ecoteam, the science of smell expert group - deodorant & aromatherapy

_The Problem of Tobacco Odor:

Smokers often underestimate just how acutely non-smokers can smell tobacco. A study at the Institute for Hygiene and Applied Physiology in Switzerland found that non-smokers can detect the odor of one cigarette diluted in 19,000 cubic meters of air. This is roughly equivalent to a smoker going into the middle of a football or soccer stadium on calm day and lighting up; even 50 meters (150 feet) away, non-smokers can smell the cigarette.

The tobacco industry is very aware that cigarettes cause odor, so they include various additives in cigarettes to mask the odor. These include aluminum (linked to Alzheimer's disease and breast cancer) in the wrapping paper and lemon, vanilla, and patchouli in the tobacco. All these chemicals have to be detoxified in the liver of anyone who inhales the smoke, whether they smoke the cigarette or not.

Various studies find that 20 to 60 per cent of people exposed to second-hand smoke develop some kind of upper respiratory condition. Symptoms include sore throat, nasal irritation, post-nasal drip, runny nose, dry throat, dry mouth, coughing, and hoarseness. The acrolein in tobacco smoke is a common trigger for asthma attacks.

What causes tobacco odor?

1. Smoking: This is the obvious cause of tobacco odor on the body. The smell of smoke clings to the body, causes bad breath, and also comes out through the skin. The tobacco mixes with your body chemistry to cause a distinct odor that comes out through the skin.  This odor can persist for weeks even after the cessation of smoking.
2. Second hand smoke: As anyone who has ever been in a smoky café or bar can tell you, smoke from other people’s cigarettes also clings to clothing, the hair on the body and some gets into your system by breathing the smoke in the air. If enough second hand smoke is breathed in, it can cause a smell that comes out through the skin just as though the individual had actually smoked cigarettes.

Treatment of Tobacco Odor

Quit Smoking: This is the obvious and most definite way to eliminate the smell caused by tobacco. Even after quitting, it may take several weeks or more for the body to rid itself of the chemicals that cause foul body odor.

Avoid Smoky Places: Again, this is a rather obvious solution. Tobacco odors can be both strong and dangerous, so the best first defense is to avoid smoke whenever possible.

Wash Regularly: If you still smoke, or have to be in areas that are exposed to smoke it is important to take care to wash the smell off your body with a strong soap. One should pay special attention to hair and hairy parts of the body which seem to absorb smoke particularly well. They must be washed with smoke and water to help eliminate the smell.

Products:

• Vinegar: Adding vinegar or vinegar baking soda to your regular laundry cycle and detergent can help remove smoke odors.
• Clorox Bleach: this is very effective in removing bacteria and smells, but is often not good for colored fabrics. Website: www.clorox.com.

Sprays for Clothes and Fabrics: There are many sprays to get rid of odors from clothing or fabrics, but most of these simply are perfumed and mask the smell.   

Products:

• Etiquette Spray: This spray created by Ecoteam stands out by chemically breaking down the molecules that cause the smoke smell and absorbing the remaining molecules, thereby eliminating the smell of smoke rather than just masking it. Website: www.ecoteamlab.com

_Self-Treatment of Vaginal Odor:

For daily vaginal odors, good hygiene is the best weapon:
Wear lose cotton clothing: This is often referred to as clothing that “breathes," allowing air to flow and keep the vagina dryer. This stimulates the growth of healthy Lactobacillus bacteria and discourages the growth of the odor-causing Gardnerella. Avoid nylons or synthetic fabrics which trap heat, intensify sweat, and therefore allow more odor causing bacteria to grow. Cotton panties are best.
Bathe more often during menstruation: This is the simplest way to help combat extra sweat or excretions that may be caused by hormonal changes.
Change tampons or pads more frequently: This can prevent the build-up of smelly blood and bacteria byproducts. There are scented tampons and douches on the market, but these can disturb the natural flora of the vagina and actually do more harm than good.
Although it has been mentioned before, it bears mentioning again: Don't use douches to prevent vaginosis. Douches don't decrease the risk of developing vaginosis, they increase it. One study found that women who did not previously have vaginal odor, itch, or dryness but had used douches in the last two months were nearly 3 times more likely to develop vaginal odor in the next month than those who had not used douches. Once odor has developed, however, these douches are helpful on a short-term basis, never more than 2 weeks (to allow healthy bacteria to recover):

• Betadine is a form of anti-bacterial iodine that does not sting or burn, although it may stain undergarments. Use 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) in 1 pint (500 ml) of warm water, every other day for up to a week.
• Goldenseal, coptis, or barberry extract, 2 teaspoons (8 ml) in 1 pint (500 ml) of warm water kills bacteria of all sorts. Use every other day for up to two weeks.
• Lithium succinate (available from compounding pharmacists) in up to 8% solution is helpful for women who develop vaginal odor while recovering from herpes. It controls both bacteria and the herpesvirus. Use every other day for up to two weeks.
• White vinegar, 2 tablespoons (24 ml) in 1 pint (500 ml) of warm water kills odor-causing bacteria but encourages the growth of Lactobacillus.
• Borax and garlic are too harsh (and garlic is too smelly) for use in douches.
  

Remember, medication is a short-term remedy: Doctors often prescribe Flagyl (metronidazole) for vaginal odor. This antifungal drug is cheap, costing US $1 a day or less, about one-fifth the cost of the least expensive vaginal lotion, but it is not without its problems.

Flagyl leaves a metallic aftertaste when it's taken by mouth, and drinking alcohol while taking the drug can result in nausea or vomiting. And although Flagyl may control Gardnerella infection, it does nothing to reestablish the protective Lactobacillus bacteria. If these healthy bacteria are not restored, either by using probiotic yogurts or by using probiotic vaginal suppositories, the infection will return in about a month after discontinuing the drug.

_Causes of vaginal odor:

Along with vaginal dryness, vaginal itch, and vaginal discharge, vaginal odor is one the leading reasons women consult gynecologists. Even in healthy women, normal vaginal secretions can have a slightly "cheesy" or "antiseptic" smell. Contact of the vagina with semen can result in the release of a "fishy" odor. The greatest amount of vaginal discharge occurs at the midpoint of a woman's menstrual cycle, so this odor will naturally be stronger around the time of ovulation, when fertility is greatest.

Vaginal mucus (distinguished from menstrual blood) is released all the time, but the volume of discharge is about twice as great around Day 14 of a woman's period. The actual volume of discharge is normally 2 to 4 ml, about 1/2 a teaspoon to 1 teaspoon a day. Immediately after the menstrual period the mucus is "slippery" and produced in higher volume, and right around ovulation the mucus is "dry" and produced in lower volume.

The relationship of vaginal odor to vaginal infections is not easy to sort out. It is possible to have an infection without odor, and it is possible to have odor without infection. Odor can also result from excessive growth of bacteria that normally inhabit a healthy vagina, such as Gardnerella. Vaginal odor can be caused by yeast or trichomonas, but about a third of women who have issues with vaginal odor do not have infections with any common microorganism.

Vaginal odor can also be a symptom of chlamydia infection or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). If excessive vaginal odor is an issue, a trip to the doctor is in order to ensure that these two serious conditions do not exist. Looking at the vaginal mucus under the microscope usually reveals the exact source of the odor, but inflammatory processes that have nothing to do with infection can also cause odor problems.

As a general rule, however, itching with no odor is caused by yeast infection while inflammation with a strong "cheese" odor is caused by bacterial infection. Antifungals are prescribed for yeast infection, while antibiotics may be prescribed for bacterial infection—it is important to get the right treatment! Diflucan and fluconazole are more likely to be the right treatment when there is no strong odor, just vaginal itch.

Don't ignore vaginal odor. It is important to get treatment for bacterial infections of the vagina. Untreated infections with the bacterium Gardnerella can result in salpingitis, endometrial infection, pelvic inflammatory disease, and premature labor. Any kind of uterine surgery becomes much more likely to result in infection, and the woman also becomes more at risk for infection with HIV. Women at the highest risk for bacterial infections of the vagina are those who:

• Recently started sexual relations with a new male partner.
• Have lower estrogen levels as a result of perimenopause, the years of a woman's life before full menopause.
• Use douches for vaginal hygiene.
• Recently finished treatment with antibiotics (killing the friendly bacteria that keep odor-causing bacteria in check).
• Wear an IUD (intrauterine device) for contraception.

Finally, vaginal odor sometimes is the only warning sign of herpes infection. It is important to get a medical examination to be sure the cause of the odor is not a serious disease.

_Treatment for Bad Breath:

Brushing, Flossing and mouthwash: These are all critical to good oral hygiene, but they only mask the odor temporarily. Odors continue until the body eliminates the food. However, if you fail to brush daily, particles of food remain in the mouth, which breeds bacteria and can cause odor.

Products:

• Listerine Antiseptic Mouthwash: One of America's favorite home remedies, this mouthwash contains extracts of eucalyptus and thyme that actually kill the germs that cause bad breath. Most mouth bacteria die after a 30-second exposure to Listerine. The product is made by Johnson & Johnson. Website: www.listerine.com.
• Cepacol is another antiseptic mouthwash that can kill germs, especially Staphylococcus bacteria. Website: www.cepacol.com.
• Colgate and Crest are among American Dental Association approved toothpastes. They do a good job cleaning your teeth and tongue, but again won’t solve bad breath entirely.
• Websites:  www.colgate.com, www.crest.com
  

Brush your tongue: Your tongue is covered in taste buds that have a small mushroom shape if you look at them under a microscope. The caps of these buds can catch microscopic bacteria that cause bad breath so it is important to brush your tongue as well as your teeth.

Change your diet: As mentioned above, toothpastes and mouthwash can only mask the smell of bad breath. The smell won’t completely go away until the food leaves your body, so you may want to change your diet to prevent breath odor.

Drink lots of water: Keeping your mouth moist stimulates the production of saliva which washes away dead cells, food particles and bacteria that contribute to bad breath.

Chew on parsley: This herb can help mask the smell of bad breath, but it won’t cure it.

Chew a breath mint: Mint can mask bad breath, but it cannot remove it. The combination of lemon and mint is best for masking garlic odor.

Avoid Smoking: Tobacco products can cause terrible breath problems among other health issues.

Visit the Dentist: If periodontal disease is the cause of your bad breath, the dentist may refer you to a specialist in treating gum problems or prescribe a special antimicrobial mouth rinse.

_Bad breath, also known as halitosis, is probably the most commonly recognized odor problem. Nearly everyone has bad breath occasionally—especially when first waking in the morning. "Morning breath" or "dragon breath" is a simple condition caused by oral inactivity. As soon as we brush our teeth, or drink our morning coffee, tea, juice, or water, this very mild form of halitosis disappears. Other kinds of bad breath are much more persistent.

What Causes Bad Breath?

Bad breath sometimes signals a significant health problem. A sickeningly sweet smell of sugar and nail polish remover, for instance, is a sign of dangerously uncontrolled diabetes. Children can have tonsils so inflamed that they catch food particles no matter how much the child brushes or uses mouthwash, and the only cure is to have the tonsils taken out.

There are several other causes for breath odor, also called halitosis:

Infections in the stomach, rather than the mouth: The bacterium that causes most cases of stomach ulcers, Helicobacter pylori, can also cause extremely potent bad breath. Getting rid of the bacterium cures both the ulcers and the bad breath. There is a blood test that can tell whether Helicobacter pylori is present.

Certain Foods: Food, once absorbed into the bloodstream, is transferred to the lungs where it can be smelled when a person exhales. This is the case with garlic and onions. No amount of brushing, flossing, and mouthwash will get rid of garlic or onion breath, since the odor emanates from the bloodstream (2 hours after the garlic is eaten).
 
Not Eating: It may sound odd, but not eating can also cause bad breath, caused by the breakdown of chemicals during fasting called ketoacidosis. Dieters need to be particularly conscious of this. Ketoacidosis is usually accompanied by 4 to 7 pounds (2-3 kg) of quick weight loss, and gives a smell to the breath something like nail polish remover, because the body makes the same chemical used in nail polish remover. Uncontrolled diabetes can also cause this odor.

Failure to Brush Properly: if you fail to brush daily, particles of food remain in the mouth, which breeds bacteria and can cause odor.

Dry Mouth: A lack of saliva can cause breath odor. Saliva moistens and cleans the mouth by neutralizing acids and washing away dead cells. Dry mouth, or lack of saliva, can be caused by certain medications.

Periodontal Disease: More commonly known as gum disease, this disease is characterized by deep pockets in the gums which can catch and grow all kinds of bacteria that cause breath odor.

Sugarless Chewing Gum: The sugar alcohols used to sweeten sugarless chewing gum cause the digestive to concentrate the chemicals that cause onion and garlic breath. If onions and garlic are not eaten, however, sugarless chewing gum does not have this effect.

_Foot Powder: Dust your feet with a powder to help absorb moisture.

Products:

• Dr. Scholl’s Odor Destroyers medicated powder is designed to absorb moisture and relieve itching that can come with sweat. Website: www.drscholls.com
• Odor Eaters makes a powder that is fairly effective at absorbing smell. Website: www.odoreaters.com
• Baking soda will absorb moisture and kill some of the bacteria.
  

Shoe Inserts: Inserts can help absorb moisture and reduce the odor. Most shoe inserts are made form a fabric laced with activated charcoal.

Products:

• Odor Eaters makes an insole that has a charcoal filter to absorb moisture and smell. Website: www.odoreaters.com
• Dr. Scholl’s makes inserts designed to absorb moisture and odor. Website: www.drscholls.com

Shoe/Sock Spray: Spray your shoes with a substance that kills the bacteria that cause foot odor, rather just trapping the odor.

Products:

• Ecoteam’s Deodorant Foot Spray is very effective, because unlike powders and insoles which aim to absorb moisture, this spray actually kills the bacteria in shoes and socks that are causing the smell. It is particularly useful if you are out and can’t change shoes or socks. Website: www.ecoteamlab.com
  

Diet: Because the sweat that causes foot odor comes from eccrine sweat glands, the excretion of certain smelly spices such as garlic, curry, or fenugreek can make your feet smell particularly pungent. Changing your diet can help.

Foot Soaks: Soaking your feet can kill the bacteria that live in sweat glands and cause the Limburger cheese odor. In a pan of warm (86° F/30° C) , not hot, water, add:

• Warm green tea you have made with 5 green tea bags. The tannins in the tea cross link proteins in the skin of your feet and reduce perspiration. Do this for 30 minutes five times a week.
• Apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup (60 ml) of vinegar for every pint (480 ml) of warm water. This soak is good from getting rid of stinky-cheese smell, although it is not, of course, good for getting rid of vinegar smell.
• Salt water, made with 1/4 cup () of kosher salt in every pint (480 ml) of water. Soak for 30 minutes. When finished, don't rinse, just pat feet dry.
• Cornstarch, baking soda, and talcum powder sprinkled in the shoes help keep feet dry, although women should avoid talcum powder since it is correlated with ovarian cancer.

Antiperspirants: Antiperspirants are more effective for underarm perspiration than for foot perspiration. Controlling sweaty feet may require antiperspirants with an aluminum concentration as high as 30 to 40 per cent. The only way to get this super-strength antiperspirant is to have a compounding pharmacist make it for you. Once perspiration control is achieved, however, it is only necessary to use the foot antiperspirant about once every three weeks.

Antiperspirants that contain aluminum change the chemistry of the skin of the feet so that water is less likely to pass through the skin. Containing the chemical aluminum chloride hexahydrate, these antiperspirants may take care of excess of excess sweating, and the associated odor, after about a week's use. At first it is necessary to use them every day to change the chemistry of the skin. Later it may be enough to use them two or three times a week.

When there is flaking, redness, or pitting of the skin of the feet, additional treatment may be needed to get at the cause of the odor. When benzoyl peroxide is applied, it's important to let it sink into the skin for a few minutes and then wash the excess off, since it can bleach the skin of the feet, leaving odd shades and altered skin tones that take months to grow back normally.

Doctors may recommend a process called wet iontophoresis. This method involves putting the feet into a pan of electrically charged water that forces the aluminum ions into the skin of the feet. (Don't try this at home!) There is also a process called dry iontophoresis, which can be done at home. A battery-operated device called the Drionic, available for about US $150, sends a mild charge through the skin, no liquids required. The Drionic is more effective for controlling sweaty hands than sweaty feet. A single Drionic treatment may reduce perspiration for up to six weeks.

In extreme cases, doctors may even inject the skin of the feet with Botox to "paralyze" the sweat glands for up to 90 days at a time, but each treatment costs hundreds of dollars and there is a risk of foot injury due to insensitivity to pain. Medications to stop sweating tend also to cause dry eyes, reduced urination, and sore throat. Usually it is a lot simpler to treat the odor and not the perspiration.

_What Causes Foot Odor?

Foot odor is in fact another type of odor caused by sweat. The feet are the only area in the body where there is often a smell exclusively from eccrine sweat. The feet have more sweat glands than any other part of the body. There are nearly 250,000 eccrine sweat glands in the feet, and people can produce massive amounts of foot sweat in one day.

All that sweat, combined with the natural warmth of the foot, creates an ideal growing environment for the bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidis. This bacterium lives on the fluid from sweat and the proteins in the dead skin cells that are abundant on the feet. (It's not a good idea to exfoliate your feet to get rid of dead skin, since dead skin and calluses protect the tissues beneath them.)
This bacterium has a unique ability to form films and then go into a hibernating mode. That is how it survives in shoes and socks between uses. This staph bacterium can survive up to 30 days even in dry shoes, far longer in damp shoes.

The waste products of this kind of bacteria are what cause foot odor. One waste product, isovaleric acid (also known as 3-methyl-butanoic acid) has a strong cheesy odor. Since this bacterium survives a particularly long time in the shoes, a cheesy, sweaty odor will be especially hard to get rid of.

But two other kinds of bacteria can also contribute to foot odor. The Propionibacter bacteria, which also cause acne, can hide in sweat glands. They create byproducts with a vinegar smell. And there are also Brevibacter, which produce the odor found in both smelly feet and Limburger cheese. This really unpleasant odor is derived from the methionine in dead skin cells that accumulate between the toes.

Surprisingly, not everything about foot odor is bad. For thousands of years, physicians in South Asia have used smelly feet or smelly shoes to resuscitate people who have suffered an epileptic seizure. Recent neurological research has found a scientific basis for this ancient practice. But for people, the social disadvantages of foot odor far outweigh its use in rustic traditional healing.

Treatment for Foot Odor

Shoes: Invest in more than one pair of shoes. Wearing a different pair of shoes as often as possible greatly reduces the growth of bacteria that cause foot odor. It is also important that shoes not be too tight, trapping moisture next to the skin, and that they "breathe." Canvas and leather shoes allow for the greatest air circulation.

It is also a good idea to buy shoes that are washable. If your shoes can be washed, throw them in the washing machine or brush the insides with a small amount of detergent. Let your shoes completely dry out before you wear them again—wearing shoes that are still damp is an almost sure way to develop foot odor! To dry shoes, use a shoe dryer, or a hair dryer on the outside and then stuff the inside with newspaper and allow to dry overnight.

Cleaning: Wash your feet daily or several times a day with a strong antibacterial soap, just as you would for body sweat. Be sure to wash between your toes, and wash your entire foot with a clean washcloth. This is important for removing the dead skin cells that feed the bacteria that make particularly stinky smells.

Products:

• Dial antibacterial soap. Website: www.dialsoap.com.
• Safeguard. Website: www.pgbrands.com.
• Irish Spring deodorant soap. Website: www.irishspring.com.
  

Change your socks: Change your socks every day or even several times a day. Just because socks aren't filthy yet doesn't mean they are fit to wear! Wash socks in antibacterial detergent and hot (118° F/48° C) water. Cotton socks hold the least odor.

Wear absorbent socks: Try to make sure your socks are made of a thick, absorbent material to soak up sweat.

Products:

• Drymax Sports Socks make a special line of socks specifically designed to soak up sweat. Website: www.drymaxsocks.com.
• Odor Eaters makes a specially designed sweat absorbent sock. The socks are no longer actively marketed but they are still available at some stores. Website: www.odoreaters.com.

When to See a Physician

If you can’t determine the cause of your body odor, or it is being caused by excessive sweat, it is important to see a physician to determine that it is not something of a more serious nature.

Hyperhidrosis

This is a condition of excessive and almost constant perspiration, producing more sweat than is needed to cool the body. Signs and symptoms include:

• Frequent sweating that is so strong it soaks through clothes
• Clamminess or dripping from hands and feet
• Abnormally strong perspiration from underarms, feet, head or face
  

To deal with hyperhidrosis, it is recommended that people see a physician. In the meantime, it is important to utilize the procedures listed above to help prevent the odor associated with this condition.

Other Conditions that may cause sweat or body odor:

• Diabetes
• Metabolic Dysfunction
• Liver Disease
• Kidney Disease
• Menopause
• Fungal Infections
• Some Cancers
• Parasites

Deodorants: These have limited success in eliminating odor. It is important to understand the difference between a deodorant and antiperspirants. These are not likely to work. The smell will simply intermingle with the smell of one’s body odor and the resulting odor may in fact be even more offensive.

Antiperspirants: These contain aluminum-based compounds that block the sweat pore temporarily. This reduces the amount of sweat that reaches your skin. There are a number of low cost brands from which to choose.

Products:

• Right Guard or Soft & Dry, made by Dial Corporation. Websites: www.rightguard.com, www.dialcorp.com
• Speed Stick, made by Colgate Corporation. Website: www.speedstick.com.
• Sure, made by Proctor & Gamble. Website: www.pg.com/sure.
• Secret, Proctor & Gamble’s deodorant for women. Website: www.secret.com.
  

The products listed above are available over the counter. Certain Dri, which is non-prescription but a little harder to find, is a stronger antiperspirant that contains a lot more aluminum, about 12 per cent aluminum chloride. Drysol, which is about 20 per cent aluminum chloride hexahydrate, is available by prescription only, as the product Xerac. Mitchum antiperspirant contains 20 per cent aluminum chloride, and is available over-the-counter.

Any aluminum product should be applied to dry armpits at bedtime. No aluminum product should be applied to broken skin. Discontinue use if there is a rash or inflammation of the skin.

Sweaty hands may respond best to an antiperspirant combining aluminum chloride hexahydrate with salicylic acid, the active ingredient in aspirin. Since there are no commercial products containing these ingredients on the market, this mixture has to be obtained from a compounding pharmacist.

There is some evidence that aluminum products contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease and that they have an estrogen-like effect stimulating certain forms of breast cancer in women, so they are not recommended as a first choice if other means of odor control are available.

In really extreme situations, surgery is possible. The surgeon may use liposuction. This is the same procedure that is used to remove excess fat, only in this case it removes sweat glands. A skilled neurosurgeon may perform an endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy, which severs the nerves leading to the sweat glands, but the effects of the operation are permanent, and may include increased sweating in the face.

Baking Soda: This common kitchen staple can be used instead of deodorant. If applied to the armpits, it will slow down the activity of odor-causing bacteria and absorb sweat.

Vinegar: Plain vinegar also reduces underarm odor, by changing the pH of the skin so that bacteria cannot multiply as readily. The problem with vinegar is that is has its own odor. Try applying a dab the size of a dime (a circle of 5 mm diameter or smaller) to avoid vinegar odor and also to make sure there is no skin inflammation.

Milk of Magnesia: Milk of magnesia is a chalky liquid that dries clear. If you are concerned that aluminum may cause breast cancer or Alzheimer's disease, then milk of magnesia is an inexpensive and surprisingly effective alternative.


Methods for Removing Sweat from Clothing:

To remove sweat from clothing that has been permeated with sweat, there are only two methods available.

Washing: It is important to launder clothes in order to remove the sweat and bacteria from them. Killing bacteria requires hot water, at least 118° F (48° C), although scalding hot water is not necessary. Bleach also kills bacteria.

Antibacterial sweat spray for clothes: It is not always possible to wash clothes immediately after you have sweat in them. However, you can remove the bacteria from your clothing while you are out through use of a spray.

Products:

• Deodorant Sweat Spray: There is currently only one spray on the market that effectively destroyed the bacteria that causes sweat odor. It breaks down the odor-causing bacteria present in sweat. If you use their product for clothes, you can remove most of the smell without washing the clothes. Website: www.ecoteamlab.com.
  

This is not to be confused with spraying a fabric scenting spray on clothes, which will not work for the same reason deodorants won’t work. These sprays are simply perfumes which attempt to mask the smell, and run the risk of intermingling with the smell and making it worse. These scented sprays also have no effect on the bacteria that is causing the bad odor.

What causes the bad odor of sweat?

Many people think perspiration itself is the cause of bad odor, but this is not actually true. Apocrine sweat is made up of water and salt, but also has fatty substances in it. It does not smell itself, but acts as a culture for bacteria to grow. The bacteria break down fatty acids into their more rancid, odorous forms.

People who have problems with body odor tend to have larger and more numerous apocrine glands. Men are more likely to have issues with body odor linked to apocrine than women, and persons of Asian descent are more likely to be sensitive to body odor than persons with other genetics.

Odor-producing bacteria tends to grow in the sweat produced by apocrine sweat glands, which are the main source of non food-related smell in sweat. This is why the under arms and the groin are usually the smelliest areas of the body. This is also why children don’t have to worry about perspiration odor, because these glands don’t become active until puberty.

Treating Sweat Odor

There are two key steps to ridding the smell of sweat from an individual:

• Eliminate sweat and bacteria from the body.
• Remove sweat and bacteria from clothing that has been permeated by sweat.
  

Methods for removing sweat from the body:

To remove sweat from the body or keep sweat from soaking the body, the number one element is personal hygiene, or in other words, bathing regularly.

Washing: Daily in showers with soap and water are necessary. In some cases it may be necessary to shower twice a day or more. Be sure to use warm water. Hot water can cause flaking of the skin, which provides additional food for odor-causing bacteria. Cold water stops perspiration for a time, but then the shock of returning to a warmer environment makes sweating even worse.

Also, pat or air dry skin, but don't rub yourself dry with a towel. Rubbing can loosen dead skin and clog pores. Finally, be sure always to use clean washcloths and towels, to avoid reinfecting yourself with the bacteria you just washed off!

Taking a soak in the tub is just as effective as taking a shower, but be careful about soaking in hot water for more than 15 minutes. Long, hot soaks can dry out the skin and provide bacteria with an additional food source.

Antibacterial soap: There are many good soap products on the market that will kill the bacteria that is present in skin. By killing bacteria that thrives in a sweaty environment, one reduces the amount of odor caused by perspiration.

One precaution: Don't use antibacterial soap on dry skin unless you also use a moisturizer. Antibacterial soaps, like all scented soaps, can dry out the skin.

Products:

• Dial soap is a widely available antibacterial soap that is low cost. Website: www.dialsoap.com.
• Irish Spring, made by Colgate, makes a special sport soap specifically designed to kill the germs that cause body odors. Use with caution if you have dry or sun-damaged fair skin. Website: www.irishspring.com.

Antibacterial ointments: There are several over the counter topical antibacterial ointments that can be applied to the body to prevent an excess of odor causing bacteria. This is generally only necessary in extreme cases.
   
Products:

• Dermoplast Antibacterial spray.
• Website: www.dermoplast.com.
• Neosporin is an antibacterial crème and ointment made by Johnson & Johnson. Website: www.neosporin.com.
• Mycelex Crème: this is available in many drugstores and pharmacies or can be ordered online at: www.internationaldrugmart.com.
• Clindamycin and erythromycin are antibiotics usually only available by prescription in the US and Canada. These antibiotics are useful for both underarm and foot odor, although American doctors usually treat extreme genital odor with a different kind of therapy, such as Botox.