Bad body odour is a harmless yet an unpleasant common issue faced by many, especially during summers. This usually happens because of sweat and the bacteria living on our skin. When the bacteria breaks down during sweating, it releases a pungent smell. Skin odour can occur due to change in hormones during puberty, excessive sweating, or poor hygiene.
The first option people think of when it comes to battling the body odour is, opting for chemical-based products like antiperspirant roll-ons and deodorants. But these are temporary solutions and the harmful substances stuffed in them can even have side effects on your skin like rashes and irritation. Therefore, switch to these natural at-home treatments which can solve your body odour problem easily and effectively.
8 natural ways to fight body odour
Apply coconut oil
Coconut oil has antimicrobial properties which kills microorganisms and restricts their growth. This oil helps in killing bacteria and neutralising body odor. All you need to do is gently massage coconut oil in your underarms and leave it for 30 minutes before washing it off with soap and water. Make use of the process daily to have best results.
Apply lemon
Lemon is a natural antiseptic which posses antimicrobial properties. It helps in getting rid of unpleasant smell and the acidic nature of lemon juice controls the growth of harmful bacteria on skin. Apart from bad smell, this ingredient can also solve bad breath problems. In order to treat the body odour, just rub half a lemon in your armpit area
Apple cider vinegar can help
Apple cider vinegar can remove toxic microbes from your body which will help remove bad smell too. The acidic properties of ACV can eradicate smell-causing bacteria and neutralise your odour. Just take a few cotton balls and dip it in a solution of 1 cup of apple cider vinegar and half a cup of water. Gently dab the cotton balls on your underarms and wash it with lukewarm water after a few hours.
Seek help from baking soda
Baking soda is one of the most versatile kitchen ingredients one can find on their kitchen counters. This acts as a natural deodorant and can easily absorbs moisture from your skin and reduce the bad body odour. Apply baking soda on your armpit area and leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing it off with water. However, if you feel any sort of irritation on skin or burning sensation, just wash it immediately and avoid using it further.
Try tomato juice
Juice squeezed out of tomato is very effective for body odour. The fruit contains, antibacterial and antiseptic properties which can reduce the harmful bacteria’s accumulation on your skin and thus controls the bad smell. Applying tomatoes can even control excess sweating. take a piece of cotton or a cloth, dip it in tomato juice and apply it on your underarms. You can even opt to drink tomato juice to reduce sweating.
Drink lots of water
Yet another natural remedy is to battle bad body odour is to stay hydrated. Drinking lots of water can remove extra toxins from your body and help flush out harmful bacteria which cause bad smell. Water also helps in reducing pathogens which can work wonders to prevent bacteria accumulation in your intestines. It is advised to have atleast 3 litres of water per day during summers.
Try neem paste
Ayurveda has answers to almost all the problems. And neem is one such ayurvedic herb which is rich in medicinal properties. This ingredient has antimicrobial, antibacterial and antiseptic elements which reduces bacteria which cause unpleasant odour. Neem paste even helps in flushing out toxins from your body. Add some water to neem powder and make a paste. Apply it and leave it for 15 minutes before rinsing it off from water.
Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil is antiseptic in nature which has antibacterial properties. This can work as a natural deodorant and can help you get rid of bad smell effectively. Tea tree oil is not acidic in nature and leaves your skin healthy without causing any side effects. Just add a few drops of tea tree oil in water and take a bath with it. You can even apply the mixture on your armpit area specifically. Repeat the process everyday to get the desired results sooner.
Hero and Featured Image: Courtesy Freepik
