Today, I have chosen to talk about a very summery but somewhat 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. 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. Bacteria feed on sweat from apocrine glands (and dead skin and hair cells, yum), releasing 3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid in their waste, which is what causes our body odor.
Now, normally, underarm hair 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 is therefore ideal for prevent bacterial odor), but most women like to keep that area free of hair. So what to make of all this bacteria business? Well, deodorant or antiperspirant would be the natural solution, but for those of us who are inclined to go natural, here are some tips for you.
Eating turnips and red radish juice daily can reduce body odor, and the herbs and plants have a long history of use as internal deodorants. Phytonutrients from aromatic plants such as parsley, celery, thyme, oregano, sage, and rosemary help cleanse internal organs of toxins, and eating them ensures a clean smell. A tablespoon of anise in your daily diet will give you the same cleansing function. Try making a strong infusion of love or sage to use as a deodorant; apply the infusion of lovage or sage on 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 be gone in a few minutes. And you’ll smell sweet as a baby.