How to Get Rid of Armpit Smell (Fast & Effective)

As embarrassing as this is to admit, I get really sweaty and it doesn’t exactly smell like roses. After years of struggling with underarm odor and constantly asking myself ‘how do I stop my armpits from smelling?’, I have finally found several foolproof ways of to make sure my armpits don’t smell, no matter how much I sweat. So if you’re wondering how to get rid of armpit smell, then you need to keep reading.

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How to Get Rid of Underarm Odor Permanently?

1. Kill the Bad Smelling Bacteria

Long story short on why our armpits smell bad: bacteria lives on the skin and this bacteria feeds on our body sweat and as the bacteria excretes what it’s eating, it produces a bad smell.

How to get rid of armpit smell? A super easy and effective way to get rid of the bad smell in our armpits is to kill the bacteria with PanOxyl.

PanOxyl will stop your sweat from being stinky and smelly and it’s become a staple in my hygiene routine. This is meant to be an acne foaming wash, but it’s done wonders for my armpits and how they smell.

Benzoyl peroxide products are amazing for controlling underarm odor and this foaming wash has 10% benzoyl peroxide.

This stuff if so effective, you need to try it!

You can get it here!

2. Try the Viral ‘The Ordinary’ Hack

This hack went viral on Tiktok and I was so surprised that it worked!

All you need to do is use The Ordinary’s Glycolic Acid Toning Solution on your armpits and I swear, it completely gets rid of smelly armpits.

Apply the solution to clean armpits with a cotton pad and you will be amazed by how effective it.

This hack doesn’t stop you from sweating, but it does stop your sweat from smelling bad and pungent.

Also, make sure to let the solution dry on your armpits before going on with your day, because otherwise it will get sticky.

Get the toning solution here!

3. Don’t Wear Tight, Non-Cotton Clothes

Avoid synthetic fabrics for your clothes and instead opt for natural fabrics like cotton, linen, and bamboo.

The fibres in these fabrics absorb moisture without trapping the smell bad bacterias and will help you smell better for much longer.

Also, try to wear looser clothing so that your armpits can be aired out and air can be allowed in to dry any sweat.

If you constantly ask yourself ‘why do my armpits smell so bad?’ then check if you wear tight clothes, because I used to only wear tight t-shirts and athletic wear and I noticed that my armpits always smelled a lot worse than when I’d wear looser tops.

4. Add Vinegar to Your Laundry

White vinegar does wonders for armpit stains on clothes and armpit odor.

Add 1/3 cup of white vinegar to your washing machine load and let your clothes soak in it for as long as possible but at least 30 minutes. This will neutralize the armpit odor to your clothes and make them smell fresh for when you wear them.

Even though this doesn’t stop your armpits from smelling, it does take care of that stale and musty sweaty smell your clothes can collect from having smelly armpits.

Give this tip a try for fresher smelling clothes instantly.

5. Avoid Eating Spicy and Strong Smelling Foods

I’m South Asian and our cuisine has A LOT of spices and strong smelling foods, and this definitely affected how my armpits smelled. I noticed that once I started limiting how much spicy food I had, my body odor got a lot better.

It’s kind of the same logic with when you have a lot of onions or garlic and your sweat starts smelling garlic-y and onion-y.

Try eating more fruits and naturally sweet foods and curb the amount of spicy and strong smelling foods you have.

6. Limit Your Meat Intake

Have you ever noticed that when you eat a lot of meat – especially red meat – that your armpits smell a lot more pungent and strong?

That’s because the fat in the meat messes with the chemicals in your armpits and as the bacteria on your skin feeds on that fat, it creates a really strong (and unpleasant) smell.

To naturally get rid of armpit smell, try limiting how much red meat you eat, it will make such a difference.

7. Remove Hair

I have always noticed that when my underarms are shaved/waxed and there’s no hair on them, my armpits smell so much better because bacteria and dirt doesn’t collect in your armpit hair.

Removing the hair under your arms is an easy and effective way to reduce armpit smell immediately.

8. Powder Dry Your Armpits

After I shower, I dab a little bit of baby powder (but any powder would work!) onto my armpits and this absorbs any excess water and helps keep my underarms smelling fresh and clean.

Powdering your armpits helps soak up any sweat and prevent odor. This was the first diy armpit tip I tried and was shocked by how much it helped keep my armpits from getting smelly.

‘Why do my armpits smell even after I shower?’ There is a very strong likelihood that if you start powdering your underarms immediately after your shower the smell will disappear or at least get much, much better.

9. DIY Armpit Odor Tips

1. Potato

Rub potato slices on your armpits or create a potato and water solution you can spray on your underarms after your shower.

2. Apple Cider Vinegar

This DIY armpit hack is like the white vinegar in laundry one.

Just take a cotton pad, soak it in apple cider vinegar, and tap it on clean underarms.

3. Baking Soda & Lemon

Mix equal parts lemon and baking soda and sub the mixture on your armpits and let it dry for about 15 minutes. Then wash it off and pat completely dry.

If you were wondering how to get rid of armpit smell, then I hope these simple and easy tricks help your armpits smell fresh and clean all day long.

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