Category: Skin diseases

Zinc and body odor are closely related. Surprised! Thinking how zinc controls body odor?

First let’s know about the importance of zinc in the body.

Zinc is a trace element and plays a vital role in more than 300 enzymes in the human body. Every part of your body contains zinc including organs, tissues, bones, fluids, bones, muscles and cells.

Main functions handled by zinc include cell growth, fertility, strengthens T-cells which is important for immune system, skin, taste, hair and nails.

What’s Causing Your Body to Sweat?

Sweating is normal and it’s healthy. Mainly your body contains 2 sweat glands which secret fluid in when you’re in emotional stress or when your body temperature raises.

Though this fluid (sweat) is odorless the bacteria present on your body feed on the fats and proteins present in sweat leaving organic acid which smells unpleasant.

Food, hygiene and your habits affects body odor.

Here is the detailed post on causes of body odor.

Zinc Deficiency Causes Body Odor

With the above mentioned functions zinc also helps detoxify the body and handle waste; so deficiency in zinc raises problems by worsening body odor says Dr. David Y. Wong.

Zinc Dosage

Red meat, poultry, fish, whole cereals and dairy products are major sources zinc. If you practice a balanced diet then it’s enough to get sufficient zinc.

An adult body contains 2-3 grams of zinc. Depending on age zinc dosage varies.

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Note: Must consult Doctor before taking large doses of zinc.

Dietary Sources of Zinc

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Not just body odor, zinc deficiency cause many problems like dry and rough skin, dull looking hair, brittle finger nails, white spots on nails, reduced taste and smell, loss of appetite, mood swings, reduced adaptation to darkness, frequent infections, delayed wound healing, dermatitis and acne.

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In my college days we were asked to remove our shoes to enter computer lab. The computer lab class would last for about an hour and we had to tolerate that foul smell coming from shoes, feet and socks.

And we never tried to find out the person, probably thinking he will be ashamed.

You might have experienced this at-least once in your life. At that time I was not aware of the remedy to remove shoe odor, but now I do.

Let’s share this post and save those people who’re tolerating this unpleasant odor.

Steps to Get Rid of Shoe Odor

#1 Deodorize Shoes with Baking Soda

After taking shoes off, sprinkle some baking soda into them and in the morning clap them together before wearing to remove excess powder. This kills odor causing bacteria.

#2 Wash Your Shoes Regularly

If your shoes are washable then wash them. Sweat absorbed by shoes gives a foul smell if you don’t wash.

#3 Put Odor-Control Insoles

Select insoles which can absorb sweat. Change if your old insoles are torn.

#4 Wear Sweat Absorbing Socks

Running socks have good quality to absorb sweat leaving your feet dry.

#5 Try Alternate Shoes

If you’ve other pair of shoes, try them. Sweat gets accumulated when you wear same shoes throughout the week.

#6 Wear Chappals or Sandals

Let your feet breathe some fresh air. If you got chance to wear sandals then try them.

#7 Free Your Shoes

Like your feet your shoes also need sometime alone. Leave them outside on a sunny day.

#8 Personal Hygiene

• Wash your feet regularly and rub vinegar or alcohol on feet. You can also try antibacterial powder or cream.
• After washing pat them dry, bacteria loves moist environment.

#9 Watch What You’re Eating

Food we eat affects our body. Stinky food is of among the causes of bad odor.

#10 Consult Doctor

Even after striving from your end if your feet smell bad then it’s time to look for doctor, because it can be hereditary problem.

Image source 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Next time you visit any restaurant (or at home) avoid onion slices. Though it tastes yummy with spicy food, it leaves an unpleasant odor on your body.

Let’s first know the cause of body odor.

In short, our body mainly has two glands which produce sweat. The food you take is broken into small compounds which travel through blood and other parts of the body. When you work, run or come under stress these compounds comes out of your body in form of sweat.

Bacteria present on your body feed on the fats leaving unpleasant smell. (Click here to more about causes of body odor)

Why Onion and Garlic Causes Odor?

The sweat secreted by body contains sodium chloride and is odorless. But when the bacteria comes in contact they feed on the fats and proteins present in sweat leaving odor.

Stinky food like onion and garlic has high amount of sulfuric acid (this is why your eyes burn when you cut onion). This strong oil present in onion mixes with sweat in apocrine glands (one type of sweat gland present in body) resulting in odor.

Not just sweat eating onion will cause foul breathe.

Experts say the odor-causing properties in onion can be cut down by cooking.

How to get rid of body odor?

• Give up eating stinky food.
• Bath regularly.
• Clean your armpits and groins regularly.
• Try deodorants.
• Stress makes apocrine glands secrete sweat, so practice mediation. More tips here.

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Upset with your armpits? (know causes of odor here)

Pricey deodorants may work but at the end of the day they fail to hold.

So this made me to think about a natural homemade deodorant and I found few interesting homemade deodorant recipes. Within minutes you can easily make your own deodorant.

Note: Ingredients added may not work for few skin types, test before trying.

Also read: 10+ Home Remedies for Body Odor

Homemade natural deodorant

Ingredients

1. 4-5 tbsp of Coconut oil
2. 1tbsp of Baking soda
3. 6 tbsp of arrowroot powder
4. 2 tbsp of Bentonite clay
5. And few drops of essential oil of your choice.

Depending on how your skin reacts you can increase or decrease quantity of ingredients. You can add Shea butter to above mixture.

To deodorant smell good add grapefruit, tangerine or lemongrass essential oil. (List of citrus fruits)

Instructions

• Mix above listed mixture in a bowl to form a paste.
• Store the paste in old deodorant containers.

Source

Homemade Natural Deodorant Video

Yes, it’s natural and healthy to sweat. But who is going to carry that pungent smell all the day. This aroma coming from the body after sweating is disastrous for social life.

Thinking of deodorants?

To some extent yes, deodorants may help you. But let me remind you that you’re spraying chemicals with deodorants.

Whether you’re concerned about health issues or want to save money, home remedies come as best alternatives to get rid of body odor.

Must read: main cause of body odor

10+ Home Remedies to Get Rid of Body Odor

1. Fight Bacteria with Home Arsenal

Sweating differs from person to person. To fight the pungent smell, try following natural remedies.

• Take hydrogen peroxide or vinegar and rub under your arms and in groin, where you sweat more.
• Sweat produced is odorless but, the bacterium feeding on them leaves a pungent smell. Dust baking soda or cornstarch on odor-troubled areas of your body, they absorb sweat and kills odor causing bacteria.
• Witch hazel, with cotton swab dab it on concentrated body. It has deodorizing properties and dries moist skin.
• Oils such as lavender, pine and peppermint kills bacteria and also gives deodorizing smell. But may irritate skin, so test before trying.
• Bacteria can’t survive in acidic environment, rub citrus fruit like lemon on odor-troubled areas then rinse with cool water.

2. Hygiene

Biggest weapon in your arsenal is staying clean. Your body mainly has two types of glands which secrete sweat; eccrine glands secrete sweat when your body temperature rises. This is odorless.

Apocrine glands located under arms and in the groin secrete fluid (sweat) with fats and proteins; though this sweat is odorless bacteria feed on fats and proteins to form a pungent smell.

So cleaning those areas (shaving regularly) will not allow bacteria to settle.

3. Manage Stress

As mentioned above apocrine glands secrete sweat when you’re in emotional stress. Control yourself so that your body controls excess sweating.

Practice meditation and visualization to keep yourself cool in stressful circumstances.

4. Food you eat is directly proportional to Odor

Food experts say that spicy food makes you moist (results in sweating).

Stinky foods like onion, garlic and red meat are broken into small compounds in the body, which courses through blood and comes out in the form of sweat, breathe and urine.

Stay away from such foods.

Instead try spinach, chard, parsley, wheat-grass juice, kale and food with rich amount of chlorophyll (gives pleasant smell in your body.)

5. Check Your Wardrobe

Yes, I knew that you like that dress and want to wear for a couple of days. But my friends remember that people around you don’t like it. Tight clothes locks sweat in them, which releases pungent smell.

So, regularly wash your clothes.

Select dress which manages perspiration. Loose-fitting and light weighted fabrics will help you out.

6. Quit Smoking and Drinking Alcohol

Just like stinky food leave odor on your body, alcohol and tobacco makes your sweat pungent. Not just sweat, your urine and breathe gives an unpleasant smell.

Don’t think so? Ask your friends.

7. Pay Attention to Your Feet

Most ignored parts of our body are feet. Most of the time they’re tucked in dark environment and bacteria jump on them to feed leaving pungent smell.

Wash your feet with warm water and apply vinegar. Or soak your feet in salt water for about 15 minutes to kill bacteria. Then dry them.

Also read this : 10+ homemade salt and sugar body scrubs to exfoliate your skin

If it’s hereditary problem, then you must doctor.

Image source: 1,2,3