Struggling with Body Odor Despite Daily Hygiene Routine

[imnina]

Hi everyone, I’m really hoping to get some advice because I’m at my wit’s end. I’ve been dealing with a serious body odor problem, and nothing seems to be working. Here’s what I’m currently doing:

•	I shower every single day.
•	I apply deodorant and antiperspirant (sometimes even at night).
•	I try different deodorant brands, but nothing seems to work for long. The one that worked the best was Mitchum, but it stained my white clothes yellow and left white marks on my colored clothes.
•	I also wash my clothes after every wear, but they still smell like sweat, even after a second wash.

Despite all of this, I still smell terrible—like sweat, and it’s so embarrassing. I can’t afford costly solutions like Botox treatments, and I’ve already tried a lot of different deodorants and hygiene products.

Does anyone have affordable tips or advice on how to deal with this? Especially for clothes that still carry that sweat smell even after washing? I’d really appreciate any help at this point!

Thanks so much in advance!

All of this. It's a good list. Sadly, the manufacturers have hoodwinked us about washing at 30 and their oh so environmentally friendly washing programmes that take hours.

If your clothes aren't washed at a high enough temperature and dried properly, either outside or with heat indoors, the bacteria - and the smell - will remain.

I get really sweaty. Especially in the night. Sometimes my sheets are soaked so I'm shivering, then sweating even more!

I used a charcoal facial wash/scrub on my body and focussing on armpits. Always wash them twice!

I don't know if this is connected, but I broke my shoulder (and hip) a couple years back and for the first week I couldn't shower at all, then when I could it was hard to scrub properly and I couldn't shave for about 4 weeks.

Once I was better I found that the one armpit of the broken shoulder was always really stinky. Like I'd come out of the shower and it still stank!

It's only over the last few months it's finally calmed down and seems on a par with the non broken armpit?! Smell wise.

I do eat a lot of onions. I've heard that can make your sweat more pongy.

Try using glycolic acid on your underarms. The Ordinary do a big bottle which is cheap enough, put it on with a cotton pad and don’t wash it off. Try it for a few days and you should notice a difference. Probably best not to apply it to freshly shaven underarms as it might sting.

I have same problem but I blamed it on two things .

A. My skin is highly sensitive so I cannot use any deodorant .I have bought them all including 'natural' products without any added nasties.

B. I'm menopausal and sweat a lot.

What has worked for me is

Vosene shampoo because it contains tea tree and it acts as deodoriser.
I use it as shower gel . I put it on a flannel when in shower and clean underarms with it.

Also check your bras ......i find it difficult to get sweat smell out of them.

My dd used to have the same problem. After lots of googling for solutions I discovered magnesium and sometimes zinc deficiency can add to excessive body odour. Obviously I'm not medical and can't recommend anything but Epsom salt baths cured the problem for her!

I mix my own sls free melt and pour soap with eucalyptus oil and I add some eucalyptus oil to my washing. Apparantly it has some antiseptic/ antibacterial properties. And I like the smell.

My cousin started eating a different diet during menopause that helped her.

I hope that you find what works for you

Love the smell of Shield soap.

And OP I have had the same issues until I switched to bar soap and men's antiperspirant deodorant.

Perhaps using a launderette to tumble dry your clothes or if that's not possible then try a dehumidifier in the room where you dry your clothes to dry them quicker. Sitting around semi damp for days wont be helping. For best results ith a dehumidifier, close the window, hang the clothes in one room with the door closed and run the dehumidifier until they are dry. If the clothes themselves smell when they are warm or damp (if you can smell sweat when you iron them for example) then you know they will still carry a sweaty smell when you wear them and they need to be re-washed or replaced.

I've been using apple cider vinegar as a rinse on my hair.
I inadvertently got some on the rest of my body, I think it works as a deodorant.

Using a gentle acid under your arms is a game changer. It doesn't have to be expensive - the Inkey List and Ordinary ones are good and affordable. They change the PH of the skin under your arms which makes it more difficult for the bacteria which cause the smell to flourish. Given your age I suspect this is partly hormonal and should improve with age but appart from the acid application, the other tips are good. My husband is very fastidious but has a very physical job so I've had to develop a whole routine to deal with his sweaty clothes and it goes like this:

Stick to cotton and other natural fabrics. Synthetics are not your friend.
Spray cleaning vinegar on the armpits before washing.
Use the highest temperature you can when you wash - cotton can take 60 degrees without shrinking.
Use biological washing powder and sometimes laundry disinfectant.
You could replace fabric conditioner with white vinegar too - don't worry, nothing comes out smelling of vinegar! The clothes come out nice and soft and fresh smelling.
Use an antibacterial soap/Hibiscrub and a decent deodorant, and try those armpit shields to protect your clothes.

Waxing rather than shaving may help, if you don't already?

As well as all the above, make sure the actual washing machine is clean. Take the drawer out and scrub it and do a drum wash cycle too. Clothes can end up smelling musty if the machine itself isn't clean. Look on You Tube for a tutorial if you're not sure how. Don't leave wet clothes sitting in the machine either. Take them out and put them on the airer straight away.
Also make sure you scrub the rest of your body too aswell as pits. Odours can lurk in hair, breast creases, navels, feet and under-carriages.

Lots of helpful advice on here, but your clothes are going to be a big part of the problem as they take too long to dry .
Hibiscrub is available easily
Even hand sanitizer can help
Soak clothes in white vinegar and water before washing
Sodium per carbonate, could be added to light/ white washes
Don't over fill you washing machine you clothes will not clean properly.
Do you have any health food shops nearby, they might be able to suggest something ( you mentioned some intolerances)
Bar soap I like olive soap but any cheap and cheerful or super expensive item doesn't matter as long as it's not a 'cleansing' bar
Washing powder not liquid
Clean your washing machine ( gunk builds up)

If your clothes are taking 3 days to dry then that will make them smell, can you buy a heated clothes airer? Also forgot to mention in my previous response that drinking lots of water can help with body odour

You may have a fungal infection, like athletes foot but in other parts of your body. Wash as described above and then spray some athletes foot spray at the smelly areas. (I get an under boob rash and doing this helped massively).

Heated airers are great. I've had mine for 13yrs now, and use it constantly. I also have a tumble dryer, but I only use that for sheets and towels.

Use Ariel cold wash gel, that will get rid of the build up on clothes. A relative has issues with a home made concoction she insisted worked but it really didn't. Definitely bar soap not Dove. Dettol sanitiser works too, I use it for gym gear.

Fair enough. I've always used dove. My favourite soap.

I use a bar of salt too. It works. You may find it stings a bit initially but that goes quickly. An iodine solution like betadine again kills bacteria so maybe worth a try