I am absolutely honking!

[Mitebiteatnite]

Background- started using a 'natural' deodorant a while back. It had good reviews, I liked that it was refillable and all natural. First few days I was a bit smelly, but the reviews all say you have to give it a while for your body to get used to it. And it did settle down, and worked really well, although I had to apply it more frequently than a normal antiperspirant.

Fast forward 3 months and it just wasn't working anymore. Admittedly it has got warmer, but a good deodorant should be able to cope with that and it didn't. So I switched back to normal antiperspirant and now, well I just stink all the time. And it's a totally different smell now, compared to the way I would smell if I'd just got a bit too sweaty at the gym or whatever. It's meatier somehow, I can't explain it, not that sweetish BO smell. I wash regularly, my diet hasn't changed and I've tried 4 or 5 different types of deodorant in the last few weeks but it's not make a blind bit of difference. I still smell and it's really upsetting me.

I've tried antibacterial soap, I've tried gently exfoliating my pits, I've bought the 'maximum strength' antiperspirant recommended for people who sweat a lot. Thing is, I wouldn't say I'm sweating excessively either. I just can't get rid of the smell under my arms. I appreciate some people might find this amusing, but it's really really upsetting me.

AIBU to think that using natural deodorant has changed my body chemistry somehow?

is it your clothes that have got smelly?

I would try giving them a wash at a warmer temp (40 minimum) with some soda crystals in addition to laundry powder.

Your skin has its own biome- microorganisms that populate it in varying amounts.

Yours has changed.

There's been research where people 'catch' other people's biome. So, say, your DH puts his hanky under his arm for a day, then you keep it in your armpit for a day.

You could try something like live yogurt, same as you do for thrush.

Maybe start with hibiscrub to kill off whatever's there first.

Tricky!

It's more likely to be your hormones, however there's something else you could try - use a gentle AHA under your arms. Glycolic acid, lactic aicd or mandelic acid, available for not very much money from brands like The Ordinary or Inkey List. They don't do anything to stop the sweating but they slightly alter the PH of your skin, which stops the bacteria that cause the smell from reacting as they usually do when they reach your skin, thereby reducing the smell. While you're doing your pits you can also put some on your feet to help treat and prevent hard skin during flip-flop weather 🙂.

No, not my clothes. I generally sleep topless and I still wake up smelling worse than when I went to sleep. I've also bought quite a few new tops recently, and still seem to smell, even when I've warn then for the first time.

I would also suggest natural yoghurt.

How much water are you drinking? Have you changed your diet?

1. Halo sports wash
2. You might, just separately from the deodorant thing, have a fungal infection. The meaty smell is key. Ask your pharmacist for advice.

If it's Wild your referring to, I had the same happen to me.

I switched to Fussy (as seen on Dragons Den) and this formula works very well. It's the same refillable concept.

Getfussy.com

What anti back did you use? Hibi is the gold standard for skin stuff and use for 7 days. You might become dry tho.

Zit Stika do a tea tree wash with probiotics it's nice that might be something to use after the hibi scrub.

I think possibly the deodorant is a red herring. Second hormonal I had several smelly episodes in pg and post partum all caused by something specific but the root t them was clearly hormones.

Could you let your armpit hair grow back and only use unsented for a while? If not now over winter. It might just give your body chance to reset, as such.

How old are you op? Menopause made me smelly!

@WisteriaHysteria22 I used Cidal soap as we already had that in, DS has had a few surgeries and they've always told us to wash him with that before he comes in.
I might pick up some HibiScrub while I'm out today.

Hormones are always in the back of my mind, I'm 36 and have a few peri-meno symptoms but I can't get a GP to take me seriously when I try to talk about it!

We all use Nuud. Even extremely usually smelly DH. It's a life changer. Totally work every penny. End up using it every other day.

I had this recently and my usual antiperspirant had changed and was a deodorant instead and I just honked. I hadn’t realised for weeks.

If it’s Sanex check in case it’s no longer an antiperspirant.

I'm having the same issue OP so watching for suggestions. I used Wild for about 6 months but stopped when it caused my underarms to become unbearably itchy. I've still got marks from where I scratched at it. I'm now back to using Mitchum and I smell worse than I used to. Nothing else has changed.

I also know from personal experience that hormoes have a lot to answer for, now that I'm nearly done with my periods I'm much more balanced, although I still do get a little reeky in the day or two before a period. When I was in my 30s was my worst time, though I did also then learn about natural fibers and that helped a lot.

If it's wild then I'm not surprised, no one I know who's used it is still doing so, it's a let down

I had issues with my Bo smell changing and being uncontrollable. I ended up washing my pits with hand gel a few times. Then swapped to using the Mitchum anti perspirant right after a bath and then every morning using a strong deodorant. It's made a massive difference. Not sure which step got it under control though. But I feel so much better now.

Sorry to hear this, as somebody who tried every bloody antiperspirant and natural deodorant going and still ending up smelly within ten minutes of washing I share your pain.

This deo however is the only one that works for me, wouldn’t be without it!

www.boots.com/bionsen-dermoprotective-0-aluminium-spray-deodorant-150ml-10088389-

If it's not working, don't bother With different remedies, just go back to one that does. It's not worth the hassle. I had issues with Sanex.

When I used natural deodorant I found that the smell built up over time and eventually it became difficult to wash it off. So I would wash every day but still be a bit smelly, even straight after my shower. It took a while to get back to normal. I'll never use it again, as it irritated my skin too.

That's the issue @Toddlerteaplease , nothing is currently working. I have just has a shower, had a very thorough wash with antibac soap and by the time I've dried myself I smell again. I've just used Dove Max Strength, which I'm going to try for a week or so to see if it settles down, but I will never go back to 'natural' deo again.

@littlepeas i feel like that's what has happened, the smell has sort of built up over time and now I can't seem to wash it off. Has it settled down for you yet?

@PolkaDotMankini sorry to hear you're having the same probs, although in a way it's reassuring that it might not just be me that's the problem! I'll let you know if anything works!

I’m also going to blame hormones. I switched to wild last year and had a similar problem but I was pregnant at the time. I would shower day and night and apply deodorant 3x times a day but I was still so stinky. It settled down after about 6 weeks and I did stick with Wild. I’ve noticed that I am smellier around my period and actually that is one of the signs my period is due.

Have a good bath, scrub, new clothes, regular change of bra and I'd switch to Mitchum. It's the only one that works for me. I go for shower or powder fresh.

It’s likely that your microbiom has changed. I would stop anti bac ing yourself and start culturing a healthy biom. As PP have said natural yogurt, kefir, and a healthy balanced diet. It may take a while.
Nuud was a game changer for us but its not an antiperspirant, just a deodorant. Getting used to sweating took my a few weeks, but i never smell, ever. It’s awesome!

Omg I also had this happen a few years ago! Switched to a deodorant crystal that is moistened under water - absolutely shite and ineffective! Then also had the same issue - I have got rid of it, but I also think it must live on clothes as I’d notice it transferring back via clothes.

I didn’t know about the biome but makes perfect sense - I’d recommend not only doing the treatments recommended above, but also doing some kind of hot wash and/or some kind of deep cleaning/antibac additive to wash to all clothes (I think vanish do one?).

I basically overhauled my wardrobe during lockdown so no longer wear or own garments from that time anyway, but it’s like a cycle of hell trying to tackle it without ensuring the clothes don’t harbour it to transfer it back.

Made me realise some things are better natural and organic, other things need proper tools for the job!