Strong or offensive body odor is an embarrassing problem that affects many, and being a sensitive topic, is not openly discussed. Although commercial chemicals and artificial-scent sprays may help to temporarily control body odor, they often do not address the underlying cause. You may want a more natural remedy to manage the problem and there are several natural remedies can help treat undesirable body odor and provide a fresher and cleaner scent. The reason for body odor is bacteria, sweat, stress, hormonal changes, and foods rich in aminoacid cartinitine. Some tips to get rid of body odor are below.
Diet Remedies for Body Odor :
Diet is of utmost importance, even when it comes to body odor. What you eat will define how you smell. So, you might need to omit certain foods while include another in your diet to get rid of body odor. Here are some suggestions for you to consider when changing diet habits for controlling body odor.
- Drink lots of water. This helps in eliminating toxins from your body so that you do not smell bad.
- Have balanced diet complete with all groups of food- protein, whole grains, fish or lean poultry, pulses, healthy fats, fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Limit consumption of fried meat. A food that does not digest easily or completely tend to produce toxins in body.
- Avoid processed foods. Refined sugar, white flour and fats etc. found in junk foods will lead to many health conditions including body odor.
- Do not have much of spicy food. While onion and garlic are beneficial for health, over eating them can lead to body odor.
- Avoid caffeinated beverages, tea, coffee, colas and alcohol. Avoid any fried food that has been made in rancid oil.
- Have high fiber diet and avoid those with low fiber content.
- When you eat radish, have a little jaggery too for better digestion.
- Include such herbs in your diet as coriander, parsley, oregano, mint.
- Chew fennel seeds after meals. Have turnip or its juice frequently.
- Quit smoking and stop using tobacco in any form.
- Do not wear unwashed clothes. Always wash your clothes once you have used them.
Use Vinegar to Get Rid of Body Odor
- Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply to your underarms.
- Store vinegar in a sprayer and spray it under your arms after having bath. Don’t use any deodorant after using vinegar.
- Dilute some white vinegar in a mug of water while having bath and rinse your underarms with this water.
Apply Lemon Juice to Remove Body Odor
- Lemon- 1, cut into two halves
- Water – 1 cup
- Take one half of the lemon and rub it under your arms, one by one, squeezing its juice on to your skin. Store the other half of the lemon to be used later.
- Alternatively, you can squeeze the juice out of the lemon and apply this juice to your underarms with the help of a cotton ball.
- If you do not like the super acidic nature of lemon or you only have mild body odor, you can dilute lemon juice in water and rinse your underarms with it.
Baking Soda – Lime Juice Mixture for Body Odor
- Lemon juice- from fresh lemon
- Baking soda- enough to make paste
- Before having bath, mix lemon juice with baking soda to make a paste.
- Apply this paste to your underarms.
- Leave for about 5-10 minutes. Wash off with water.
Apple Cider Vinegar for Body Odor
- Pour undiluted apple cider vinegar on a cotton ball and rub your underarms with this before having shower. Wait for 2-3 minutes after applying ACV and then proceed to wash it off or to take bath.
- Add a cup of apple cider vinegar in your bath and soak for 8-10 minutes. This also cures sunburns apart from killing body odor.
- Add 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and have it three times a day before meals. If you can’t stand its taste or smell, you may add a little honey to this mixture. This is a good remedy to reduce your excessive sweating too.
- If you suffer from foot odor, add 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar in a foot soaking basin filled with warm water. Soak your feet in this water for 15 minutes. You can do it once every week.
Sage Herb to Kill Body Odor
- Mix a couple of sage essential oil with some carrier oil like olive oil and apply this to your underarms and/ or pulse points.
- Make sage herb tea for body wash. Add 2 tsp of this dried herb in ¼ liter of hot water and steep for about five 5 minutes. Use this warm water to rinse your underarms. Do not use for genital area. Always wash your hands after using sage herb. Never touch your face without washing hands after using this herb
Wheatgrass Juice Remedy for Body Odor
The chlorophyll present in wheatgrass is what makes it a good remedy for killing body odor.
- Wheatgrass juice- 2 tbsp
- Water- 1 cup
- Add wheatgrass juice to water.
- Mix well and have it on empty stomach in the morning.
Tomato Juice Bath for Body Odor
In Ayurveda, tomato juice is considered as the remedy for body odor. It recommends using tomato juice in bath water. However, many modern herbalists recommend having tomato juice internally too for getting rid of body odor. They recommend drinking tomato juice three times a day. Here is how you can use tomato juice for bath water.
- Tomatoes- 8-10
- Sieve
- Water- 1 bucket
- Crush the tomatoes to get their pulp
- Using sieve, extract the juice out of tomato pulp.
- Add this tomato juice to a bucket full of water.
- Bathe with this water.
- If you need more water for bath, increase the quantity of tomatoes.
Natural Deodorant for Body Odor
You should not use aluminum based deodorants to control body odor. Metals and chemicals can be absorbed by your body that may lead to various health problems. In place of chemical laden deodorants, make a natural deodorant at home using natural ingredients.
Ingredients :
- Sage essential oil- 5 drops
- Coriander essential oil- 5 drops
- Lavender essential oil- 5 drops
- Distilled witch hazel- 2 ounce (about 60 ml)
Add sage, coriander and lavender essential oil to witch hazel, Mix well and store it in spray bottle. Use it as your deodorant.
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