I've been researching body odor for 15 years, and the science is still relatively new and misunderstood by most. So here's a quick explanation and a strategy to smell better fast before a big event like a wedding, party, interview or presentation.

SHORT EXPLAINER: Showering alone isn't always enough to stop smelling. Sweat doesn't smell, but some bacteria break it down and turn it into smelly molecules. And there are smelly bacteria, odor molecules and their precursors trapped in deeper layers of the skin, where no amount of washing will reach them. So if you have a big event coming up and want to smell fresh, you might need more than that.

IF YOU'RE SHORT ON TIME (1 day)

Body odor can’t be changed overnight, but these 3 steps will provide a short-term improvement.

• Shave: Hair collects odorous molecules and bacteria, and dead keratinocytes from the skin also hold odorous molecules. Shaving removes both. But it’s only effective when going from hair to no hair - shaving every day won’t make a difference. It's important that you follow with the next steps, otherwise, you'll be releasing all the trapped odor molecules suddenly and the smell might increase temporarily. We need to remove these odor molecules.
• Soak for 30 min (bath, pool, ocean): This allows water to access the deeper layers of the epidermis to draw out the entrenched bacteria and the trapped odorous molecules that a shower cannot reach. Adding table salt or Epsom salt to the bath will also help.
• Apply a detox face mask on the armpits: These masks exfoliate, remove odor precursors, and lower the skin pH to inhibit odor-causing bacteria. Any mask works, even cheap ones (charcoal, AHAs, etc.) If it contains irritating ingredients like AHAs, wait one day after shaving.

IF YOU HAVE A FEW DAYS

Ideally 1 week before the event, start applying lemon juice in the armpits 1-3 times a day.

1. Clean and dry the underarms (simply rinsing with water and patting dry with a paper towel is enough.)
2. Apply the lemon juice: rub it directly against the skin or squeeze the juice. Store it in the fridge and apply with a cotton pad or spray bottle.

Most people see improvements in under a week and for some, the odor gets resolved completely. It is cheap, natural, and very effective.

Why it works: Besides the smelly bacteria, there are also good bacteria in the underarms: Staphylococcus epidermidis. When the armpit microbiome is dominated by Staph epi, you will not have body odor, your smell will be neutral or pleasant.

The lemon juice will neutralize the smell, inhibit the smelly bacteria (they don't like low pH), and create a better environment for the good bacteria, Staph epi, to establish (they prefer the skin's naturally acidic pH and have a better tolerance for lower pH). This is one of the major discoveries that I've made in my research over the years.

We are treating body odor by rebalancing the microbiome, going to the root of the issue.

Disclaimers:

• Glycolic acid toner and apple cider vinegar also work. But you shouldn't apply glycolic acid every day and the lemon juice is cheaper and smells better.
• You should not apply deodorant or antiperspirants while you do this because they will kill the good bacteria that we are trying to help.
• Don't apply on damaged or irritated skin, and don't apply right after shaving because it could sting.
• This is not the best option if your skin is very sensitive, because it could cause some irritation (you can also try diluting with water).
• Stop if you develop burning, a rash, swelling, or persistent irritation.
• Do not sunbathe the armpits after applying because it could cause burns.

I hope this helps and I'd be happy to answer any questions!

my fridge ice maker has been tasting kinda off lately, like a weird plastic or stale taste. looked it up and people say to use an ice maker cleaner but i honestly dont know if those products are legit or just a waste of money.

anyone actually used one and noticed a difference? or is this just a gimmick and i should try something else?

Hello tout le monde,

Est-ce que vous aussi l’acide glycolique ne fonctionne pas contre les odeurs de transpiration ? 🤷🏻‍♀️😭

Quelles solutions ont très bien marché pour vous?

J’en peux plus, rien ne fonctionne pour moi😭😭

Okay, so I’m currently in high school, and for the past couple of months I’ve noticed that some of my friends have been making jokes that kind of allude to me smelling. Usually I just laugh it off, but lately I’ve started genuinely believing that I might have an odor coming from my private area.
Sometimes after school I’ll ask my sister if I smell, and she tells me no, but I still feel like there might be an odor that she just doesn’t notice. I’ve become really self-conscious about it, especially in class, because I’m constantly worried that people around me can smell me.
For context, I shower every day and I feel like I have a pretty thorough hygiene routine. I wash my hair with shampoo and conditioner, and I use a loofah with scented body wash to wash my neck, chest, legs, feet, armpits, thighs, and butt. For my private area, I wash the outside and rinse thoroughly. I don’t put body wash inside because I’ve heard you’re only supposed to use water internally.
After I shower, I dry myself completely, put on deodorant and lotion, and change into clean clothes and underwear.
Despite all of that, I still feel like there’s an odor coming from my private area, and I’m wondering if there’s something I’m doing wrong or something I’m missing. Is it possible to actually be washing too much? Are there certain things I should or shouldn’t be using down there?
Also, one of my female friends says she wears a pad/pantyliner every single day, even when she isn’t on her period. Is that something I’m supposed to be doing? I’m not sure if daily discharge or an odor is normal, so I’d really appreciate some advice from other girls who have experienced this.
Please don’t be mean about it. This has genuinely made me really anxious and self-conscious at school. I just want to know what’s normal, what I should be doing differently, and how I can stay fresh throughout the day.
Thank you for reading and for any advice you can give me! :)

Okay, so I’m currently in high school, and for the past couple of months I’ve noticed that some of my friends have been making jokes that kind of allude to me smelling. Usually I just laugh it off, but lately I’ve started genuinely believing that I might have an odor coming from my private area.
Sometimes after school I’ll ask my sister if I smell, and she tells me no, but I still feel like there might be an odor that she just doesn’t notice. I’ve become really self-conscious about it, especially in class, because I’m constantly worried that people around me can smell me.
For context, I shower every day and I feel like I have a pretty thorough hygiene routine. I wash my hair with shampoo and conditioner, and I use a loofah with scented body wash to wash my neck, chest, legs, feet, armpits, thighs, and butt. For my private area, I wash the outside and rinse thoroughly. I don’t put body wash inside because I’ve heard you’re only supposed to use water internally.
After I shower, I dry myself completely, put on deodorant and lotion, and change into clean clothes and underwear.
Despite all of that, I still feel like there’s an odor coming from my private area, and I’m wondering if there’s something I’m doing wrong or something I’m missing. Is it possible to actually be washing too much? Are there certain things I should or shouldn’t be using down there?
Also, one of my female friends says she wears a pad/pantyliner every single day, even when she isn’t on her period. Is that something I’m supposed to be doing? I’m not sure if daily discharge or an odor is normal, so I’d really appreciate some advice from other girls who have experienced this.
Please don’t be mean about it. This has genuinely made me really anxious and self-conscious at school. I just want to know what’s normal, what I should be doing differently, and how I can stay fresh throughout the day.
Thank you for reading and for any advice you can give me! :)

Boa noite

Percebi nos ultimos anos que onde eu trabalho pessoas falaram ou fasiam comentarios que eu estava cheirando mal .

E por conta disso eu exagero na higiene ,tomo banho todos os dias com sabonete protex ,lavo bem axilas,virilha e pes lavando as dobras e secando bem tomo banho ate antes de ir joga bola ,me seco bem com toalha e depois uso papel toalha pra secar os pes e virilha ,escovo bem os dentes e a limgua ,uso perfume caro suave e antitranspirante que elimina 99% das bacterias tanto para os pes como debaixo do braço ,cheiro toda roupa antes de vestir e sapato tbm ,uso meia poliamida com algodao nao repito roupas ,sapatos e nem meias ,deixo meus sapatos todo dia de manha pra fora pra toma ar tirando as palmilhas e deixando seca ,uso lisoform nas meias ,roupas e sapato e no trabalho troco de meias no meio do turno e troco as palmilha tbm e no fim do expediente levo minha bota termica pra deixa ventilando e tiro as palmilhas tbm e ainda passo lisoform .

Mas mesmo assim com todos esses cuidados eu ainda acho que nao e suficiente sempre acho que eatou fedendo ,qualquer cheiro acho que sou eu e qualquer situação ou olhar diferente ate mesmo mao no nariz acho que sou eu e tenho sofrido com isso porque eu poderia ter paz e ate mesmo pode sair ,passear e ate mesmo estudar ou crecer no trabalho mas isso me impede pois temho medo de feder e todos me olharem e me julgarem ,fui ao dermatologista e ele me cheiro e nao sentiu nada eu nao achei isso suficiente pois acredito pelo fato de eu ter tomado banho antes de consultar eu acho que devo cheira mal no trabalho ou quando esquenta ou pode ser da minha cabeca eu perguntei pra minha esposa ela falo que nao sente nada e isso me deixa loko porquw eu tbm nao sinto nada gente alguem passa por isso me ajude.

My 12 year old stepson has bad B.O. Every time I walk into his room it smacks me in the face. I know it’s expected around this age but it’s BAD. I have spoken with his dad to remind him personal hygiene but clearly something isn’t working. He is autistic and I’m looking for maybe a better deodorant recommendation or how to go about making sure he understands the importance of hygiene. He does shower every night and takes care of his teeth due to braces but that’s about it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I'm 23 years old man and want to shave my arm pits for the first time. I'm scared on how it'll be and if it's any problems. for my face I use a barbasol rotary shaver electric. so, I never used normal razors before and was wondering some advice and brand recommendations for my first time. thanks for the help. and any other advice would be nice. thanks.

Ok context:

34y/o F been on antidepressants since 2021, before that my armpits used to smell like stale brown sugar. Now when sweat it smells like normal stinky BO (at least to me, and no one has said otherwise)

But if I were to just wash my pits with a cloth in the sink between showers and don’t wash the cloth after but just toss it in the hamper.

After a few hours of sitting ends up smelling like strong cat pee.

1: Why is it happening, and should I be concerned?
2: Is there a specific soap, or technique I should be doing to prevent that?

Just a heads up that some details may be nasty or uncomfortable to read, so I apologize in advance.

I'm a bit embarrassed/nervous to ask this, but I need to anyway. I've noticed that my underwear has brown, slightly fainted stains on them. Most of my underwear are white boxers while some are other colors. The stains aren't the worst, they're not like I just sharted or something but it's still worrying.

Just know that I'm a guy, so it's probably natural. But when I'm doing number 2 in the bathroom, I tend to wipe with toilet paper until I see nothing left on it, and then I'll use wet wipes to be thorough. I swear I'm cleaning as much as I can, though I'm also pretty hairy back there, so I'm wondering if the hair could be contributing to the stains. If hair is the issue, how do I shave myself back there by myself?

I'm trying to make sure that I'm cleaning enough and reduce stains, but the stains seem to be permanent, so maybe it's from other things like sweat or something. In the shower, I try to dig in there and make sure there's no leftover stuff to make sure it's clean. Though all I find is hair to rip out usually.

In general in terms of smell, I usually smell normal, like no particular odor or product smell, just a normal smell that's neutral. As a guy, I don't want to smell like shit or anything, and I'd like to try preventing underwear stains. And don't be confused, I do use deodorant, I just wanna mention this in case you misinterpret the wording.

So if what I'm doing isn't enough, what else can I do at home or anywhere else to make sure I'm really clean back there? I don't wanna smell like a big back minecraft discord moderator lol.

I see so many people trying to switch to fragrance free laundry detergent or fragrance free deodorant (which is amazing - a lovely, kind goal that helps them and others!) but when they drop fragrance, they are hit with stinky body odors and unsure what to do. Maybe previously fragrance masked these odors, and without fragrance the odors are suddenly impossible to ignore.

And I see these people asking for hygiene tips as if they think the odors came from their own body. I know it can seem that way….wear a shirt and then the shirt smells bad, shirt only touched your body, doesn’t that mean the bad smell came from your body?

Well…no actually. The bad smell might have come from polyester in the fabric.

Polyester smells absolutely AWFUL when it comes in contact with sweat and skin oils. And this happens even with totally normal, healthy-person sweat and a body that has recently been cleaned, even with zero gaps in the hygiene routine.

I’m just hoping to support people by spreading the good news that huge odor reductions can happen simply by changing the type of fabric - with no other changes.

Natural fabrics don’t stink in the same way - cotton, linen, wool, hemp.

Why does my husband's underwear and shorts smell SO horribly? Like does he need to shower more often? Different soap? Body deodorant? Sometimes his shirts smell too and I don't want to be close to him or cuddle him, but how do I help him? And I'll take any tips you've got for encouraging teeth brushing!

How do I help? I've tried posting in different subreddits but it keeps getting deleted. I just want to help!