Everybody sweats. Changes in your body temperature, the outside temperature, or your emotional state can cause sweating in any part of the body, but mainly the forehead, the armpits, the palms and the soles of the feet (and this is because of the amount of sweat glands in these areas). Did you know that each foot has approximately 250,000 sweat glands and can collectively produce up to half a litre of perspiration per day?
Sweating is a bodily function that helps regulate your body temperature. When your internal temperature rises, your sweat glands release water to the surface of your skin. As the sweat evaporates, it cools your skin and your blood beneath your skin.
This is where things get a bit…stinky. Body odor is what you smell when your sweat comes in contact with the bacteria on your skin. Sweat itself doesn't smell, but when the bacteria on your skin mix with your sweat, it causes an odor. Body odor can smell like anything from sweet to sour, tangy or even like onions or garlic.
Body Odour Causes
A hard workout
Exercise is the most common cause of body odor. You’re actively expending energy which generates internal body heat. This activates the internal cooling process and in turn, causes your body to sweat.
Hyperhidrosis
Hyperhidrosis is the scientific term for excessive sweating, and when sweat is constantly reacting with bacteria on the skin, body odour is constant unless personal hygiene is managed correctly.
Being overweight
Bacteria on the skin tends to get stuck in larger folds of skin where oxygen is unable to assist in drying sweat off and cooling you down.
Hormonal changes
Hormonal changes related to reproductive hormones, like estrogen and progesterone - i.e. puberty and menopause - can cause changes in your body temperature that make you feel excessively hot. Your body may respond with a hot flash to cool down, or you may sweat excessively, resulting in body odour.
Emotions and stress
The following emotions and mental conditions can also make you break out in a heavy sweat, resulting in body odour:
✘anger
✘fear
✘embarrassment
✘anxiety
How to Manage Body Odour
- Make personal hygiene a priority
Take a bath or shower at least once a day to keep any bacteria on the skin at bay. During the day, you can also make sure you keep your underarms dry (bacteria have a hard time breeding in dry areas of the body). Shaving your underarms or other areas that you sweat regularly will also help prevent the accumulation of bacteria and can reduce sweat and odour. Another handy tip is to put on an antiperspirant at bedtime. This gives the product a chance to work while you sleep and are not sweating.
- Wash your clothes regularly
As the sweat components break down, this can lead to unpleasant odors forming on your clothes. And, if you don't get rid of the sweat smell from your garments effectively, it can build up over time, resulting in a closet full of clothes that still smell of sweat even after washing. Using a scented laundry detergent will not only help to remove stubborn sweat odours, but will also leave your clothes smelling fresh! A great tip is to wear an undershirt. It will absorb more sweat and protect your more expensive outer shirt.
SkinSpring’s active ingredient, Hypochlorous (HOCl), targets the root cause of body odour - bacteria on the skin. HOCl is a natural compound produced in our bodies as an immune response to injury or infection. That is why HOCl is so comfortable on the skin and works so effectively at activating the body’s immune response to heal and remove any unwanted pathogens. SkinSpring is a 100% natural body mist that gently kills bacteria, reduces inflammation, tones, hydrates, and rejuvenates the skin. You can say bye-bye B.O. by simply misting the parts of your body that sweat and produce body odour. You can also apply SkinSpring to your armpits before you use your antiperspirants and periodically throughout the day (allow to air dry).
- Avoid certain foods
There are two ways foods can cause body odour: by making you sweat more or having pungent aromas that can be carried in your sweat. Foods that tend to make you sweat are hot peppers and spicy foods and others you can avoid because of their aromatic compounds are onions or garlic. Even certain drinks containing caffeine or alcohol may also make you sweat more, increasing your chances of having body odour.
The best way to fight body odor is through prevention. Manage your lifestyle and invest in products that naturally kill bacteria on the skin as well as antiperspirants, which prevent or reduce perspiration. If you feel you sweat an abnormal amount, contact a health professional.