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.
Zinc Oxide Ointment
Posted by Leo (Camrose, Alberta) on 06/07/2009
★★★★★
Zinc Oxide Deodorant: In Dr. Hulda Clark's books, she recommends zinc oxide powder as a deodorant. Over the years it has worked just fine for me. Just place 2 tbs in a small jar and add enough water to make a paste. Smear the past onto your arm pits or groin area. Odour is gone immediately.
There is a bit of residue left on your fingers from smearing it on, but that soon leaves. Or you can use a paint or bingo dauber and not touch the paste with your fingers. If you don't sweat much, the paste will keep you odour free for several days. But it is not antiperspirant, and it washes off quickly in the shower. Zinc oxide can be bought from Self Health Resource Centre in California, and in Canada. It can also be bought in 500 gm sizes direct from Fisher Scientific if you have an account with them. Very inexpensive. Thanks.
Leo
Camrose, Alberta.
Milk of Magnesia
Posted by Clarissa (Tampa, FL) on 06/20/2009
Hi to Ruth from Hong Kong! Milk of magnesia is a very popular remedy for constipation here in the states. I would think that you could find it at a big pharmacy in Hong Kong?
Milk of Magnesia
Posted by Ruth (Hong Kong) on 06/20/2009
am from hong kong, am wondering which part of the grocery section to buy milk of magnesia, i don't seem to find out here in Hong kong. can I ask buy it from the drug stores?
i hv tried using the baking soda and it worked!, but the trick is you have to add little water must to dissolve then apply the paste to ur armpit. it dries quickly & wl save u becoming smelly all day. just need to use new clothes everytime. I even asked my daughter to try it, presto, it worked! just learned this from EC. thanks!, but I still want to try the MM. Thanks, am addicted to checking EC everytime, trying to find some cures for other illnesses I could recommend to my friends! Cheers, EC.
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.
Zinc Oxide Ointment
Posted by Sid Davis (Springfield, Mo) on 06/16/2009
I don't know what to say. It works for my wife and me, and several others on this site have reported it worked for them. As an experiment, try using it every day after your shower for a week and see if it becomes more effective; plus use clean shirts. It has been so long since I started using it that I can't remember how effective it was at first, but I think it worked from day one. One thought that crossed my mind is that there may be some bacterial residue in your shirts, even if they have been laundered, that then start to grow when the moisture from your sweat provides a more favorable environment. Can you tell if the smell is coming from your shirt or your armpit? If the smell is coming from the shirt, try using a little lysol in your washing machine when laundering your shirts to kill the bacteria.
Zinc kills bacteria which would otherwise cause the odor. Killing bacteria is why different commercial deodorants have things like aluminum or alcohol in them. Even baking soda has an anti-bacterial property because of the sodium in it (ever pour salt on a garden slug?).
I don't think there is anything inherently smelly about sweat, but it just allows bacteria to reproduce more effectively. Knock out the bacteria and there should be no odor.
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!!
Avoid Deodorants
Posted by Amina (London, UK) on 06/08/2009
Does this apply to all deodorants or just the ones you spray on??
Baking Soda
Posted by Linda (Snohomish, WA) on 06/03/2009
★★★★★
I read about using baking soda for a deodorant and I have a really bad problem with underarm body odor. I don't want to use anything with aluminum in it. I really did not think the baking soda would work, but two days ago, I started using it. It is the hottest part of the summer here and I always walk every time I get the opportunity at work, so usually get sweaty. Surprise! It works. I just dumped about a teaspoon in my hand and rubbed half into each armpit. The amount does not seem to matter too much, used less today than yesterday just because a bunch came out of the box yesterday. I am a 60-year-old female. I have tried every natural deodorant on the market and nothing else works. This is like a miracle to me!!!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Ron (Orlando, FL) on 06/02/2009
★☆☆☆☆
I have been dealing with BO for years & I really need a remedy. I been taking Zinc Supplements. I Started taking about 16 grams of Chlorella which contains high amounts of Chlorophyll. I've been bathing with baking soda & sea salt. I've been drinking Apple Cider Vinegar in the morning. I drink tea all day with Lemon juice & honey. I eat cloves & rosemary herbs. I've taken sage Tea two nights a week.
I'd like to think my diet is very alkilinizing & drinks fluids, Im too poor to level out meals with meat. i dont take much sugar either
I need help because I'm TRYING to get a JOB . Ted, Somebody HELP PLEASE
Rubbing Alcohol
Posted by Dorett (Lima, Ohio) on 06/01/2009
★★★★★
I read in a book that regular rubbing alchohol is good for boby odor. I was fasting and was having problem with odor from all the toxin that was coming out. i tried bathing two to three times a day to help eliminate the odor which only help for a short time. So I decided to try this remedy. This really help, I have been using it ever since. That is the 70% volume. I splash it under my arms after showering.
Zinc Oxide Ointment
Posted by Kj (Washington, DC) on 05/31/2009
★☆☆☆☆
I used the 20% Zinc oxide under my arms, and it didn't work at all. I followed your directions and applied 2 pea sized amounts under each arm and rubbed it in really well. As soon as I started to sweat, I had under arm odor. Am I doing something wrong? To me, the ACV worked better, but after constant use, it starts to lose its efficacy.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda
Posted by CK (New York City, New York) on 05/28/2009
★★★★★
Hi I found this site after months of painful acid reflux. I'm 28 and was suffering for about a few months. It was so bad my throat was constantly swollen and I had a extreme headache from the acid.
I tried over the counter medication and prescription and none of it was helping. I tried apple cider and boom! I had relief. I spent the next two weeks strictly taking apple cider along with yogurt and aloe and a gentle diet and I was good to go.
Now I've been testing apple cider vinegar and baking soda to see if it will work to reduce my body odor. I dont smell too much but I wanted a natural alternative to deodorant and harsh soaps.
1 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of apple cider vinegar in the bath tub it instantly cleaned my body and I've never smelled like nothing before. My skin feels great as well. I recommend this website and I recommend trying because it really changed my life!
Baking Soda
Posted by Maria (Bellflower, CA, USA) on 05/23/2009
★★★★★
Gina from Rizal. I have the same problem as yours but I started to have body odor when I was in 4th Grade. It was a rainy day and I grab someone's jacket to go outside. And after that I suffered with body odor. It is humiliating. People cover their nose when I am close to them or when they come close to me. I tried many kinds of deodorant and nothing works. I am socially isolated. I wish I can just go hide in the farm or something but I can't because of my family. I had surgery to decrease the swelling on my hands and armpits but I still stink! A month ago, I had botox done to my armpits, but I still stink!
I was frustrated. I pray to God everyday to help me. My prayer was answered when I searched the web and found this website(Thank you for having this website to people like us). I read this website two nights ago and I went to the store at 1230 am to buy the stuff I need. I was desperate, I used it the following day. IT WORKS! After having my busiest day ever at work, I did not stink. I thank God for showing me this website. My co-worker made a comment that I smell good! It's been 2 days now that I used it and I am elated for being bo free.
Brown Deodorant Stone
Posted by Joe (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) on 05/18/2009
★★★★★
Brown deodorant stone cured my body odor. Readers from Malaysia can buy it from some pharmacies in Kuala Lumpur. I have been using it for many years, very effective and made from volcanic deposits - no chemicals.I get my supply from a pharmacy in Sogo complex. Really economical and long lasting effect. On the packing it says 36 hours freshness.Totally different from other white deodorant crystal. Should be able to help many readers rid their bo problem.
Stop Using Soap
Posted by Rena (Mineral Bluff, Georgia) on 05/08/2009
Hi Joyce from Joelton,
I did an experiment this week. I have been using a salt stone as deodorant for at least 5 years, and have been using borax as a shampoo, and body wash for at least a year. I thought since it's not exactly soap, maybe I can get by without using anything under my arms after my shower. Sure enough, I have no odor, and most of the temps in my area have been around the 80's this week, and I work a physical job. Thanks for the tip, who would have thunk that soap is what stunk (sorry bad rime). Peace, Rena.
Chlorophyll
Posted by Shelli (Charlotte, NC) on 05/04/2009
★★★★★
Liquid Chlorophyll for Controlling Body Odor: When I overload on foods that are not good for my body, I can always tell by the smell of my underarms. No amount of washing, soap, or various deodorants would help either. Very embarrassing! A friend recommended chlorophyll because it worked for her. Initially I tried the gel caps and tablets but neither of those seemed to make a difference.
I tried the mint flavored liquid and it seemed to work within hours. So I kept using it. That was about 7 or 8 years ago. I don't take an exact dosage as it's kind of messy to pour out. I just take a swig after I brush my teeth first thing in the morning and again before I head out for the day. I don't even need deodorant any more!
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).
Zinc
Posted by Jake (Newark , NJ) on 04/30/2009
★☆☆☆☆
I upped my intake to 75mg before bed & I see no difference.
Baking Soda
Posted by Ashley (St. Louis, Missouri USA) on 04/24/2009
Zinc oxide worked for me. I followed the instructions from Sid under the Zinc oxide ointment heading at the last of this section. I was totally amazed at how well it worked, since it is not even sold as a deodorant, but a skin cream. Live and learn.
Baking Soda
Posted by Selena (Chula, GA) on 04/20/2009
This post is for Gina from Rizal, Philippines. Your complaint is body odor but you mention having botox done as a solution (this is for sweat glands). Does your odor come from sweating? If it does please look at my post under excessive sweating. Taking Magnesium fixed my embarrassing problem and I am so happy I want to tell the world. Maybe they should link the body odor ailment section with the excessive sweating. If your problem is not sweating, then try Chlorophyll. It is supposed to be good for getting rid of odors.
Baking Soda
Posted by Sid Davis (Springfield, Missouri, USA) on 04/20/2009
Hello, Gina from Rizal.
When I saw your post I immediately responded with information about 20% zinc oxide ointment. Instead of my information being associated with your inquiry, it was placed at the very end of this section under Zinc Oxide Ointment. Hopefully, on my second try this message will appear under your inquiry so you can easily see it.
This almost certainly is the the answer to your problem. It is far more effective than any deodorant, and has never failed to work for my wife or me, even when we lived in a subtropical part of the world. It is inexpensive and only needs to be used every other day or so depending on your local climate. After your shower and you dry off, just smear around a small quantity (about the size of two green peas) under each armpit. Go read what others and I commented under "zinc oxide ointment" now on page 4 of this discussion about Body Odor.
Also, you mention that you have residual smell in your clothing even after washing. This, I suspect is from bacteria that is not killed in your current washing method. Maybe something like a cap full of lysol added to your laundry tub, or even more simply placing your clothes in scalding water before washing would do the trick to kill the bacteria. Also, I think natural fibers like cotton are less likely to retain odor than synthetic fibers, but that should be a thing of the past once you begin using the zinc oxide ointment.
Let us all know how this works out for you.
Sid Davis
Zinc Oxide Ointment
Posted by Sid Davis (Springfield, Missouri, USA) on 04/19/2009
★★★★★
Get a tube of 20% zinc oxide ointment from a drug store or Walmart. After your shower and dry off, smear this on instead of deodorant. My wife and I have used this for many, many years and NEVER have under arm odor. It works better than any deodorant we have ever used. We don't even need it everyday. I use a dab about the size of two green peas under each arm every other day, but you can experiment with the amount and frequency. If you use too much, your pores might get temporarily clogged, so don't over do it. Zinc oxide is the main ingredient in many diaper creams. It simply kills the bacteria which cause underarm odor.
Baking Soda
Posted by Gina (Rizal, Philippines) on 04/17/2009
★★★☆☆BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
I've been suffering from Body Odor since I was in my Senior year in High School, my relationship with my neighbors and friends have been affected by my body odor. I easily get humiliated when they cover their nose or scratching it when they go near me. They do not see the good side of me but instead judge me by my stinky smell. Now I stayed most of the time alone with my children and husband who can stand my smell until I tried the site promising my B.O. to be forever gone. His solution did work temporarily but as the days went by my body odor came back..why??.I don't know? That's what I noticed, whenever I try new product on my armpit, it worked at first and after sometime the bad odor comes back again. Until I used Baking Soda with water. It did keep me from body odor for the wholeday until my next shower. It did boost my confidence, I can now mingle with other people without being humiliated. Just the same with other users of it, I developed a red and dark rashes with stingy sensation the first time I applied it. But it did wash off after 1 week. My problem now is that whenever I stop using it, my odor worsen than the first time I used it. And when I'm using it, my used clothes stinks terribly by my underarm is still odorless. And when I wash my shirts, I make sure that the armpit part of it is thoroughly wash with bar soap and dry it under the sun to kill the bacteria inhibiting on it coz if don't do this, the armpit part smells as if it wasn't washed at all---the reason why I don't rely to a laundry woman and a fully automatic washing machine. My next move is to try medicating internally---to go on veggies, drink apple& cabbage juice, chlorophyll and the likes. But Hydrogen Peroxide... I say no to it! I tried it but it did not work. The vinegar neither works! The Corn Starch and Powder didn't work for me either. I'll try also desitin or ointment for infant rashes. If none will work..I'll consider botox and operation just to keep me body odor free. May God have pity on us....please Lord keep us Odor Free...
Baking Soda
Posted by Tia C. (Pittsburg, Ca) on 04/02/2009
Just wanted to comment on the baking soda as a deodorant. I discovered this trick about a month ago trying to think of something i could use after waxing because it's advised not to use deodorants due to open pores. I usually use a drop of lavender oil and the baking soda in the palm of my hand after showering. Works great!
Baking Soda
Posted by Janet (Whitehead, Northern Ireland) on 04/01/2009
★★★★★
Baking Soda (use as a deodorant)
I read somewhere online that Bicarbonate of Soda absorbs odours and I always put a bowl of it in the fridge to keep it fresh, so I thought I would give it a go as a deodorant. I was amazed to find that it really works. I just ran some tap water over my fingers, dipped them into the Bicarb and patted it under my arms after a shower. I couldn't believe that there was no odour all day, at all, and even the next morning before my shower. It stung a tiny bit because I had just shaved my armpits so the next day I tried the Bicarb again but this time I put a couple of drops of Grapeseed oil in the palm of my hand, added a couple of pinches of the Bicarb and made a small amount of paste which I then rubbed under my arms. It worked even better as the oil was soothing. You do have to use a really tiny amount. You could always dust more on later dry if you thought you needed it but I didn't need to. You could also add one drop of your favourite essential oil if you wanted to smell of something. I will be using Bicarb as deodorant from now on as it is so cheap and natural.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Jorge (Albuquerque, NM) on 03/29/2009
★★★★★
Hydrogen peroxide diluted in a spray bottle. Spray on body after shower, this will kill the bacteria that is causing you body odor.
Baking Soda
Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 03/28/2009 490 posts
Hello Veronica,
If you haven't already tried leaving off soap to get rid of that body odor, please do so. If you do decide to try this, put a cup or two of apple cider vinegar in your bath water to get the soap you used in the last bath off your skin or you'll still stink a day or two after you stop using it. All you need for keeping the body clean is water and a good thick, all cotton wash cloth. You can always use a loofah sponge if you feel like you need to scrub clean. I would also suggest you leave off any smelly stuff you have been using like perfumes, lotions, colognes, etc.
Baking Soda
Posted by Leah (Las Vegas, NV) on 03/28/2009
In response to Veronica from Singapore: I would take a look at what you're eating. If you eat mainly fresh veggies and fruit and overall a more natural diet, I think you're b.o. issue will diminish greatly. A raw vegan diet will help a great deal with body odor.
Vinegar
Posted by Dee (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) on 03/23/2009
Cure for Under Arm Odor That Works!!
To solve under arm odor, at the end of my shower I use plain vinegar under my arms (not apple cider). I use a palm full under each arm (I keep it in my bathroom in a plastic bottle). It really works and lasts a day or two!!! I tried it in summer (August)!!
I did not try it to run a marathon or engage in a lot of exercise. You have to let it dry for the vinegar smell to go away, but IT REALLY WORKS!!!!!!
EC: Plain vinegar = distilled white vinegar
Cabbage
Posted by Susan (Oakland, NJ) on 03/22/2009
★★★★★
Body Odor: Raw Red Cabbage, I eat about 1 cup a day with olive oil and sea salt. I do not have any odor with or without my natural deoderant. I find it pretty amazing that all I need to do is eat cabbage and I do not have to worry. I am a massage therapist, so I need to be odor free. I refuse to use regular deoderant, so I have been searching for an answer. I also drink green drinks, do applecider vinegar, you name it, I take it or have taken it. None has worked. I am so happy for this find that I needed to share it, so others who struggle with it no longer need to. Hope you try it, you won't be dissapointed.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Noelle (Tampa, FL) on 03/22/2009
★★★★★
ACV cured my acid reflux (and made me smell like roses!) ok, maybe not roses, but it definitely stopped any sort of bacterial growth that caused my body odor.
i take acv orally, 2 tablespoons per glass of water, every morning and two hours before bed. i was diagnosed with acid reflux at 12 and took pills off and on but i feel so free. Apple Cider Vinegar freed me naturally!
I also keep the acv in the shower and before i turn on the water i put some music on, pour the acv all over my body (i pour a little in my hand and then rub on my body), dance around for 2 minutes and then spend my shower rinsing, NO SOAP!. after the vinegar smell goes away i towel off and go about my business. every deodorant ive ever tried has let me down, time and time again, but this stuff-i love it! i ride my bicycle 10 miles a day commuting and i sniff and sniff and check and check and nothing-no smell at all, its a beautiful thing. i want to shout from the rooftops! These pharmaceutical companys tell us that we have to use their products, their chemicals- and we dont! we just need to go back to nature.
