18 Home Remedies for Body Odor

Body odor is an extremely unpleasant smell that is produced by bacteria on the skin, which breaks down the protein into acids. Body is known with various names medically such as bromhidrosis, osmidrosis or ozochrotia.

Are you concerned about your body odor and avoid wearing certain fabrics, cuts and designs only because of your body odor? Well! You must know that you are not alone here. About 60% of people experience bad body odor at some point during the day and many of them do not know the cure to this embarrassing problem. However, in this post of ours we will talk about some of the home remedies for body odor, which would be quite beneficial for you if you feel your body odor is the worst enemy and if you want to get over it.

Before we talk about the home remedies for body odor, it is important to mention that the exact cause of the body odor must be known. So, some of the causes for your body odor may be, poor hygiene that results in a buildup of odor-causing bacteria, excessive sweating which leads to bacteria buildup in sweat prone areas of your body, caffeinated drinks, spicy foods, etc. cause an excess of sweating and that may result in body odor, consumption of alcohol makes the body lose more fluids and may cause body odor, non-skin-friendly fabric, which does not allow sweat to easily evaporate, may cause body odor as it leads to buildup of moisture and bacteria, medical conditions like diabetes, thyroid problems etc. also leads to bad body odor, certain medications may also cause body odor.

Apart from all the above causes, the type of climate an individual lives in also plays a crucial role in how much he or she will sweat and thus, develop body odor. A hot and humid climate naturally makes one sweat more and thus leads to body odor.

Now, let us talk about the home remedies for Body odor.

1. Baking Soda:

   Baking soda is a home remedy that can be used to treat body odor. This little compound has great absorbing qualities, which is very much like talcum powder. It is in fact a natural hypoallergenic compound and a good home remedy for body odor.

   Simply apply baking soda directly to the most sweat prone areas of the body, such as armpits and groin, after having your bath. This will absorb excess sweat, clear and close open pores and also successfully nip the body odor in the bud. You can also mix baking soda with cornstarch and use the mixture as a home remedy for body odor.

2. White Vinegar:

   White vinegar is one more simple and effective home remedy for body odor. For people with body odor, white vinegar acts like a great anti-bacterial and astringent agent.
   To make use of this remedy, simply add 50 ml to 60 ml of the vinegar to your bath water or simply apply the vinegar directly to the affected areas of the skin, using a cotton ball. The white vinegar will destroy any bacteria causing body odor and also prevent new bacteria from developing.

   Just like white vinegar, apple cider vinegar can also be used for treating body odor.

3. Common Salt:

   Common salt has disinfectant properties that most of us do not even know about.

   In order to treat body odor localized in the feet, you can try 8 to 10 minutes of soaking session in warm saline water, which actually does the trick. Salt and warm water when put together, kill most of the foul odor causing bacteria present in the feet. The reason feet smell is because they are encased in socks and shoes all throughout the day, which become a warm, moist haven for bacteria.

4. Lemon Juice For Body Odor:

   One more wonderful home remedy to get rid of body odor is Lemon juice. Lemon juice is acidic, refreshing and tangy and can actually solve your body odor issue pretty effectively. It has natural antibacterial and exfoliating qualities.

   Simply add the juice from two lemons to your bath water. This will kill bacteria as well as remove dead skin cells in sweat prone areas of the body that may cause bad odor. The direct application of lemons on the affected areas also works, unless you have just saved or waxed. Try shaving at night and apply lemon directly to the skin in the morning.

5. Tea Tree Oil:

   Tea tree oil is naturally antibacterial and it will combat the foul-smell causing bacteria in the sweat prone areas of the body. Simply use this natural remedy as much as you want, as it is completely hypoallergenic, safe and also easy to find.

6. Wheat Grass:

   There is another simple home remedy for body odor and that is wheat grass. Try to add a wheat grass or chlorophyll supplement to your vitamins, which act as deodorants from within and leave you smell really fresh. Wheat grass tea also acts in the similar way. However, some people might feel mild nausea after consuming wheat grass tea. For this, prepare tea that gets stronger gradually.

7. Witch Hazel to Fight Off Body Odor:

   Using witch hazel along with water in a spray bottle will also work as a great natural antiperspirant and deodorant. Simply spray it on after taking a bath or any time during the day and be free from body odor for hours. This acts as a natural astringent and clears and closes open pores on sweaty areas of your body. Closed pores will reduce sweating and thus body odor gets reduced.

8. Corn Starch:

   Corn starch is yet another home remedy that can fight body odor. It is a potential moisture absorber and will soak up the sweat in an effective manner. Apply it directly on the skin any time during the day. This may also be used in a mixture with baking soda. However, corn starch itself can attract excess moisture from the air. So, regular washing is highly recommended when corn starch is applied.

9. Essential Oils:

   Even essential oils act as natural home remedy for body odor. Oils of pine, peppermint and lavender are quick drying and anti bacterial. They can be used by most individuals without causing any skin reaction.

   Try any of these essential oils on a small patch of the skin. If there is no allergy, use the oils for body odor. These oils will also leave you with a lingering and natural fragrance, once used.

10. Sage As A Home Remedy For Body Odor:

    A tincture of sage, sage oil and sage tea are all known to fight bacteria and reduce sweat naturally. Simply try this herb in any of these forms and get rid of body odor. It helps in detoxifying the body from within and also reduces odor causing chemicals.

11. Parsley

    Parsley is a fresh scented herb which can be an effective home remedy to fight body odor. The use is to chew raw or take as a tea for reducing sweating and thus lowering body odor. The parsley tea may be a concoction of parsley and green tea. It not only deodorizes, but also detoxifies the body.

12. Milk of Magnesia:

    Milk of magnesia when applied to the underarms using cotton balls, acts as a natural deodorant. In fact, some deodorant brands list milk of magnesia as one of their ingredients. People also claim that applying calamine works in the similar way as that of milk of magnesia.

13. Listerine:

    You can also try undiluted Listerine to the sweat prone areas of your body after taking your bath. Listerine has astringent and antibacterial properties that will reduce both sweat and also body odor.

14. Rosemary:

    Rosemary herb kills bacteria and fungi, apart from lending its fragrance to your body. It is more beneficial when used topically. You can take half a cup of dried leaves of rosemary and add it to 4 cups of tap water and steep it for some time and add this water to your bath water. You can also ground the dried rosemary herb for getting the powder and use this home remedy on your body that would help you fight body odor and keep yourself fragrant all throughout the day. Keep a strict note to discontinue the use of rosemary, if you find irritation after using it.

15. Turnip Juice:

    Turnip is rich in vitamin C and many other nutrients that not only makes delicious recipes, but also aids in eliminating body odor. It helps in eliminating odor creating bacteria.

    To make use of this home remedy, cut the turnip in to pieces and then crush them for making a paste out of it. Then, place the paste in to the sieve and press to get the turnip juice which you need to apply to your underarms and groin area and let this dry on itself. This will check the body odor for at least 10 hours.

16. Tomato Juice Bath:

    Tomato juice can also be helpful in treating body odor when used as tomato juice bath. This vegetable is generally considered to be a natural antiseptic and can kill an extensive range of bacteria.

    Even Ayurveda, has long used tomato juice as the remedy for body odor. The natural healing science of Ayurveda recommends using tomato juice in bath water. However, many modern herbalists recommend having tomato juice internally can also help in getting rid of body odor. Drinking the juice 2-3 times in a day would be beneficial in reducing body odor.

    For making use of the tomato juice in bath you need at least 8-10 tomatoes, which are to be crushed to get the tomato pulp and then using sieve, the juice is to be extracted from the pulp. Using this tomato juice to a bucket full of water and taking the bath with this water would be very much beneficial in reducing body odor.

17. Homemade Body Deodorant To Treat Body Odor:

    You can prepare homemade body deodorant to treat body odor. For making this, you would require 5 drops of sage essential oil, 5 drops of Coriander essential oil, 5 drops of Lavender essential oil, 2 ounce or 60 ml of Distilled witch hazel, and one spray bottle. Just add sage, coriander oil and lavender oil to witch hazel and mix well and store it in a spray bottle and use it as a deodorant.

18. Homemade Herbal Deodorant Talc For Body Odor:

    You can also prepare homemade herbal deodorant talc for body odor. For preparing this, take 2 parts of sandalwood powder, 1 part of white oak bark powder, 1 part of Lovage root powder, a pouch made of fine fabric, tied at the top.

    Using a blender, grind all the herbs for preparing very fine powder. Then, take a pan and toast the powdered herb and fill the fabric pouch with this powdered herb. While using the herbal deodorant talc, pat the powder under arms or on feet.

Bathing frequently, especially if you are in tropical areas, will greatly reduce bacteria containing sweat from the areas that are more prone to sweat in the body. Take essential care for maintaining proper hygiene, even if it takes up to three baths in a day. Research says that warm water is even more effective in preventing body odor than cold water. You can use good anti-bacterial or deodorizing soap, especially sandalwood soap for tackling body odor.

If you have body odor issue, then you must not include varieties of hot spices in your diet, such as chilies, garlic, pickles etc, through which you are likely to develop body odor because of their distinctive smells are absorbed by the body. So, avoiding these spicy foods will help you keep body odor at bay.

It is essential for you to note, wear natural fabric as much as possible. Much as they are attractive and easy to maintain, nylon, terry cot and other synthetic fibers prevent the natural process of evaporation of sweat. This result in excessive sweat builds up and invites more bacteria to feast upon it. However, natural fabrics such as cotton and silk, allow air to come in contact with the sweat and thus enable the process of evaporation.

Smoking not only causes scary diseases, it also affects your body odor in a big way. Quit smoking to regain the natural scent and get rid of that body odor.

Regular shaving or waxing of underarm and pubic hair will reduce sweat and body odor. Hair increases the surface area for sweat to be exposed to air, so that it can dry out easily. However, it also increases the chances of sweat getting trapped for long, which leads to body odor. This, if you suffer from body odor then go hairless and remain body odor-free.

Caffeinated drinks like tea, coffee, colas, etc are sweat inducers. They tell the body to lose water, and thus you notice more sweating and urination when you consume caffeine. The best thing is, limit caffeine to only 2 cups in a day and go low of perspiration.

Detoxification is a process that flushes out all toxins out of the body that build up because of poor diet, lack of exercise and pollution. Consider detoxifying for eliminating body odor, as it might be caused by built up chemicals in your body system.

It is essential for you to drink plenty of water. This is because, the more water you drink, the more toxins you flush out of the body and it pretty simple. Simply drink 8-10 glasses of water in a day for maintaining healthy and detoxified body that is free from buildup of chemicals that cause body odor.

On rare cases, body odor could also indicate a serious medical condition and may require immediate medical attention.

• Bromhidrosis, Apocrine Bromhidrosis, Ozochrotia, Osmidrosis, etc. are some names of excess sweating.
• Further, body odor can also signal hormone fluctuations, especially during puberty and menopause.
• Diabetes can develop a distinctive body odor that indicated improper levels of sugar in the body.
• Hyperhydrosis or excessive sweating is also one more medical condition that requires medical treatment.
• More often, thyroid problems and poor body metabolism also creates body odor.

In all these cases, consult your doctor and treat the underlying problem that might be causing body odor.

If you maintain proper hygiene and follow a balanced diet, you can get rid of body odor. However, if you are suffering from body odor and want to know the remedies then do follow the above mentioned home remedies for body odor. However, keep a note that sometimes body odors can be because of some underlying medical condition. In such case, it is essential for you to consult your doctor and take the best treatments.