6 Natural Ways to Reduce Sweat and Body Odour

Welcome To Your Odour-Free Era!

Things are heating up, so it's no surprise we're getting more questions about curbing excessive sweating and body odour. First, it's helpful to understand that sweating is a natural process by which the body regulates its temperature and eliminates toxins, while body odour is caused by the bacteria that break down sweat, leading to unpleasant smells. Antiperspirants prevent you from sweating by using potentially harmful toxins and endocrine disruptors. Natural deodorants, on the other hand, function by targeting the bacteria that cause body odour. They won't stop your sweat glands from doing their thing ... and that's the point. Aside from our impossibly perfect lineup of natural deodorants, here are a few tried-and-tested natural ways to get ahead of body odour for your best-smelling summer yet.

Natural Ways To Reduce Sweat And Body Odour

1. Stay Hydrated To Lower Sweat And Scent

Drinking lots of fresh water throughout the day helps regulate your body temperature and dilutes the toxins in your sweat glands. If your body is dehydrated, releasing toxins (bacteria) takes longer, which, when accumulated, leads to an unpleasant body odour, especially in the armpits, feet, and groin area. Pssst. Drinking enough water also helps with bad breath in cases when a dry mouth and dehydration cause halitosis. 

2. Incorporate Charcoal To Limit Body Odour

Charcoal has a superpower for drawing out impurities and toxins (which is why it's often found in acne treatments.) When it comes to body odour, porous charcoal absorbs toxins to soak up smells. We love the charcoal Underarm Bar from Kaia Naturals, which is formulated to transform any natural deodorant into extra-strength protection. This bar contains a heavy-hitting dose of activated charcoal to reduce odour and apple cider vinegar to balance your skin's pH and create an environment less conducive to bacterial growth. We recommend a 60-second double-cleanse with this bar to really kick it into high gear and keep you fresh all day. 

3. Boost Natural Deodorant Power By Choosing One With Baking Soda

Baking soda absorbs odour over time, making it quite the BO-Buster, not just an odour-masking ingredient, and its effects last longer than alternative antibacterial ingredients like essential oils and coconut oil. Because baking soda is very alkaline (a 9 on the pH scale), it can irritate the underarms. The aluminum-free Hug Me natural deodorant from Blume is a saviour for sweaty underarms, even if you're a baking-soda skeptic. This formula pairs baking soda with probiotics to help balance the skin's microbiome and neutralize odour without irritation. Feedback on this bar is consistent: comfortable wear that keeps you odour-free all day long. It's worthy of the hype!

4. Try Glycolic Acid For Odour-Free Pits

Glycolic Acid is a power player in the skincare industry, renowned for its exfoliating properties and ability to fade hyperpigmentation. But it also moonlights as an odour-control agent! Glycolic Acid reduces underarm odour by exfoliating away dead skin cells and lowering the skin's pH, preventing product buildup and making it less likely for odour-causing bacteria to survive. The #glycolicacidasdeodorant tag on TikTok is filled with videos of people saying they've ditched their deodorant for Glycolic Acid formulas, and because we're always looking for new ways to keep our underarms smelling fresh, we had to try it for ourselves! We were immediately impressed with the odour-control impact of the Josh Rosebrook Body Acid Serum. We typically talk about this lotion-like body serum as an effective product for gently exfoliating and promoting smoother, more even skin. Now, we've added it to our underarm collection as a nonstick serum deodorant that efficiently neutralizes odour.  Bonus: as if reducing odour wasn't enough, Glycolic Acid also helps with ingrown hairs and underarm hyperpigmentation. Oui, oui. 

5. Wear Breathable Fabrics To Reduce Sweat And Body Odour

Do your gym clothes smell even after you've washed them? Artificial fabrics like polyester, nylon, acrylic, and spandex add to body odour. Choose clothing made from natural fabrics like cotton or linen. These fabrics are breathable, moisture-wicking, and naturally antimicrobial, allowing for better air circulation and minimizing sweat buildup and the growth of odour-causing bacteria. Change clothes often when you're sweating heavily, and swap out socks frequently if you struggle with foot odour.

6. Find The Best High-Performance Natural Deodorant For The Job

Unlike aluminum-based antiperspirants, which block sweat glands and trap toxins in your body, natural deodorants neutralize and mask odours, allowing your underarms to breathe. Anyone who has switched from an aluminum antiperspirant to a natural deodorant will tell you - there's a transition period. Not every natural deodorant works for everybody, it's really a matter of finding what works best for you. And each stage of the armpit-detoxing process varies depending on your body chemistry. To help with this transition, invest in a high-quality, extra-strength natural deodorant (free of aluminum, phthalates, and parabens) to neutralize odour and excessive sweat while nourishing your armpits with a botanical blend of healthy ingredients.

We love these high-performance naturally deodorizing formulas:

Best extra-strength formula: Nala Care Lavender & Vetiver Charcoal Deodorant  

Best natural charcoal deodorant: Kaia Naturals Takesumi Detox Sakura Blossom

Best baking soda-free natural deodorant: Mulberry Skincare Green Tea Deodorant

Best fragrance-free all-natural deodorant: Blume Hug Me Deodorant

Best on-the-go deodorant spray: Fitglow Beauty Deodorant Spray 

Our Takeaway - Stay Fresh Naturally!

Consistency is key—sometimes, the best things in life take a little bit of patience. Incorporate these remedies into your daily routine to stay fresh naturally. Remember that everyone's body is unique, so it may take some experimentation to find the best combination for you. If you have questions about sweat and odour control, contact your knowledgeable Green Kiss Educator to deodorize with ease.

All copy found on The Green Kiss website is written for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.