2. Use Antibacterial Soap. Washing thoroughly with an antibacterial soap bar will help get rid of some bacteria, which can help with the odor. Look for the word "antibacterial" on the soap's packaging.
Showering a few times a week, especially after you exercise or do other activities that make you sweat, may be enough to rid you of body odor without drying out or irritating your skin. After your shower or bath, apply an antiperspirant and deodorant.
Hair is another place where bacteria like to hide. If you still smell a strong body odor after a shower, consider shaving the hair in your armpits, groin, and chest. The hair's surface is a perfect place for bacteria to call home, and it's harder to eliminate them from the hair than your bare skin.
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.
If you're worried you're one of these people, one trick is to lick your wrist, wait ten seconds, then sniff the patch you licked: If it smells, chances are, so does your breath. An even more reliable method, of course, is simply to ask someone.
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.
In an article for The Atlantic, Hamblin notes that body odor is a result of bacteria that live off the oils and sweat on our skin, and bathing too much and using excessive soap throws off the balance of this ecosystem. As bacteria repopulate, those that produce more odor are favored.
Trimethylaminuria (TMAU) is an uncommon condition that causes an unpleasant, fishy smell. It's also called "fish odour syndrome". Sometimes it's caused by faulty genes that a person inherits from their parents, but this isn't always the case. There's currently no cure, but there are things that can help.
While there is no ideal frequency, experts suggest that showering several times per week is plenty for most people (unless you are grimy, sweaty, or have other reasons to shower more often). Short showers (lasting three or four minutes) with a focus on the armpits and groin may suffice.
What is bromhidrosis? Bromhidrosis, also known as osmidrosis or ozochrotia, is an unpleasant or offensive body odour due to any cause including poor hygiene, infections, diet or medications, or inherited metabolic disorders.
Your skin has more time to absorb the compounds and work effectively. If you do experience additional underarm odor, try switching your deodorant or antiperspirant. You can try clinical-strength or prescription options, or natural deodorants.
Olfactory reference syndrome (ORS), also known as olfactory reference disorder, is an underrecognized and often severe condition that has similarities to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). People with ORS think they smell bad, but in reality they don't.
In fact, according to research published in Nature, your nose can detect about one trillion smells! But your own underarms could reek and you might not be able to tell: Humans are prone to what scientists call olfactory fatigue; our sense of smell just gets plain tired out by familiar odors and stops detecting them.
Yes, external items like deodorant and perfume or cologne can mask or even permeate one's smell, one's natural pheromones and au naturel scent is what we're talking about here.