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?

Try using E45 shower cream - it’s unperfumed ans SLS free and may help reset your natural skin biome.

Oh my god. Me too. Except I haven't even used the natural deodorant. Literally don't know where to start.

Yes, back to normal now - I can't remember how long it took, but it wasn't ages, maybe a month or so.

I just switched back to a roll on antiperspirant - I use the sanex ph balancing one (be careful - avoid any sanex that says 'biome protect' on it, as that will not help) and their shower gel too. I do a job where I sometimes get very hot/sweaty and am not smelly at the end of the day now.

Firstly try fermented foods and probiotics as suggested by PPs after wiping the area with a little tea tree oil. Then avoid all harsh chemicals on the area, switch to a basic soap bar or something like Simple.

After that, Dr's to check for hormone and fungal issues.

Just speak to a gp
(If you can get an apt)

Add white vinegar to your clothes wash. I add half a cup to the wash, 1/4 cup to the rinse. Air dry and there won’t be any vinegar smell.
Do the same with your towels but double the amounts and remember not to use fabric softener on towels.

Sure stick is brilliant.

Makes you realise just how honky people would've been before deodorants,doesn't it?!
Make sure you use bars of soap too not shower gels.

I switched to natural back in 2020, figured I'd make use of being stuck at home. I think I stank for a couple of months and did have to try a few different deodorants before I found one that worked.

I use Native - I rarely have any problems even in the Australian summer but I do use it before bed and then in the morning.

Another Mitcham user here. When washing armpits do it for two minutes with soap, 2 mins each one. Like scrubbing up. Do you shave? I find that helps, stubble attracts smells, so daily quick shave.

Yes this! My microbiome is utter pants. Thankfully DP has an excellent biome so when I start to honk I use this deodorant stick for a week. Problem solved for another 3 months or so. It does work.

You need to find someone non smelly to donate lol 😂

My sweat smells different post covid! There is a thread on it somewhere in here!

Wild? Yeah after a few hours I start smelling of onions! Back to Mitchum

So sorry you're going through this.

Not sure if this will help you but it worked wonders on teenage me when I started smelling -and I've advised teenage son too - is use a lemon to scrub your armpits. Got rid of the teenage BO without deodorants! Fresh lemon, even if you've just used it, doesn't need a lot. Scrub the armpits before a shower and no smell.

Try it, it might help you too x

Wild made my armpits smell gross. I've never experienced anything like it.

I'm back using Salt of the Earth, sometimes Nuud if I know it's going to be a sweaty few days.

If it isn't the one you've tried, I tried Wild not expecting much, and it's amazing! The scent lasts for ages and it's brilliant as an anti-perspirant. I have a friend who had the same issues as you OP, and swears by Wild after trying it a couple of years ago and finding it worked wonders!

Maybe this is a daft question but do you put the yoghurt under your arms or eat it?

For everyone who asked, yes it was Wild. I really wanted it to work, and as I said, it did for a while. But then I started to really smell odd and I'm just so annoyed.

I smell a bit better today I think, but only marginally. I think I'm probably more aware of it than anyone else because I asked DH if he'd noticed and he said he had only noticed yesterday for the first time.

I was wondering this too. Imagine if the answer was 'eat it' and we'd been sitting there with yoghurt on our pits 😂

I was going to suggest this. My sweat and poo smell different since covid (other peoples poo too). Also ham and eggs do as well, I've often to get my family to check them as they smell off even if they taste ok.

This might sound crazy but what’s your diet like OP?

Both

Put a bit under, then rinse it off.

Sourdough bakers have a different microbiome on their hands than everyone else, because of their dough handling.

I tried Wild, loved everything it stood for but my pits stunk! I smelt like onions and I was told to give it 3 months, I was still stinky, so gave up on it.

Glad I wasn't the only one wondering this - I'd gone straight to the under the pits idea linking it with the old wives cure for thrush!

I'm sniggering picturing us with yoghurt on our pits merrily MNing, thinking we've got this cracked!

Eating yoghurt or taking probiotics isn’t going to impact your skin microbiome in the slightest. And don’t smear yoghurt on your pits either it’s not the same type of bacteria you would find prevalent on healthy skin - it’s the type of stuff that makes up the healthy vaginal microbiota which is why is works for thrush.

OP I’ve been wanting to post about this for a while. I hit a certain age and I couldn’t wash the smell away. I tried different soaps, antibac, bicarbonate, vinegar, shaving, not shaving. Nothig seemed to work. Then my clothes starte to smell. Just bras and T-shirt but even washing with disinfectant wasn’t helping so they all had to go in the bin.

im at a loss really.

I’ve been using the green pears soap
and I can with three washes in the shower get it stink free after a shower and for most of
the day but it’s back by evening.

I used to have hyperhydrosis and
never really smell but I don’t sweat as much now and always smell. The only deodorant that has ever worked is driclor but it nips
at first and can damage clothes too. It’s not something I’d choose to use too often as I don’t think it’s too good for you long term but it did work.