself:

http://www.anticancerinfo.co.uk/Iodine.htm
The thyroid gland primarily uses iodide as does the skin; the breast and prostate glands use iodine; and other tissues including the kidneys, spleen, liver, blood, salivary glands and intestines can use either form.

Alkaline Soap, Baking Soda

Posted by Lyndsey (St. Louis, Missouri) on 08/30/2012

When it comes to detoxing, I think a lot of people get it wrong. They end up doing things that are similar to fasting, like the honey and cayenne pepper drink and such. I did my first detox at 21, through my chiropracter that was also trained in naturopathic medicine. He explained to me that what was most important was to give your body's natural detoxification system, comprised of a team of organs, all the nutrients necessary to do the job well, while also making sure that you aren't adding any new toxins to the body.

There are so many toxins in our food, air, and water that the body hardly gets a break from filtering out the new stuff constantly coming in. There's no time to clean out all of the old stuff that has built up. The best detox system, and the one that I do, is making sure that you are eating foods that are fresh, organic, and raw (if possible). Also, make sure that everything you are eating is NOT a potential food allergen. Get ahold of a list of all the foods that people have been found to be allergic to and don't eat any of these foods for 28 days. This means there are very few grains and nuts that you will be able to consume, and absolutely no dairy. Soy shouldn't be in your diet either, which can be tricky. There are breads out there made only from non-allergen grains. I found mine at Whole Foods. Night shade vegetables like eggplant are not good to eat, I think tomatoes are on that list too. It goes without saying that sweets, alcohol, caffeine, and nicoteine are not on the menu either.

After 28 days of eating pure, natural, fresh foods, drinky plenty of purified water, and getting enough exercise (like long walks! ), you are ready to start adding food groups back to your diet. This is how you discover if you have any food allergies you didn't know about.

Contrary to popular belief, allergic reactions do not only come in the form of rashes, sneezing, coughing, swelling, phlegm or other similar visible physical reactions. Allergic reactions to foods can come in the form of fatigue, anxiety, depression, and an overall mental and/or physical imbalance that you aren't even aware of.

After your 28 day detox, pay attention to how you feel and start keeping a food journal. Each week, add back a new food group, and each day try a different food from that group. I discovered that I am allergic to cow milk, but not really to cheese, yogurt, or icecream.

This was a really positive experience for me. The detox was hard, finding ok foods was a bit difficult, but it was really helpful to find out which foods were making me feel bad (and making me smelly! ) It was difficult to change the way I eat, but rewarding in the end. Now I can't imagine eating some of the stuff I used to, and if I do eat something unhealthy, I really feel it!

I hope this was helpful. Good luck!

Castor Oil

Posted by L.t. (Birmingham ) on 03/09/2024
★★★★★

Castor oil rubbed under arm pits works great for body odor.

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.

Lemon

Posted by Dale (Picayune, Mississippi) on 11/12/2012
0 out of 5 stars

You have to be careful if you have sensitive skin.. I tried this and it burned my under arms terrible.. I was miserable for a week.

Alkaline Soap, Baking Soda

Posted by Bailey (Orlando, Flroida) on 09/06/2012

Here is a thought for everybody... I ordered one of those infrared lights for my face, it is for collagen and skin pigmantation. This light came with 3 different colors red, green and blue. The blue light is for acne and I do not have a problem with acne. After reading how the blue light works for acne.... By killing the bacteria under the skin, I thought well I don't have a problem with acne but I do get a stong underarm odor when I am out in the sun-heat. I know that BO is caused by bacteria so I thought I would give it a try for my underams. When I am out in the sun my BO is strong and different than just working out BO or everyday BO. I normally do not have a problem with BO until I am out in the heat and sun and I will immedietely smell worse than a man. I tried using the blue light therapy on my underarms and the next day-after going outside in hot Florida heat, I did not stink as I normally do when I am in the sun-heat. Now, I haven't had it long and only did it once but I did notice a big difference. It would be wonderful if I found a new cure for underarm BO. I would love to hear if anybody else is willing to try this and hear if it does help or does not help. I ordered mine off of Amazon and you can get a cheap one.... The one I got the wand glides on your skin for 3 minuntes. I would love to hear all responses.

Alkaline Soap, Baking Soda

Posted by Mary (Minneapolis, Mn) on 06/12/2013

hi Bailey from Orlando-is the infrared light continuing to work how many times did you have to use it?? I to have the issue of when I go into the Sun or heat outdoors. Is it expensive??

Baking Soda

Posted by Linda (New Haven, Ct, United States) on 09/02/2012

Lynnieme, I had a similar experience with that irritating rash. Several months ago, I decided to replace products in my home with homemade natural ones. I've switched laundry detergent to deodorant and everything else in between over the past few months.

I found many recipes online for natural deodorants. Most had varying amounts of coconut oil, cornstarch and baking soda. I'd read that cornstarch could cause a yeast problem for some sensitive women and that arrowroot powder was an excellent substitution. I decided to use arrowroot, as I didn't know if I would have any problems with the cornstarch and wanted to be safe.

I mixed up a batch and began using it. Like you, I reacted to the baking soda with a red, burning irritation. I went back online to search for a solution to the rash issue. I found a site that recommended I rub the coconut oil alone onto my underarms.

Then it suggested lightly dusting the area with a 50:50 mix of arrowroot & baking soda on top of the coconut oil. I applied mine with an unused round makeup brush that was about 2 1/2" or 3" in diameter.

To help heal the rash that was already there, I began taking 1 tsp turmeric with a dash of pepper in my usual morning & evening protein shakes. I reasoned if turmeric was good for major skin issues (as mentioned on this site), it would surely work for the baking soda armpit irritation I had. Within 4 or 5 days of using turmeric, the rash began to heal and never came back!

The homemade deodorant works wonderfully. Please note it did take a full two weeks for it to work totally. Decades of deodorant and antiperspirant use clogs the pores. Heaven only knows what was trapped in there that worked it's way out over those two weeks! LOL

After this initial armpit "detox" period there was no smell whatsoever. I got through that period by applying my homemade product twice a day, washing and drying the armpit area thoroughly each time. Now, just once in the morning after my shower and I'm good all day!

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.

Borax, Coconut Oil

Posted by Michelle (Dallas, Texas) on 05/20/2012
★★★★★

I suffered from severe underarm odor since junior high school. Even though I would bathe several times daily, as soon as I jumped out of the shower, I would still have a musty, onion-like odor. And the more I would worry about it, the more I would smell. Surprisingly, I didn't seem to have as much of a problem with odor when I was working out in the gym. I finally found something to help the odor. I asked my doctor to prescribe sulfacetamide cream, which I applied under my arms on freshly cleaned skin. I then applied Secret Clinical Antiperspirant and then Shower to Shower powder. This helped me for a couple of years, at least. But I began to have an allergic reaction to it. I began getting sore throats and upper respiratory infections because of it, so I had to discontinue use.

So I began researching this site again and found an even better answer for me! I now wash gently under my armpits with borax. (Using soap leaves a film on which the bacteria will eat and multiply, causing odor!! ) I then apply extra virgin organic coconut oil and then sprinkle baking soda on top. Amazing!! NO ODOR! At night after my shower, I just use coconut oil. (Using baking soda twice daily, along with the borax, can be very irritating. ) Keep in mind that you will have to get used to sweating - a good thing. However, you may continue using antiperspirant on top of the coconut oil and baking soda. Hope this helps! Blessings!

Apple Cider Vinegar

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.

Ammonia Odor

Posted by Lou (Tyler, Tx) on 12/21/2011

An ammonia smell coming from your trunk is usually a sign of a liver disease. Have it tested. Get some milk thistle with artichokes. Artichokes scrub the liver. Also, eat meat once a week and go on a fish and chicken diet. Incorporate salads with artichokes. Drink dandelion tea.

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.