the one thing you don't know about your armpits

December 2020 | 5 minute read

Clean beauty industry maven Mary Futher founded kaia naturals® after spending 20 years working for global beauty companies. Mary now shares her weekly column, delivering a quick fix, home remedy, or clean beauty product suggestion for a variety of human discomforts that some may find too embarrassing to discuss.

What’s Different about Armpit Skin?

Nobody wants clogged pores, that’s why cleansing the face and neck region is so vital within your skincare routine. However, what about pores on the remainder of the body? Interestingly enough, our armpits are actually a highly porous and a complex part of our body. Neglecting them can cause embarrassing odor, and can lead to other more serious medical issues. I’ve got some advice for you to help you learn more and care for the skin that everyone forgets about – the armpits!

EXTREMELY POROUS

Armpits do not often get to see the light of day – especially in the wintertime. This dark, moist crevice of the human body is as wet as a rainforest and the perfect host for bacteria to grow. Armpit skin also has a high concentration of hair follicles and sweat glands, in other words, pores!

HIGH ACIDITY

The underarm is one of our body’s main entry and exit points. Although the armpit tends to lack fresh air, which makes us extremely susceptible to infection. While our more exposed skin sits at a pH balance of 5.5, the armpit pH balance is 6.5. This reduction in acidity, along with constant rubbing on clothing, shaving, perspiration could explain why most of us have suffered from body odor or armpit irritation.

BACTERIA & ODOR

Bacteria is the main culprit when it comes to body odor and the armpit often falls victim to this issue. However, the solution is an extremely easy one. Once you learn to manage bacteria within the armpit, you may still perspire as the body is meant to do, but you definitely won’t smell!

Armpit Care & Natural Deodorant

I suggest making the switch to natural deodorant to help eliminate body odor. The stigma that is often spread says that natural deodorants don’t work. This may be because of excess perspiration, as their old products had antiperspirant ingredients that natural deodorants cannot use. Natural deodorants simply stop you from smelling and do not contain aluminum which is the main ingredient that blocks your pores and prevents you from sweating. So, if you want your natural deodorant to perform better in terms of sweating, the steps below will help you achieve just that.

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Natural Fibers

We know that body odor can be caused by bacteria growing within the moisture sitting within the armpit fold. One tip that has helped avoid this stench would be to wear loose non-synthetic fibers, as synthetic fibers trap odor and sweat within the clothing and create a lingering aroma.

Oftentimes when people shower and wash their armpits, they do not wash the armpit area fully. Instead people tend to quickly swipe them with any generic bar soap, when in fact you should be scrubbing the armpit area carefully for at least twenty to thirty seconds each armpit to remove yesterdays’ bacteria and residue from deodorant or clothing with a natural bar soap.

To get better results from a natural deodorant you should use a natural antibacterial natural bar soap that contains salt and apple cider vinegar. These ingredients are better suited for the armpit as alcohol or hydrogen peroxide that are found in generic bar soaps are too harsh for the skin in the armpit area.

the underarm bar | $24

Antibacterial soap formulated with apple cider vinegar, salt, and activated charcoal to make natural deodorant work better to get rid of armpit odor, for good