Why do my underarms smell even though I'm clean and use antiperspirant

[AntiHop]

I shower every morning with soap but still my underarms smell. I'm not sweating much.

I use antiperspirant. I started washing my underarms with soap at bedtime too, which has helped, but not eliminated it. Removing underarm hair also helped. I change my clothes every day.

Any ideas please?

@PeonyTime and @NekoShiro what do use to exfoliate? I've got a gentle exfoliating flannel thing that use to wash my underarms in the shower.

I was getting really paranoid about being stinky - my clothes never quite lost the smell and my pits whiffed really quickly after a shower. I swapped to antibacterial soap instead of shower gel, bio washing powder, cotton tops as much as possible and Bionsen/Mitchum deodorant. Haven't had an issue since then.

@DaffodilSunshine, @Nuggetnugget @wonkylegs @DinosaurDiana @UpToMyElbowsInDiapers

It is definitely not my clothes. The smell is definitely on my skin.

@ponygirlcurtis @sadie9 @JayAlfredPrufrock
I thought mitchum was more for people who sweat a lot, and I'm not actually sweating that much under my arms.

@oneglassandpuzzled and @JayAlfredPrufrock I'm 43. I did wonder if it could be a sign of peri menopause. I've recently had a baby, but that doesn't mean I'm not peri menopausal

@Fruityfriday

I use a few drops of tea tree oil mixed in with soap on the shower sponge. Just don't accidently forget and do your foof with it. It's quite stingy

Thanks I'll give this a try

@IceLace100 I'm wearing mostly cotton and linen which hasn't helped.

@whoami24601

I have this and I found using talc out of the shower stops it. Deodorise as usual xx

I mostly wear dark clothes so I wonder if the talc will show.

@Nogardenersworld

Make sure your clothes aren’t smelly before you put them on

Also I don’t know anyone else who feels this way, but I sometimes associate certain deodorants with a sweaty smell.
It’s just because I’ve worked out, or been sweaty maybe one day when I’ve worn that deodorant

Then the next time I wear it I smell it and think I smell sweaty
But it’s just the deodorant scent that I can smell

Also I’ve had eczema previously and had to change soaps, when I did I felt like I didn’t feel / smell quite as clean and fresh - so think about what soaps you’re using

Interesting point about the smell, but definitely not the case.

@Mycatismadeofstringcheese and @3beesinmybonnet many thanks for that recommendation.

I'll definitely need antiperspirant too or I'll sweat loads. Do you think I can use one in the morning and in the evening?

I use perspirex. It works for me.

Not all antiperspirants are deodorants. You need both.

[quote AntiHop]@IceLace100 I'm wearing mostly cotton and linen which hasn't helped.[/quote]
What a bloody pain in the arse!!!

Do you use Dove soap? That gives me awful BO and I've read on here it does the same to other people too.

I wonder if you are in a cycle of overwashing that has stripped away all your beneficial bacteria and natural body defences against odour. I use a solid salt deodorant, takes a week or so to get working but now I can easily skip a few days without smelling at all. Enjoy your new baby.

Use a proper bar soap - we use faith in nature or pears. The "moisturising bars" like Dove don't work

I've always been "fragrant" - no odour issues even with minimal deodorant. However peri-meno has done a number on me. My underarms and cleavage now get a BO smell at certain times of the month regardless of how much I wash. I know it's hormonal because I wash the same way at other times and don't get it. It started around 44 for me.

Shower in the evening with soap and apply Mitchum before bed. That sorted out my peri menopausal one stinky armpit.

I recently had the same. And now use AKT deodorant. It’s a cream and is just under £20 but has lasted ages so far. I really like it.

I also get what someone else said about the smell of your usual deodorant smelling sweaty by association.

It could be what you're eating. I've found that since cutting onion my underarms smell a lot less. My daughter is the same too.

If you have a Samsung washing machine I can recommend the 'hygeine steam' cycle with biological washing powder. That seems to work for smelly t shirts

Oh. It’s this. Hormones. I reeked for a quite a bit after I had my babies. Really onion-y. I figured it was so they could recognise me by smell! But apparently milk and sweat glands are very similar so prolactin can make you quite pongy. It will go away.

Sorry, I thought I quoted your post about having a 3 month old! But that’s what it probably is.

There's a difference between a hormonal smell and a BO smell.

I've had this before. What worked for me

Bar soap and a proper scrub in the shower, twice. Once to get all the old deo off, then again to actually wash
Apply dove/sure cream max (the one about £5) at night
Normal spray in the morning
Wash clothes with bio powder, no fabric conditioner and use a laundry cleanser like dettol or fabulosa