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?

I had this same issue for a while and was utterly convinced it was my skin that smelt, no matter how much I washed. Turns out I wasn’t drying my underarms properly after bathing and then putting deodorant on, caused a smell that I can only describe as smelling like ‘weed’ and BO mixed together.

A trip to my docs and he advised that some women just perspire more and I need to ensure I’m drying and watching them correctly. He advised not using a loofa or sponge to wash my underarms and advised on a clean flannel which had anti bacterial shower gel (simple do one with cucumber in and it’s lovely), ensuring I’m washing the entirety of my armpit and breasts (as smell can linger there) and then dabbing them clean and then leaving them to ‘air dry’ before adding a roll on deodorant.

Apparently lots of different perfumes and deodorants can counteract and cause a BO smell as well. Also make sure your bras are washed and dried properly as they can harbour no end of smells if not properly washed and dried.

Hopefully that helps. I still occasionally get the days where I’m in a rush or haven’t properly dried and it makes the world of difference with the smell.

Good luck x

Always add vinegar to the laundry, that has an amazing oxidising effect: distilled white vinegar for whites and malt vinegar for darks but any vinegar will work.

No one has mentioned food. Eating junk, dairy, curry, meat and food fried in hydrogenated vegetable oil will make you smell strongly but you won't be aware of this if you are surrounded by people who have diets like this.

If you have a diet of vegetables, pickles, and rice with white fish you won't smell much at all.

Change your soap for a more natural with more ingredients from flowers, trees, grasses and less chemicals.

The same for your antiperspirant.

Also make sure you drink around I.5l of water a day.

@AntiHop

I just wanted to comment on what a difference the advice of washing underarms twice has made. It seems so obvious! I was my face twice when wearing make up so why wouldn't I remove old deodorant then clean my pits?! I'm coming up to my hormonal time of the month so I'm hoping this will keep my clothes smelling fresher.

UPDATE!

Thank you @Mycatismadeofstringcheese
I bought the Trust stuff from boots and it really works! I've been putting it on at night and using antiperspirant in the mornings as usual. I'm going to try not using it every evening, as the instructions say it doesn't need to be used every day.

@Bryonyshcmyony, @DriverOrDiver, @eurochick I think it is hormonal. Whether this is because I've just had a baby, or because I'm peri menopausal I don't know. I recently had the misfortune of smelling someone's BO and it was very different.

Anyway thanks everyone. I'm glad to have solved this problem!

Proper soap. Wash pits to the count of 20. Deodorant. Wash clothes at 40. Add a cap of the anti bacterial laundry stuff.

@antihop.
So glad it’s working for you .