Why Do My Armpits Smell Even with Deodorant?

If you find yourself asking, “Why do my armpits smell even with deodorant?” you may be feeling embarrassed, self-conscious, and out of options. How else are you supposed to smell clean and fresh?

As experts in natural deodorant, you can trust that the tips and tricks we are going to discuss in this blog are ones you can rely on. We’ll explore the causes of smelly armpits, reasons why you may experience sudden body odour changes, as well as how to treat underarm odour.  

So, let's find out why armpits smell so bad even with deodorant.

Why do my armpits smell so bad even with deodorant?

If you do suffer from smelly underarms, you may feel like you’re the only one. But you’ll be happy to hear that everyone has unwanted body odour from time to time. 

You may feel like sweating is an inconvenience, but as a natural bodily function, sweating is actually good for you. It’s just the consequences of it that can cause issues. Especially if you have the excessive sweating condition, hyperhidrosis. 

You may be surprised to hear that sweat is actually odourless! It’s when it mixes with the skin’s bacteria that it causes body odour. 

Do men and women smell differently?

We often say that men smell more than women - and there’s a reason behind this! And not just because men typically have hairy armpits that make them smell. For example, men and women have different hormones, sweat composition, and skin bacteria. All of which can impact the smell of body odour. 

The causes of smelly armpits

Sweat glands come in two main types:

• Eccrine: This type of sweat gland can be found over the majority of your body.

• Apocrine: Apocrine glands are usually found in areas with many hair follicles, like the armpits. 

Like we mentioned, the sweat that leaves both of these glands is odourless, but there are certain causes of more intense body odour. 

Hormonal changes

It’s no secret that our hormones change throughout our lives, especially for women. So, if you’re starting puberty, your period, or menopause, you may find you have stronger body odour. We want to stress that this is completely normal, but may cause some unwanted side effects.

Check out our body to discover what can help with hot flushes!

Stress and anxiety

If you’re someone with anxiety or mental health conditions, you may find that you get hot and sweaty when in stressful situations, like clammy hands. Emotional distress can stimulate the body’s sweat glands, which can cause you to sweat and smell more. 

Ineffective deodorant

Many people we talk to are shocked to hear that deodorant doesn’t temporarily stop you from sweating - it just covers the scent. That’s where antiperspirant comes in. So, if you are struggling with unwanted body odour and are trying to choose between deodorant and antiperspirant, we recommend antiperspirant. But not just any antiperspirant, our natural antiperspirant.

When we were formulating our products, we worked with expert chemists to find ingredients that are not only kind to your skin but also effective. Our high-performance natural antiperspirant is rated 5-star on Trustpilot! Check out this review from one of our many happy customers:

So, do yourself a favour and choose an antiperspirant that you can rely on. Shop with Make Waves today!

Discover more about natural antiperspirant in our blog!

Diet

Unfortunately, certain foods and drinks can not only cause you to sweat more but can also impact the scent of your body odour. Some of these foods include:

• Caffeine

• Alcohol

• Curries

• Garlic 

• Onions

Therefore, we recommend keeping a balanced diet and staying hydrated to try to improve body odour. 

Infections

We all know that when you’re unwell, a fever is a common symptom. With this in mind, if you have an infection or are poorly, you may have poor body odour because you are sweating more than usual. 

Certain medications

Speaking of being unwell, you may be on medication for certain health conditions, and some of the side effects can be increased sweating or unwanted body odour. 

Of course, it may not be the easiest to switch medications for your condition, so finding a high-performance antiperspirant (like ours!) can help you feel more comfortable and confident. 

Hygiene habits

Now, we’re not telling you that you need to shower every day because everyone knows that! But, how often do you wash your underarms? Some deodorants/ antiperspirants can quickly build up excess residue, which can trap bacteria in your armpits. 

A simple way to remove any buildup is to exfoliate your armpits once or twice a week. If you have sensitive underarms, start with once a week to take care of your armpits. 

How to treat underarm odour

With the causes we mentioned above, the ways to treat smelly armpits are pretty straightforward. But as a recap, you can do the following to prevent unwanted body odour:

• Use a high-performance antiperspirant

• Wash your armpits daily

• Exfoliate your armpits once a week

• See if you can switch medications

• Relieve stress and anxiety

If you’ve tried all of the above and nothing is working, it may be time to visit the doctor, as they can prescribe more intense treatments. 

Make sure to check out our high-performance natural antiperspirant to reduce smelly underarms!