27/03/2023
𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐃𝐨 𝐈 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐎𝐝𝐨𝐫?
Why Sweat Stinks and How to Smell Sweeter
Everyone gets body odor. Body odor, called bromhidrosis, is a normal part of being human. It's embarrassing enough, though, that you may want to get rid of it.
This article discusses body odor, its causes, and risk factors. It also offers tips for controlling body odor.
Causes of Body Odor
Sweat itself doesn't have a smell. Body odor comes from the bacteria that live on sweaty parts of your body.
Bacteria thrive in moist environments, like your armpits. When you sweat, these bacteria break down certain proteins in the sweat into acids. So, it's not the bacteria that stink. It's the by-product of the bacteria breaking down the sweat.1
Bacteria aren't the only things that cause body odor, though. Body odor also depends on the type of sweat gland. You have different types of sweat glands, called eccrine glands and apocrine glands.
𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬
Eccrine glands are found over your entire skin. These coiled glands are located in the lower layer of the skin called the dermis.
Eccrine glands squeeze sweat directly to the surface of the skin through a duct. As the sweat evaporates, it helps cool your skin and regulate your body temperature.
The sweat produced by eccrine glands is mainly salt and other electrolytes. Eccrine gland sweat lacks the fats and other compounds that can smell when broken down by bacteria. Therefore, it's less likely to produce a smell.
𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬
Apocrine glands don't help cool you off like eccrine glands do. These glands empty into a hair follicle instead of a duct. A hair follicle is a bulb-shaped cavity in your skin that hair grows from.
Apocrine glands release sweat when your body temperature rises. They also release sweat when you're under stress.
Apocrine glands are found in select areas of the body, including:
👎Armpits
👎Groin
👎Pubic area
This explains why body odor mostly develops in your armpits and groin area, but not on your forehead.
It also explains why small children don't get body odor even when they sweat. Apocrine glands remain inactive until puberty. During puberty, they start to produce sweat. It's only then that body odor becomes an issue.
The sweat produced by apocrine glands is responsible for most cases of body odor. This sweat is high in fats and other compounds that smell when broken down by bacteria.
𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬
Certain factors can make you more likely to develop body odor:
❌Being overweight: Skin folds can hold sweat and bacteria. This creates an ideal home for body odor.
❌Eating spicy, pungent foods: Eating spicy, pungent foods: The scents of these foods can enter into the eccrine sweat glands and make body odor seem worse.
❌Certain medical conditions: Some conditions can change your normal body scent. These include diabetes, kidney problems or liver disease, and an overactive thyroid. Some very rare genetic conditions can also change your body's odor. In some cases, an odd body odor can be a sign of something more serious. For example, a bleach-like or urine-like smell may mean kidney or liver problems.
❌Stress: Stress causes your apocrine glands to work overtime. Remember, these are the glands that cause smelly sweat. So, you may notice an increase in body odor right before a stressful event.
❌Genetics: Some people are just more prone to body odor than others.
❌Excessive sweating: A condition called hyperhidrosis can cause you to sweat a lot. Menopause may also cause an increase in sweat. And some people just naturally sweat more than others.
𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐩
Certain factors may make you more prone to getting body odor. This includes being overweight, some medical conditions, genetics, stress, or even the things you eat.
Tips for Reducing Body Odor
There are things you can do to banish body odor, or at least tone it down:
✅Shower Daily
✅Shower at least once a day. Use soap or shower gel and lather up thoroughly. Pay special attention to the areas prone to body odor.
✅If you are in a very hot or humid area, you may need to shower twice a day. You can also use a washcloth to wash just your armpits, groin, and skin folds. Be sure to shower immediately after you exercise or sweat.
✅Combine with Aquasena deodorant serum to get rid of body odor and be more confident
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Combined with Aquasena's deodorant products will help you quickly stop body odor and be more confident
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