The easiest way to eliminate body odor is by taking a bath or shower, which will remove bacteria from your skin. However, for many people a daily shower or bath may not be necessary.
As bacteria repopulate, those that produce more odor are favored. As a result, body odor may be more pungent in frequent bathers. On the flip-side, if individuals are more prudent with the frequency of bathing, this ecosystem will achieve balance and body odor will become less noticeable.
ODOR AFTER A SHOWER IS DUE TO LINGERING BACTERIA
In addition to bacteria, oftentimes there is deodorant residue and other impurities that are trapped in the underarm pores and within the hair if you have armpit hair.
You won't actually smell
"At first I did smell bad, especially as I went without deodorant," Hamblin explains. "But after a while, the idea goes, your ecosystem reaches a steady state, and you stop smelling bad. I mean, you don't smell like rosewater or Axe Body Spray, but you don't smell like BO, either.
Body odor is caused by a mix of bacteria and sweat on your skin. Your body odor can change due to hormones, the food you eat, infection, medications or underlying conditions like diabetes. Prescription-strength antiperspirants or medications may help.
In general, showering every other day or every few days is enough for most people. Keep in mind that showering twice a day or frequently taking hot or long showers can strip your skin of important oils. This can lead to dry, itchy skin.
If sweating is excessive, it can cause smelly armpits even if a person washes regularly and uses deodorant or antiperspirant. The first thing that a doctor will recommend is usually a prescription strength antiperspirant. Sometimes, these might burn or irritate the skin.
When counting people who shower every day, Mexicans and Australians led significantly, followed by Americans and the French. Brits, Russians, Swedes and Germans averaged less, with Chinese coming in the least frequent.
However, daily showers do not improve your health, could cause skin problems or other health issues — and, importantly, they waste a lot of water. Also, the oils, perfumes, and other additives in shampoos, conditioners, and soaps may cause problems of their own, such as allergic reactions (not to mention their cost).
Body odor is caused by bacteria breaking down the sweat from the apocrine glands in your armpits, groin, and pubic area. You may be more prone to body odor if you are overweight, eat certain foods, have certain health conditions, or are under stress. Genetics may also play a role.
Most of the time body odor isn't a problem and a shower will quickly wash it away. But if you notice a change in body odor or you're sweating much more than usual, it could be a sign of a medical condition that needs treatment.
“If the receptors didn't regenerate, we'd all be anosmic [unable to smell] by the time we were 1 year old.” So unless some sudden event makes you profoundly more pungent than usual or you stick your nose right into a sweat stain, you're probably not going to smell yourself.
Both white vinegar and Apple Cider Vinegar or ACV are acidic in nature and have antimicrobial properties. It neutralises the environment in the underarm area and destroys the bacteria. It also works by lowering the pH of the underarm area and unclogs the pores of your skin.
Smell your armpits, feet, and groin area.
If you think you have body odor but you're not sure, take a whiff of your underarms, your feet, and your genitals. If you smell something, then chances are, you probably have B.O. Try doing a sniff test toward the end of the day, or whenever you feel the sweatiest.
However, unlike antiperspirant, deodorant does not block sweat. Thus, the potential mingling of sweat and bacteria might lead to unexpected odors even after deodorant has been applied.
Bromidrophobia may be the result of today's emphasis on cleanliness that has led us to believe that bodily scents are dirty or taboo. This mental health issue can lead to an unhealthy obsession with ensuring that our regular odors are removed or masked. Bromidrophobics can also have a fear of others' body odors.
A sudden change in body odor may be caused by certain medical conditions. For instance, hyperhidrosis is the medical term for excessive sweating and happens to be a very common (and frustrating) disorder. Sudden BO can also be an indication of a serious, underlying medical condition.
If you're more active, you'll probably want to shower more often to prevent issues like itchy, dry skin. But if you're more sedentary—working from home or working a desk job—it's likely safe to shower every other day, or 2 to 3 times a week. No matter how often you shower, just remember to keep them short.
Many doctors say a daily shower is fine for most people. (More than that could start to cause skin problems.) But for many people, two to three times a week is enough and may be even better to maintain good health. It depends in part on your lifestyle.
Yes, it is generally okay to take a shower every two days. In fact, for most people, this is enough to maintain good personal hygiene without stripping the skin of its natural oils. However, there are some factors that may affect how often you need to shower, such as: Your activity level.
By the end of the study, researchers concluded that men who removed their armpit hair by waxing it off or shaving it with a razor had the least body odor. Those who simply trimmed their armpit hair had the next smelliest, with the strongest armpit odors coming from those who left their pit hair untamed.