Tell me about your armpit cleansing routine...

[MoreSmellyPits]

please .

I shower once a day, I use antiperspirant, I wear virtually exclusively cotton.

My BO is terrible, even coming out of the shower and drying myself I can smell it.
I know it is bacteria that make sweat actually smeall, so is there anything else I can do? Is my skin itself smelly??

Any advice greatly appreciated.

I'd be thinking about a trip to my GP if it was as you have described yours. Are you in general good health?

try washing with an antibacterial handwash soap, or hibiscrub which is excellent and available easily from chemists.

Mitchum is amazing, i will never use anything else from now until forever!
Check it isnt impregnated in armpits of clothes (even when freshly washed i mean)

My routine is to wash my armpits with soap before showering and then to use an anti perspirant. Before I realised this I think I smelt more than I realised .

I also asked my boyfriend who said he finds a deodorant with Triclosan in it helps. He also thinks that ones like Mitchum don't necessarily help.

Do you keep your armpits shaved/waxed? The hair can trap sweat/bacteria.

is it just your armpits or do your feet, genitals, scalp smell unpleasant as well?

Do you drink much water or eat fruit/veg?

Also i was paranoid about this and found it was my towels which smelled funky but i couldnt smell it (even with full nose in it) until i was freshly showered.

Oh, replies, thank you all!

I am in perfect health, no skin problems otherwise.
I've thought about antibacterial scrubs, but have not dared thinking they might be too much like paint-stripper

Mitchums, eh?

Ah, no, I probably don't drink enough water, good point.

Towels are ok.
Nobody else in the house smells.
None of the rest of me smells

It's just my armpits and I smell as if I had not washed for days immediately after the shower.

I think antibacs might be the answer, even just for a while...

And I forgot, yes, I wax from time to time (have v little underam hair anyway, but keep it tidy)

Have you tried adding some Napisan to the detergent to wash your clothes? The bacteria can survive washing unless it's a hot wash, but Napisan could help? Obviously, don't put your clothes in a hot wash unless you want to shrink/ruin them all!

I can't offer any other tips but it sounds like you have a decent cleansing routine going & it's not working, so I'd speak to the doctor if I were you.

You need to see your GP if you have body odour that can't be washed away. Something isn't right.

If I was you I would boil wash the towels for good measure.

Personally, I epilate once or twice a week - been doing that for years so almost no hair each time; and scrubby glove with sanex wash. I do find some of the cheapy shower gels don't seem to cut the mustard, and imperial leather and radox are all fragrance no cleaning power, but that is just my opinion.

I often forget deodorant (in my defence I am on mat leave, I never forget when going out but for around the house its a bit hit or miss) and I don't think I smell and DH says I never smell even on no deo days.

DH uses Driclor sometimes - you put it on straight after shower in the night and basically don't sweat for the next 48 hours. He tells me you must only use it straight after a shower, as if you put it on even an hour later and have sweated even a tiny bit it stings like a bugger. The dance when he found this out was amusing!

oh but do get checked at GP - could be a hormone problem

No personal experience here - I'm oddly unsweaty - but I'm told Botox is the thing for this. Paralysis the sweat glands or something - don't quote me on how it works but it's def. worth investigating.

Here you go - random bit of info on Botox and sweating.

Marking place...

Thanks again.

I've used Driclor in the past - it's great for the wetness of sweatting, but doesn't do much abou the smell IYKWIM.

No, botox for me, no siree, too scared!

My periods are regular as clockwork, so not sure about hormones out of whak?

Ok, I think I'll try the antibac idea for a week or two and see.

You can also get the antibacterial effect by using hand gel as soon as you get out of the shower. You can use deodorant too after it has evaporated.

My DD has just started to use hand gel because I'd rather she didn't use deodorant aged ten but need something. It works well.

Could it be you're not getting off the residue from your deodorant and that's trapping the smell. Does it feel kind of dry when you wash, that's how you can tell. I found that worse when using a stick or spray, but a roll on instead for a few days sorts it.

I also find that exfoliating my pits with Sanex is really good.

It will be the bacteria on your skin making it smell do you need to get rid, try hibiscrub or antibac soap and exfoliate with that.

Just soaping in the shower won't work.

There are metabolic conditions which cause sufferers to smell, even if they are perfectly clean. The best known one is trimethylaminuria, which is controlled by a low protein diet. Do you eat lots of eggs, meat etc..?

Washing with soap in the shower and then using a shower gel as well may work.
Smells build up in armpit hair, so shaving is a good way to stop this.

Use a anti bacterial hand gel, alcohol based after your shower, and after a few mins DRY your pits very very well, or use the hairdryer before you put on any deodorant.

Cut down the amount of sulphites in your diet, including dry fruit, wine, processed meats like salami and onions and garlic.

I use shield soap and find that a shower is better than a bath for smell removal. Also make sure that bedding towels etc are washed weekly. and clean clothes on after a shower