Category: Skin diseases

The unpleasant smell you get from your body is not because of sweat.

According to Mayoclinic.org sweat is odorless. So why do you get foul smell after sweating?

Our body has sweat glands which secrete sweat when body temperature rises. When you don’t take bath or wash your body, bacteria gets accumulated on sweat to feed on fats and proteins in sweat. This releases a foul smell.

As it’s a common problem there are many conventional deodorants and antiperspirants to control body odor. Few of them works great but few are harmful because of chemical ingredients. (Though not proved.)

One medicine doesn’t work for everyone. Try different remedies to find out which one works for your body.

Note: Try with doctor’s supervision.

Herbs are natural medicines used to treat various health problems including body odor. Here in this article we’ll discuss about few herbs for eliminating body odor.

Body odor is caused when fats and proteins don’t gets digested; these herbs listed here will help you out in digestion which in one way reduces body odor.

Herbs for Body Odor

1. Take an Herbal Bath

Blend herbs like oregano, coriander, licorice root, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, bay leaf, fennel and nutmeg to make a tea. Refrigerate it and apply it on sweat prone areas like under-arms and in groins using cotton ball.

You can also dip all these herbs packed in a cloth into bath tub for an herbal bath. These herbs restrain bacteria from spreading odor. They act as a natural deodorant.

If you’ve no knowledge about blending herbs you can see it here.

2. Rosemary (for external application)

Rosemary is an evergreen herb used in foods. This herb especially its top flower contains phenolic acid which is said to be antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-fungal. Packed with A, B – complex and C vitamins, rosemary is an antioxidant and is traditionally used for treating indigestion.

Because of these properties rosemary has shown evidence in killing bacteria in a lab test, says University of Maryland Medical Center.

Steep ½ cup of rosemary leaves in 2 to 4 cups of water and add it to your bath tub.

3. Aloe Vera Juice

Aloe Vera is a great boon for skin, almost all skin diseases can be treated using aloe Vera gel. Antioxidant properties in aloe treat and fights diseases causing bacteria. Aloe gel applied on skin burns helps to heal them fast. Chronic skin diseases like eczema and acne can be treated by repeated application of aloe Vera gel.

Aloe Vera can be used both internally and externally. You can consume aloe Vera gel after blending it.

Blend the gel and mix the juice in any fruit juice of your choice and drink. It acts as a great cleanser in stomach, liver, kidneys, spleen, and bladder.

Related: How to make aloe vera juice

4. Peppermint

Leaves and oil of peppermint are used to treat many health problems including digestive problems like diarrhea, upset stomach, irritable bowel syndrome, vomiting, gastrointestinal (GI) tract, bacterial in small intestine and gas.

High in copper, vitamin C and manganese peppermint can treat skin disease as well as body odor.

After meals drink peppermint tea, this helps to digest food.

5. Cleavers

Properties in cleavers help in cleaning lymph and toxins from the body. This promotes good digestion.

6. Milk thistle

Silymarinis, the main compound in milk thistle is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, according to WebMD. Though there is no scientific evidence, milk thistle or Mary thistle is used to treat liver problems.

You can consume milk thistle after blending it with other herbs or in tea.

7. Oregano

In a preliminary test CAMonline found that oregano may have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties which can help to control odor causing bacteria.

Add steeped oregano to your bath tub which aids to control body odor. It may cause blood sugar level fluctuate. (Use under doctor’s supervision)

8. Dandelion

Mix it with herbal tea and it can treat liver and kidney problems including constipation, jaundice, gall stones and upset stomach.

9. Chamomile

Having any stomach problem? Brew a cup of chamomile tea. Take 3-4 cups of tea every day. Chamomile tea has anti-oxidant and cleansing properties which restrains odor causing bacteria.

10. Essential Oils

Oil extracted from herbs like rosemary, sage, lavender and oregano can be used topically to fight odor causing bacteria. Anti-bacteria and anti-fungal properties present in these herbs helps fight bacteria and its aroma counteract with the foul smell.

Consult your doctor or any medical care provider to select herbs for essential oil them mix it with vegetable oils to lessen the effect of essential oil on skin, as they may irritate your skin.

It can be a great natural deodorizer, but consult your doctor before trying.

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Baking soda aka sodium bicarbonate is a common household item used for cleaning and baking. Also, baking soda refrain odor causing bacteria from clothes. This is why several detergents advertisers promote that they use baking soda.

In the same way it can treat body odor by refraining bacteria which feed on fats and proteins present in sweat.

Read: What causes body odor?

Though sweat secreted by sweat glands is odorless, bacteria feed on them to release unpleasant smell.

How to Use Baking Soda to Treat Body Odor?

1. Get fresh baking soda from a local store. Mix it with water and apply the paste on odor causing areas like under arms, foot and in groin areas.
2. After leaving it for about 3 to 4 minutes rinse it off.
3. If you want to give baking soda treatment to your complete body, then mix 1/2 cup of baking soda in bath tub.
4. To extend odorless hours, sprinkle baking soda powder mixed with other baby powder (for fragrance) under arms. Let it be for 5 minutes before you wear clothes, else it leaves white marks on your clothes.
5. To treat foot odor, add 4 tbsp of baking soda in 4 cups of warm water and soak your feet in the solution.

Note: Baking soda may burn, so test before trying.

To uproot body odor avoid foods which causes odor.

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For those who’re thinking WTH is Candida. Its yeast like fungus found in your body and it’s harmless. But when they grow in excess, researchers say that they cause many health problems including body odor.

Out intestine contains other type of bacteria (friendly bacteria) which fight Candida, unfortunately when Candida builds up bacteria fail to stop them and indigestion problem starts leading to other health problems.

Simply change your diet and you can control this intestinal yeast.

Wonder How Candida is Linked to Body Odor?

Experts say that yeast infection cause yeast to convert sugar to alcohol in the body. These compounds course through blood and come out through skin pores, bacteria on your body reacts with these compounds to give an unpleasant smell.

Edward F. Group carried out a test and they found that people suffering from body odor have low level of friendly bacteria which restrain Candida growth.

Don’t miss this: Zinc Supplement can keep body odor at bay

How to Control Candida Body Odor?

Candida feed on sugar; experts suggest avoiding diet with added sugar for about 3 months. Automatically Candida gets reduced. Let me list out few of them here.

Avoid all processed food that has sugar as ingredient

• Maltose
• Dextrose
• Maltodextrin
• Cane juice
• Milk products with lactose
• Fruit juice
• Dried fruit with lactose
• Cane syrup and high fructose corn syrup

Also avoid high carbohydrate food

• Rice
• Wheat
• Beans
• Corn
• Sweet potatoes
• Yams
• Potatoes and squash

You can try homemade deodorant to control body odor.

What you can eat?

Go with lean protein and low-carbohydrate food.

• Yogurt (this is exception, because yogurt has friendly bacteria which fights Candida)
• Quinoa
• Amaranth
• Kamut
• Fruits with low sugars such as pears and berries
• Meat and fish (not excess)

Also read: Fish Oil Treats Acne

Low carbohydrate vegetables include.

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Spinach
• Peppers
• Onions
• Garlic
• Lettuce
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini
• Avocados and tomatoes

You can also consume nuts and seeds but in small amounts.