Baking soda prevents body odour
I live in a hot climate and sweat a lot. So it’s no surprise that I used to depend on roll-on anti-perspirants everyday.
But I decided to stop using them when I found out that they contained zirconium and aluminium, which inevitably gets absorbed into my system.
If you’re similarly worried about heavy metal toxicity from anti-perspirants, you might want to consider a healthier alternative—Baking Soda.
Baking soda will prevent body odour very effectively. But it won’t prevent the sweating. And this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it’s much healthier to allow your body to sweat as sweating is the body’s way of releasing its excess toxins. By plugging up your sweat pores unnaturally, you’re forcing your body to release these toxins through other means such as skin eruptions (e.g. acne, rashes).
So you might still sweat with baking soda, but you won’t smell at all.
And even as you sweat, you won’t stain your clothes yellow because as it turns out, the tell-tale yellow stain doesn’t come from your sweat, but rather the chemical reaction from your sweat and the antiperspirant. Sweat alone will not stain your clothes. So you’ll still smell good at the end of the day and your clothes will look good too.
What you’ll need: Baking soda (be sure to use baking soda, also called sodium bicarbonate and NOT baking powder), some water
How to do it: Place a little baking soda (around a level teaspoon) on your palm. Add a bit of water, just enough to make the baking soda into a paste. Apply this paste on your underarm area. That’s it!
Tip (wait after shaving or waxing): Baking soda will not harm you. But you might feel some stinging when using baking soda if you’ve recently shaved or waxed your underarms. So it’s best to only use baking soda one day after shaving.
Does this baking soda acts as a underarm lightener?
I don’t think baking soda alone will lighten underarms. But baking soda added to lemon juice or vinegar can.
this definitely works, i can testify, beware however, frequent use and too much baking soda wil result in ur skin drying and becoming a darker shade than usual, it peels eventually, but, beware. I’ve experienced it more than once.
My God. I’ve heard that baking soda can be good in so many ways, for example that it can help you accelerate the exfoliation process, but I had never thought that it could also make sweating less stinky.
Can baking soda be used under one’s arm as a powder, like baby powder?
You can try dusting it on like baby powder, it might work if it can stay on your skin well enough. The point of adding water to make a paste first is so that it can stick to the skin a bit better.
for how long can you recommend the use of baking soda in he underarm?
I don’t understand what you’re asking Kerry. It’s an alternative underarm deodorant, so use it the same way as you would need to use deodorant. For most people, it’s once a day.
so if you use this baking soda it basically prevents body odor, but how do you use that on your clothes especially polyester?
Can you pre-mix baking soda and water and keep it in a container rather than having to mix it every time you use it?
After reading this tip, I’ve been mixing equal parts baking soda and corn starch (as a stabilizer) and liquifying it with body oil (a lavender body oil from Trader Joe’s), then keeping it in a glass cup with an airtight plastic cover.. I apply it with the back of a spoon, and it’s kind of the consistency of a gel deodorant. It does leave a white powder inside my shirts, but it washes easily and certainly doesn’t go anywhere… I always hesitated trying this ’cause I envisioned white powder flaking and falling out of my shirts, but that doesn’t happen at all because it stays put. Give it a go!
Hi KT, that’s actually quite innovative. Thanks for sharing your method
should you use this method at night before sleeping or is it better in the morning.
This is a natural replacement for commercial deodorants so it’s best used after a shower in the morning.
is this healthy and can you use it at night before sleep applying it for only 15 minutes ??
I use a combo of milk of magnesia and baking soda. After a bath or shower apply the magnesia. If you are a person who sweats a lot or has esp strong body odor, before the milk dries on the skin, apply the baking soda. Some people use coconut oil, but that does nothing for me
Previously I’ve tried natural salt deodorant crystals from a natural health store but they are definitely not as effective as the above ingredients. The crystals were ok at best, I still smelled of sweat, simply less pungent than foregoing the deo. Out of everything Ive tried, baking soda is the only thing that combats BO on contact.
On a label for rubbing alcohol I think it said, that it can prevent sweating. Is that true? Anyone tried it?
Thanks for sharing your method, Pragmatic. It never ceases to amaze me how all those heavily-advertised commercial deodorants can’t hold a candle to simple baking soda when it comes to preventing body odour.
I haven’t tried rubbing alcohol, but I would imagine that it’s pretty drying on skin (?)