Today, I have chosen to talk about a very summery but a bit embarrassing topic: sweat. Be patient with me! Did you know that sweat itself is virtually odorless until fermented by bacteria? Bacteria thrive in warm, moist, and acidic environments, and the human armpit or armpit is one of the warmest areas on the surface of the human body. The sweat puffs provide moisture, which cools us down in the heat. But when we wash our armpits with basic pH soaps, the skin loses its acidity (pH 4.5 – 6), and the pH becomes basic, which is the pH at which bacteria thrive. This makes the armpits the perfect environment for bacterial colonization, which is, well, the armpits. The bacteria feed on sweat from the apocrine glands (and dead skin and hair cells, yum), releasing 3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid in their waste, which is what causes our bad body odor.
Normally, underarm hair now keeps moisture away from the skin and helps keep the skin dry enough to prevent or reduce bacterial colonization (hair is less susceptible to bacterial growth and therefore ideal for prevent bacterial odor), but most women like to keep that area hair-free. So what to do with all this bacteria stuff? Well, deodorant or antiperspirant would be the natural solution, but for those of us with a natural lean, here are some tips for you.
Eating turnips and red radish juice daily can decrease body odor, and the herbs and plants have a long history of use as internal deodorants. Phytonutrients from aromatic plants like parsley, celery, thyme, oregano, sage, and rosemary help cleanse internal organs of toxins, and eating them ensures a clean smell. A spoonful of anise in your daily diet will give you the same purifying function. Try making a strong infusion of love or sage to use as a deodorant; apply the infusion of lovage or sage in your armpits or you can add it to your bath water. Apple cider vinegar can be a good natural deodorant, add apple cider vinegar to some water and place it on your armpit, don’t worry, the vinegar smell will disappear in a few minutes. And you will smell sweet as a baby.