What to do When the Best Deodorant Fails

Book Review April 28, 2010

I have absolutely no hesitation in saying "Stop Sweating and Start Living" will soon put antiperspirant companies out of business. I was reluctant at first to endorse any product but this book was different because the remedies it suggests are all-natural and target the root causes of problem sweating. My only complaint about the book is that it is only available as an instant access ebook. You won't find it in your bookstore or Amazon.com, but I'm sure the instant download feature is popular with people overseas and those who want to get started right away. I strongly recommend "Stop Sweating and Start Living" to anyone who sweats excessively in the underarm, hand, foot, face or back areas. - James Chambers

We all have had the experience of dealing with a boss who stinks to the high heavens or a friend who smells completely foul. In short at every stage of our social interactions we face some people who suffer from the problem of body odor. But believe us when we say that it is far more difficult for those who are actually causing the odor than those who have to bear the smell. Life is really an ordeal for the person with stinking underarms because he or she reads the fact every moment in other people’s eyes and feels it every moment through other people’s rejection.

There are more people in the world than we know of who have to maintain a low-profile lifestyle simply because they can find no escape from their underarm odor problem. In fact they probably can’t remember how many times exactly friends have presented them with bottles of deodorants. However even though the best deodorants in the market may have failed to solve the problem of these luckless sufferers this certainly does not mean that they should stop their battle. There are many weapons other than deodorants that you can use to get rid of the body odor menace.

Perspiration and body odor

There is a close relation between body odor and perspiration. It is a common misconception that body odor comes from the sweat. But sweat actually is an odorless watery fluid. It is the bacteria present on the skin that break down the sweat and create the rancid smell. Now you can handle the problem in two ways; either you can hide the odor or you can stop sweat from appearing on your skin. While deodorant performs the first function antiperspirants achieve the second.

Antiperspirants have aluminum salts in them which disrupt the process of sweat production from the sweat glands. Thus antiperspirants are meant to block the flow of perspiration so that your skin does not get exposed to the odor-causing bacteria.

Deodorants are organic or synthetic substances that have an antiseptic effect and retard bacterial growth in the places where they are applied. Thus deodorants have nothing to do with the amount of perspiration -- they only work against the smell.

If the best deodorants fail to perform their duty that is to mask the foul smell coming from the body it indicates:

• It is high time that you try and locate the causes of body odor that even the best deodorants cannot tackle. Body odor often is the consequence of more complicated malfunctions of the system which may need immediate medical attention.

• It also means that the severity of the body odor cannot be curbed by the simple use of deodorants. You have to explore other means to cure this embarrassing disorder.

Let us first point out those aspects of our life that are the potent sources for foul body odor.

The lack of hygiene
It is the commonest cause of body odor. Poor hygiene includes insufficient cleaning of the body and wearing unwashed clothes or using improper toiletries.

Lifestyle
Wrong food habits and tensions in the daily chores of life also cause foul body odors

Dermatological problems
Skin diseases like psoriasis or eczema encourage fungal growth thus adding to the intensity of the stench

Genetic disorders
It is an atypical source of body odor and has to be dealt with clinically

Now that we have pointed out the factors that aggravate the problem of body odor let us discuss how to stop sweat. It demands some positive changes in lifestyle by developing healthy food habits daily cleaning habits exercises and much more. Above all you have to be positive about the efforts and be honest in following them. If you give up halfway you will never be able to overcome the problem.

Cleanliness
Cleansing is an extremely important component in the prevention of body odor. When a thorough shower followed by the application of a quality deodorant proves insufficient for killing body odor you obviously have to add something more to your daily cleaning regimen. Bathe with an antibacterial soap at least once daily; which will keep the odor-creating bacteria at bay. At the end of the bath rinse your body with water and a few drops of essential oil added to it. A fresh feeling will envelop you all day.

After you've driven away the bacteria on your skin through bathing apply an antiperspirant. The prescription antiperspirants with high-aluminum concentration are common choices for those with extremely strong body odor.

Some herbs like coriander licorice and oregano have a proven history as natural deodorants as they are rich in anti-bacterial components. Boil these herbs and preserve them to use them in the underarm region with the help of tissue papers.

Sweat most commonly gathers in the tips of hair follicles and accumulates bacteria resulting in foul odor. So regularly remove hairs from the underarms to prevent it from being the breeding ground for odor-creating bacteria.

Wipe the sweat prone areas of the body with paper towels soaked in vinegar which works as a natural deodorant.

Avoid tight-fitting clothes and those made of synthetic materials. Wear only the loose cotton clothes as they will allow sweat to dry up faster.

Food habits
A healthy diet is a precondition for an odor-free existence. An ideal diet is one that contains 20% protein and 20% fat. The remaining required calories should come from fruits vegetables and food grains.
People with strong body odor are generally advised to avoid protein-rich red meats and foods rich in choline or lysine. Those with unpleasant body odor should also refrain from a large intake of such foods as eggs soya products chocolates peanuts and raisins. They should also avoid spicy foods and dishes prepared with large amounts of onion and garlic. All these ingredients only add to the sharpness of the body odor.

It is necessary to induce plenty of fluids into the system everyday. This helps to cool down the body and the rate of perspiration eventually comes down. In addition to that drinking plenty of water ensures that your system is free of toxins and a toxin free inside ensures an odorless body. Citrus fruits like lemons and oranges are good for the same purpose.

Inclusion of turnip and red radish juice in one’s daily diet can also lessen body odor. Herbs and plants have a proven track record of being used as internal deodorizers. The phyto-nutrients present in such aromatic plants as parsley celery thyme oregano sage and rosemary help cleanse your internal organs of toxins and their presence in your diet ensures that you do not smell foul. Additionally a tablespoon of aniseed in your daily diet will give you the same cleansing function.

Zinc deficiency sometimes causes body odor. Make zinc-rich foods like spinach parsley Brussels sprouts cucumbers and asparagus a part of your diet to deal with the problem.

As we said earlier in addition to an improper lifestyle body odor may be the result of a number of biological malfunctions like diabetes liver malfunctioning constipation or certain parasites. If nothing can solve your problem of unpleasant body odor then consult a physician to find out whether you are suffering from any of the above disorders. You can also avail the benefits of many advanced treatments like Botox injections or in extreme cases surgery but that should only be a last resort.

Meditation as an alternative healing procedure has also become a popular means of keeping your body under control by mastering your mind. This translates into a relaxed mind. It also helps maintain the hormonal balance of your body. The less stressed you feel the less will be the problem of body odor.