Body odour and unwanted perspiration is never pleasant and can impact your self confidence if you don't know how to control it.   

This is such a common issue, that deodorants and antiperspirants are among the biggest selling categories of personal care products you'll find on your supermarket shelf.

The problem is that most 'big brand' products are laden with synthetic chemicals, which not only do the job of providing artificial fragrance and slowing down perspiration, but they also can disrupt very important systems within your body, that can cause you long term harm and disease.

It's important to remember that perspiration is a natural process that the body utilises to help eliminate toxins.  So, anything that is consistently used to artificially "block" this natural process, will eventually shut down the body's vital lymphatic cleansing system. 

Once this shut down occurs, your body will look for places to contain the toxicity that it's unable to release.  Unfortunately, this is the main factor that causes lymph nodes and breast lumps which form in the underarm area and can lead to unwanted and invasive treatments.  Alternatively, if these chemicals consistently make their way into the blood stream, they can cause long term allergies, respiratory dysfunction, fatigue, kidney disease and reproductive problems.

Here we reveal the main causes of body odour in the first place and the safest natural alternatives to harmful chemical deodorants so that you can avoid these health concerns.

What Causes Body Odour ?

Contrary to the common understanding, body odour is not generally caused by poor external body hygiene.  Body odour is usually a sign of some form of chemical chaos or dysfunction that has been able to manifest over time inside the body due to dietary and lifestyle factors. 

Some of these factors are the following...

Metabolic Processes

Perspiration by itself is basically odourless.  It's one of your body’s natural ways of cooling and ridding itself of metabolic waste.

But when your body doesn’t have enough oxygen, or has to manage imbalances caused by a heavy, processed or junk food diet, your metabolism goes into overdrive to vent or expel the unwanted waste that it is struggling to eliminate naturally, giving off odours.

This is especially true for people who eat large quantities of processed and refined foods, which will impact the body’s chemistry and balance over time, particularly when the body is not given the breathing space to reset and heal as it needs periodically.

Environmental Toxins

Unfortunately, we live in a world where we are bombarded on a daily basis by many different toxins in the air, in the workplace, inside shopping centres and around the home.

Constant exposure to these toxins, will overwhelm the body's organs and their ability to deal with them.

This is why good clean air is such a vital principle of health. It is essential to ensure that you're getting plenty of moving, electrified air every day - even when you sleep - to balance out your exposure to harmful airborne chemicals.

In doing so, you will help to avoid the liver and channels of elimination from being congested which can cause unwanted odours to emanate from the body.

Bacteria

Sweat glands or apocrine glands under the arms and in the groin secrete a substance that is the major cause of body odour not related to what we eat, drink and environmental factors.

This substance, made of carbohydrates, lipids and protein, is often secreted by a surge in sex hormones caused by tense moments or emotional stress. This substance is quickly joined by bacteria that can lead to body odour.  To limit these effects, it's important to minimise anxiety and stress through such practices as regular deep breathing, meditation and quality exercise.

Other conditions that can lead to body odour include:

• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Fungal infections
• An addiction to refined sugars and synthetic sweeteners that feed bad bacteria and fungus just beneath the surface of the skin.

Common Chemicals Contained in Commercial Deodorants

The following chemicals commonly used in commercial deodorant products are known to cause dysfunction and even cancer within the body: 

• Parabens
• Triclosan
• Phthalates
• Propylene Glycol
• Aluminium

As part of your self care lifestyle, please be very conscious about the deodorant you choose and ensure that you avoid these harmful ingredients.

Natural Steps To Help Minimise Body Odour

To address the root cause of body odour, it's a good idea to consider the following steps to correct any imbalances in your body:

• Eliminate from your diet, all processed meats and dairy products, industrial-seed oils such as vegetable oil, canola, safflower and soybean, chemical preservatives found in packaged foods, refined sugars and grains and white flour;
• Drink at least 2-3 litres of pure clean water each day;
• Do a juice fast for 7-14 days or a 14 day raw diet of fresh juices, salads and smoothies, beginning with our clay & fibre colon cleanse protocol;
• Drink the juice of a fresh squeezed lemon mixed with cold water a and a good pinch of natural salt every morning when you rise to cleanse the liver;
• Eat more raw green salads, seasonal fruits, vegetables to ensure adequate fibre, to assist the cleansing of your digestive tract an an ongoing basis
• Exercise daily to the point of a sweat, to allow your body's lymphatic stream to activate and do its job of releasing toxins naturally through the process of perspiration.    
• Wear natural fibre clothing such as cotton and linen to allow your body to easily breathe.

Natural Tips & Ingredients To Help Reduce Body Odour 

• Keep your body clean - Shower morning and night and pay special attention to all of your nooks and crannies that are usually the source of odour.  Also, use only natural chemical-free soaps that won't dry out or irritate your skin.  Dry yourself properly before you dress yourself.  Once or twice per week, it's also a great idea to have a hot bath soak that includes 1-2 cups of pure epsom salts and 10-15 drops of your favourite essential oils e.g. Lavender, Tea Tree, Lemon Grass and Bergamot to help open up your pores and to encourage of the natural release of unwanted toxins stored beneath your skin;
• Arm Pit Detox - Detoxing any area of the body with bentonite clay is very effective for drawing out toxins and impurities because Bentonite Clay is a powerful natural chelator.  Detoxing rids the area of build-up, allowing any natural deodorant you use to work more effectively.  In a small dish or the palm of your hand mix 1 tablespoon of Bentonite Clay with 1-2 teaspoons of water until you have a yogurt-like consistency.  Next, spread evenly over each arm pit and allow to set for 10-15 minutes.  Wash off with a warm wet washer or under the shower, dry yourself thoroughly and then dab a few drops of Apple Cider Vinegar under each arm using a cotton pad;
• Apple Cider Vinegar -  Apple Cider Vinegar eliminates under arm body odour because it reduces the pH of the skin.  Bacteria find it very difficult to live in low pH environments that are less acidic;  
• Baking Soda (Aluminium-Free): This is one of mother earth's most powerful, natural deodorisers.  Apply the powder directly to your dry armpits to help kill bacteria and help absorb perspiration. For extra fragrance, add a few drops of Lavender essential oil to the powder first;
• Eat Parsley, Alfalfa and Greens: By including fresh alfalfa, parsley, leafy greens and cucumbers in your salads, you will help neutralise body odour. This is mainly due to the natural deodorising effect of the chlorophyll.  Drinking a daily shot of fresh wheat grass juice can also work wanders to control and reduce body odour;
• Anti-Bacterial Body Spray: Add 8-10 drops of either Rosemary and/or Tea Tree essential oil to 30 mls of filtered water in a small glass spray bottle, shake and use lightly as a body spray on clean skin where needed.

The Main Takeaway

The answer to body odour and unwanted perspiration is not commercial deodorants that are packed with harmful chemicals that can damage important systems of your body and eventually cause disease.

Instead, the best way to take care of body odour is to first recognise the main causes of the problem in the first place and to make some of the dietary and lifestyle adjustments and suggestions shared with you here. 

In addition, embrace one or two of the tips and remedies we've offered and choose only natural deodorant products that have been made from conscious ingredients, such as those found in our store here at tolmanselfcare.com

When you follow these steps, you'll go a long way to making body odour a thing of the past. 

Tolman Self Care.