To be miserable about how badly i smell?

Do you eat alot of one thing in particular? Could be something your eating

Only wear natural fabrics - so cotton, wool - no polyester or other acrylic fabrics.

Make sure you wash your clothes with biological (not non bio) powder or washing tablets, then make sure they’re thoroughly dried and don’t smell musty when you put them away. Do you have an outdoor clothes line and/or a tumble drier?

If you think it’s you, not the clothes, maybe see your GP?

Try glycolic acid toner. Rub some on your armpits after a shower. It removes the smell of sweat. The ordinary do one

https://theordinary.com/en-gb/glycolic-acid-7-exfoliating-toner-100418.html?dwvar_100418_size=int100ml&quantity=1&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAu8W6BhC-ARIsACEQoDA8c7-CkEtYNYhb3Xu1Ei2dGQ5ZYBnd_hZwdzFcccERipeiRtUtcU8aAhNXEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Hot wash (over 40, ideally 60)

I would wash my hair more often and likely change sheets more often if I'd noticed a smell.

Antibacterial soap with an exfoliating mitt

The natural deodorant company, stopped me smelling entirely when k smelt during breastfeeding

Do you have a milk or dairy allergy?
My daughter was really bad as a toddler for smelling of bo despite being bathed regularly.
After researching lots this was the conclusion.

If not then it could be something diet related, maybe try get one of those allergy testing done via Groupon

Sorry I haven’t read the whole thread. What is your diet like? The older I’m getting, the more I’m releasing that our diet really can contribute to or cause a lot of health conductions. Just a thought…! Do you eat a lot of UPF? Or is it mainly whole foods etc.

I would think drinking lots of water could only help. What exercise do you take - brisk walking or even a run. Get your blood pumping and some deep breathing - it would make me feel I was clearing my system. Home for a nice shower.

Do you still smell if you are naked?

Try staying nude after washing on a day off - see if the same smell appears. If it does, you know it's you, not your clothes. If not, it's a laundry issue of some kind!

I wash my underarms and feet with Hibiscrub. It makes a huge difference, particularly to the feet. Also, as others have said, check to see if it’s a sinus or ear infection.

The clothes you buy from New Look, River Island etc might be the problem. They often are polyester and that can really make Under arms smell and often trapped in fabrics even after washing.
You basically need cotton everything- Primark do cotton u just have to check.

I have to only buy cotton and wool now as noticed this in myself.

I know this is tricky when you're young and you might not have much spare cash but I bet it is the materials you're wearing. You are mentioning cheaper brands that use a lot of man made materials. Some of them are impossible to get a smell out of once it's in unless you wash a t 90 which can destroy them. They also make you perspire more easily because your skin can't breathe at all.

You might have to only wear cotton, silk, linen and wool. This is expensive but it will make a massive difference. I'm I perimenopause now and have started to smell more and some of my old clothes I simply can't wear without stinking halfway through the day.

Also don't use gel in your washing machine - always use powder, plus a strong fabric conditioner to bring a nice scent.

Do see your GP. They can definitely help you work out what's going on.

Was also going to suggest this, I had issues with sweating and smelling when I was on my period and since I’ve used fussy I’ve not had these problems

I reckon it’s your clothes and how they are washed and dried. I use biological liquid. Don’t leave the clothes in the machine. Hang up. We don’t have a drier so have to hang in the house. But I have to make sure they are spread out as much as possible. You could experiment by wearing no clothes all day when you don’t have to go out and see anyone. See if you smell by the end of the day.

Couple of questions:

Is it just your armpits?

What have friends and family said? You say they agree with you but what specifically say? Do they say you smell unpleasant?

How bad does it get if you don't wash e.g. when you are sick for example

Is this definitely YOU that smells (naked)?

I agree with the many others who have suggested it’s your clothes and due to how they’re being washed and dried.

I have never heard of a person smelling musty before but the clothes thing….I definitely have!

If possible wash your clothes on a very high temp. My son's clothes often smell as you describe and do so even after they have been through a normal wash. Check the label and if possible put them in on a 60 or 90. If when the cycle is finished they still smell funny put them through again.

Are you talking any meds? That can sometimes affect how people smell.

Ask for a swab for bacterial vaginosis as this can make you smell and not just from the groin area. If it’s positive you’ll get a course of antibiotics.

Try salicylic egg soap under your arms. It kills the bacteria. You can buy this from Amazon for about £8.

Are you on any medication? My late OH's smell changed a new times as he tried different meds to treat his illness, and he said mine changed when I was on antidepressants for a while.

Check all your clothes care labels and see what they are made out of. Do not wear anything polyester - you may as well be wrapping yourself in a bin bag - that’s how breathable the fabric is. When I wear anything polyester/acrylic/nylon I stink within an hour! It’s annoying because most clothing retailers use these types of fabrics as they are cheaper. 100% cotton is best or wool. Viscose I find is a lot better than polyester but not as good as cotton or wool.

Stick with washing your body with soap and exfoliation but it may also be worth washing with a medical solution (the ones they give people before surgery called Chlorhexidine wash) - it will help to kill off bacteria on your skin that could be causing a problem. I’m not a medial expert but I use this to cleanse my skin occasionally when I get flare ups of boils and it seems to help.

You need to check inside your clothes for the label which tells you what the fabric is. Get rid of the synthetics like polyester and focus on cotton and will, which will let your skin breathe. Cheap fabrics will make you smell

Try changing and experimenting with diet. Lots of spices and garlic in my meals definitely affect my body odour.

You definitely need to see the GP about it, there could be be something they can prescribe or do some tests etc. It does sound awful for you.

I’m so sorry to read this, smelling really impacts your confidence. Is it hyperhydrosis? My DH has it and the only effective things is salt rock deodorant straight after a shower so your skin is still damp. If you shave your armpits, shave them at night. Weirdly the salt rock does nothing for me, as if I’ve put nothing on. It’s worse with stress and spicy food. He sometimes uses driclor at night and that does make a difference overall but it stings. He did do the hand sanitiser for a bit, it’s pretty harsh on quite delicate skin. I wonder about hibiscrub? For clothes, I use sport detergent neat on the pits if tshirt is particularly bad or soak with bicarb or vinegar. Sometimes when the smell gets ingrained in clothes, it just doesn’t come out and sadly does need thrown. The smell just heats up when the tshirt is worn, even if the armpit itself doesn't smell. It has improved over the years if that’s any encouragement. He did consider botox for a while but is a bit squeamish. There was a drug which lessened it but it made him super thirsty which he didn’t like. Good luck, I really hope you find the root cause if it's not hyperhydrosis or some of these things work for you

I would second the diet / detox suggestion. No sugar, no caffeine, no dairy, no gluten.. a week of bone broth and vegetable juice, plain rice grilled fish and chicken, vegetables, avoiding spices, onions, tomatoes. Lots of herbal tea te, limied fruit and no fruit juice. Helthy amount of exercise and some.epsom salt baths, showering afterwrds with soap.