Category: Skin diseases

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.

Perspiration is a normal condition of your body and it’s quite embarrassing at times.

Isn’t it?

Though there are lots of deodorants and natural remedies to keep odor at bay, they don’t work for all.

If you’re one among them, this post is for you.

You must be glad that you’re avoiding cancer causing deodorants. Reports say that deodorants with Aluminum Chlorhydrate are highly dangerous for health. Source

Also read: Food that Causes Body Odor

How Magnesium Treats Body Odor?

Magnesium plays a vital role in nearly 300 chemical reactions which keeps the body working. After research it is found that our body contains about 25 grams of magnesium, in which half of the magnesium is in bones.

In metabolism, main role of magnesium is to flush odor-causing toxins. Diet is the main source of magnesium anyway you may take supplements if you’ve magnesium deficiency.

Ann Marie Michaels of Cheeseslave.com says that, it’s tough for our body to absorb minerals like magnesium easily. So the best way is to apply it on skin. It’s recommended to go with magnesium supplements orally and magnesium oil through skin.

Apply magnesium oil on odor causing body parts. You can get magnesium from local store or make your own (recipe).

Instead of magnesium oil you can try milk of Magnesia; this is nothing but magnesium hydroxide. You can get milk of magnesia from here.

Beyond that it’s effective in controlling body odor, magnesium is inexpensive and has no side-effects.

Let us know, which deodorant you use?

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Human sweat is odorless by its nature.

Yes, you read it right. But how come it turns to an unpleasant body odor?

When sweat glands secrete sweat out of the body they interact with bacteria or sulfur which releases a foul smell.

Other main causes of body odor are listed here.

The food you eat has a great impact on body odor. For instance alcoholics sweat, breathe and urine gives an alcoholic smell. Likewise if you’ve garlic body odor, avoiding those particular things can reduce odor.

4 Reasons Why You’ve Garlic Body Odor

1. Allium Family

Plant belonging to Allium family has a pungent sulfur compound which comes out of the body through skin pores. Onion, garlic, chive and leek come under this category. National Institutes of Health (NIH) says that pungent smell released from eating garlic persists for days.

Avoid onion and garlic for few days, to remove the sulfur effect boil or fry them before consuming.

Related post: Home made deodorant for sensitive skin

2. Cumin Consumption

Cumin which is added in cuisine in India, Mexico and Middle East countries may cause garlic-like body odor.

3. Sulfur Based Medicines

Medicines who take may have sulfur in them, which may cause garlic body odor. Main reason for the odor is sulfur content in it. Drugs.com says that this persist for up to 72 hours.

Also read: Tips to get rid of shoe odor

4. Emotional Stress

Apocrine glands (a type of gland present in body) secret sweat when you’re in emotional stress, which consists of fats and proteins. Though this sweat is odorless bacteria feed on them to release garlic body odor.

It’s recommended to practice meditation and stay away from stress causing issues.

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Treat Itchy Acne with these Natural Remedies

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.

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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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