According to medical news today.com, “Two Percent of People Have Armpits That Never Smell”. Pretty wicked!!! But what about the damn 98%? The whole of just 2% less than 100%!! They stink and when the sun goes down trust me they should not walk on the streets without a shower. Some cases are that horrible.
And the worst thing is their persistence. Wow! Only if studying could be done with half of such persistence. Sure to be the state’s first then! But alas! Coming to the point. Stink!!! Yes, that stink just does not know how to leave. It must have lost its path (go follow your stench, shoo!!). So, of course, it is not pleasant at all and some extra work is needed.
[ Read Also: How to Get Rid of Foot Odor with Home Remedies ]
One cannot stay smelly bad always. Never is the time. Can’t smell at school, at work, at the date, at a party, at the gym AT NOWHERE!!! It is awful, self-deteriorating!! Thankfully, can get rid of it also from home. DIY ideas can make you forget the horrible nightmares of body odor in the public and never ever make them come again. BAKING SODA WILL HELP YOU.
What Is Body Odor?
At the end of the day, whether you were at office shoving your head into piles of lies or at kitchen steaming around the stove or at school running your brain wild or at studio tinkering your tools, you turn to a skunk. It smells bad. Sometimes it smells from a mile afar!!! It might be your underarms, groin, back, chest or the whole body. You just smell bad and you are sticky and this thing is what we take as body-odor.
Why Do People Have Body Odor?
When we work we heat up, when we digest or body heats up too. So, we need to cool down. Sweating is our natural way of cooling down. It is as natural as breathing. But, the problem is when we begin to stink and start making ourselves and others uncomfortable.
When two things simultaneously happen we smell bad automatically. Those things are sweating from skin glands and having bacteria on the skin. Bacteria can only live in a moist environment. By sweating and not cleaning ourselves, we give them that spot. The activity than done by them releases a chemical that makes that horrible smell. The sweat glands called apocrine are the real villains here.
All people don’t smell badly the same either. It can be citrusy or heavy mushy like, don’t know, cheese perhaps. The odor depends on the compounds chemical structure.
Our genetics, lifestyle, diet, medication, etc. can affect the nature of our body odor. It may be very light without coming too near you can’t figure out or too severe that anyone in the
room can.
Overweight people tend to smell really bad and easily. In diet, if there are too much spice and alcohol intakes then the smell can be worse. People, not hygiene enough will sure have bad smell no matter what you do.
Body odor can indicate serious health issues as well. Diabetes causes fruit-like smell and kidney or liver problems cause bleachy-odor.
How Does Baking Soda Help?
The white crystalline powder type compound that you can see in kitchen racks used for baking and thickening stuff, yes that simple idle looking stuff that is more than what you think. It holds key to almost all problems around the house.
When it comes to body odor, it is far more effective than many others. Tried and trusted solution, that is. Baking soda, naturally from the first try keeps the body odor at bay.
Baking soda absorbs the moisture growing on your skin. This moisture lets the bacteria grow on you which eventually cause the smell. It will help to keep skin dry and prevent sweating. It also maintains the skin pH level. It is a natural deodorant.
How to Get Rid of Body Odor Using Baking Soda
Nothing is sweeter than home. And home is the haven away from all problems, a coven where the solution can be found. Same goes for bad smell emitting from the body. A very familiar household item, baking soda will help you out.
1. Use Only Baking Soda
Ingredients
- 1Tsp baking soda (buy it from Amazon)
Benefits: Baking soda dry outs skin amazingly creating a hostile atmosphere for those stinky bacteria.
How to Make and Use: Using your hands or a cloth, put it by patting all-around your underarms to cover the whole area. Wear clothing after you’ve dried completely and after you’ve dust off all the excess particles. Do this after every bath and you may increase the amount as your body gets adjusted to it.
2. Use Baking Soda with Vodka
Ingredients
- 2:3 ratio of baking soda and vodka (buy it from Amazon)
Benefits: Vodka has astringent properties. That will clean the skin and will also tighten the pores.
How to Make and Use: It means if you have 2Tsp of baking soda then use 3Tsp of vodka if 2 cups soda than 3 cups vodka. Put them in a container and shake well. Using cotton ball put on your underarms and other smelly spots.
3. Use Baking Soda with Cornstarch
Ingredients
- ½Tsp cornstarch (buy it from amazon)
- 1Tsp baking soda
Benefits: Cornstarch is equally a nice drying agent. It has been used in home remedies for the skin for a long time now.
How to Make and Use: Mix them and sprinkle it on the smelly areas of the skin. Or on your footgear over the night. It will dry them out and prevent moisture from accumulating. It will keep you odor-free for a long time.
4. Use Baking Soda with Talcum Powder
Ingredients
- Equal parts of talcum powder (buy it from Amazon)
- Equal parts of baking soda
Benefits: Talcum powder is the obvious remedy for body odor. It doesn’t let you sweat as much and all fragrant powder makes you smell good. They also prevent prickly heat and rash.
How to Make and Use: Put this both item in an airtight container and use it like you use any regular powder. This increases the drying effect. It is better to use baby powder as they are less harsh on the skin. If you want, you can use a fragrant one or not.
5. Use Baking Soda Paste
Ingredients
- 1Tsp Baking Soda
- 2Tsp water
How to Make and Use: Make a fine paste so that it is not too runny or too thick. Apply it on the problem areas evenly. Massage it a little gently and leave it for 5 minutes afterward. Shower later. Do this regularly until you stop stinking like before.
6. Take Soda Bath
Ingredients
- ¼ cup baking soda
How to Make and Use: Fill your bathtub with water. Lukewarm water is the best in this case. Now add the soda in your bath. Thus, you will get a full body treatment.
7. Use Baking Soda with Lemon Juice
Ingredients
- 1Tbsp lemon juice
- 1Tbsp baking soda
Benefits: Lemon juice can kill bacteria and disinfect the skin. Also, it is very good for lightening skin. So, if you have darker underarms then you’re killing two birds with a single trick.
How to Make and Use: Mix them and apply on your underarms and where you sweat. Let it stay like this for a minute or two. Do not exceed 5 minutes. Do not scrub as well. Just let it be like that. Take a shower afterward. Do it once daily for a couple of weeks. Never go under the sun without protection as lemon tends to make skin vulnerable to the sun UV rays.
8. Use Baking Soda Spray
Ingredients
- 2Tbsp baking soda
- 1 cup water
How to Make and Use: Add the soda in water and store it in a spray bottle. It can be used daily but let it dry out first or either there might be white stains left on your clothes.
9. Use Baking Soda-Starch Mix
Ingredients
- ½ cup baking soda
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 10 drops tea tree oil (buy it from Amazon)
Benefits: As already explained baking soda and cornstarch are very effective in absorbing sweat and keeping you dry. Tea tree oil is said to kill many strains of virus, bacteria, and fungi which are the cause of body odor and skin infections.
How to Make and Use: Store this mixture in a shaker container or in an airtight one. Apply it every day after a shower. When you are completely dry and no excess powder is coming off put on your clothes. It can also be replaced with coconut oil. Make a paste, apply, wait and wash off later. So, the upper one is after a bath and the later one is before bath. Both ways you will be helpful.
10. Use Baking Soda with Alum Powder and Rubbing Alcohol
Ingredients
- 2Tsp baking soda
- 4Tsp alum powder
- 225 ml rubbing alcohol (buy it from Amazon)
Benefits: As alum is not scented so those who don’t like any kind of odor will love this idea. Rubbing alcohol is mainly a disinfectant and bacteria cleaner. It is also believed to be able to clear acne. Alum powder is a natural deodorant that alone can help with a body odor problem.
How to Make and Use: Take a spray bottle and put all the ingredients in it. Mix them until they blend well. Replace it with your natural deodorant. It is unscented and will not let you smell bad either.
11. Use Baking Soda with Coconut Oil
Ingredients
- 3-4Tsp baking soda
- 3Tsp coconut oil
- 2Tsp Shea butter
- Few drops essential oil (buy it from Amazon)
- 2Tsp arrowroot powder (optional)
Benefits: Lauric acid in coconut oil eliminates bacteria and has a sweet tropical scent. Shea butter is known for its healing effects. So, if your skin has any wound or infection, Shea butter will help to get rid of it. And when it comes to essential oils, we all know how good they can be. It is better if you chose anything among lavender, peppermint, ylang-ylang, cedarwood or tea tree. Arrowroot can balance acid-alkaline level. It can also dry blemishes, rashes, or other skin sores.
How to Make and Use: Took a double boiler and add Shea butter and coconut in it. Keep medium heat and wait till they melt completely. Once they are melt take them down and add baking soda with arrowroot. When they blend well, mix in the essential oil. You can either store it in an airtight container or also put it in an empty deodorant stick. Keep it in the fridge so that it hardens. Use this deodorant regularly.
12. Use Baking Soda with Essential Oil for Bath
Ingredients
- 1Tbsp baking soda
- 1Tbsp kelp powder
- 2Tbsp Epsom salt
- 3Tbsp dead sea salt
- 6 drops lavender oil (buy it from Amazon)
- 3 drops lemon balm oil
- 6 drops lemon oil
- Warm water
Benefits: Get relieved and stink-free together as this bath can give you both.
How to Make and Use: Fill a warm water bath. First put baking soda, Epsom salt, and the Dead Sea salt. Stir with your hand to mix well. Then add kelp powder and mix again. Lastly, all the oils. Soak yourself for about 30 minutes. Have this bath regularly.
13. Use Baking Soda for Foot Odor
Ingredients
- 4Tbsp baking soda
- 4 cups warm water
How to Make and Use: In a basin where you can adjust your feet pour the water, make sure you can tolerate it (of course you absolutely do not want to burn yourself), add the baking soda. Relax your feet in it for about 20 minutes and rest while you have your green tea or something (please have something healthy while you are at it).
How to Remove Odor from Clothes?
After a hard day at work, it is not only you but also your clothes and everything smells bad too. So that you don’t smell the next day you have to make everything squeaky clean. Sometimes certain clothing that you have to wear again and again or any fabric can get a permanent bad smell.
For those clothes, make a paste of warm water and baking soda. Apply it on the problem areas and rub it gently. Keep it like that for about 20 minutes or overnight. After it, wash them as usual.
Wash them separately so that other clothes don’t get stink as well.
It is better not to wear the same clothing continuously but take a break.
Safety Features of Baking Soda
Baking soda is amazingly a nice product that will dry your skin and make the stink go away. But, it can make your skin too much dry causing new issues to deal with. You may suffer from itching, dry patches, and rashes or there can be anything else. That’s why; using baking soda needs your care and calculative measures.
Take a break from this routine. Apply a moisturizer that is light and sinks deep into the skin, like coconut oil. Do it once a day.
Things of Concern
Now only treatment is not enough. Prevention is better than cure and developing some new habits along with discarding some old bad habits. It is not easy to bring change in life nor easy to get rid of something a part of your life either. But definitely, not impossible. All that is needed is tenacity.
Now, About Things That You Should Know
When you get your baking soda make sure you get the fresh one out of the shelves. It has the benefits that you need. And at the end of the day make sure to take a bath to wash off all the powder from your body.
It is said to be smellier badly if you consume more spices like onion or garlic. So avoid them. Alcohol is also accused of making people smelly (and alcohol is of no good, you know that) so, avoid it as well. Coffee is also counted as a culprit so do cut on it. And never have coffee in an empty stomach unless you wanna feel deadly cramps in your stomach in later life.
Shaving or waxing may also cause the problem but honestly to say don’t know the alternative yet (hello! Can’t be a far ball here).
Exercise is a nice option. It makes you sweat but also helps you to get rid of toxins and to make your organs healthy.
Even after the entire trick and treat if the body odor does not go away then do not waste a single day and consult a doctor. Your odor can be a symptom of any greater ailment. Both, excessive sweating or sweating less can be a concern for health.
What Else Can Be Done to Get Rid of Body Odor?
You can buy stuff from the market. Nowadays there are many things manufactured in companies naturally. They might help you.
- Remedy Wash Antifungal Soap
- Crystal Body Deodorant Spray
- ArtNaturals Essential Bath and Body Wash
- BodyMint
- Wildlife Research Scent Killer Gold Body Wash and Shampoo
Conclusion
All cards on the table now. The rest is up to you. Your decision, your work. Body odor is not as hard as going to Jupiter or not as impossible as doing 50 somersaults on a rod hanging 50 feet high up in the middle of sky and earth after running 500 meters marathon or making some certain people understand your logic (sure you’ve such people in life).
It is just kicking out some pesky bacteria living on your skin illegally without paying any rent. Sure you can do this. Best of luck!
