Our skin contains two types of sweat glands: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. Eccrine glands are present all over our body. They produce sweat, which is mostly water. Apocrine glands, on the other hand, are concentrated in regions such as; ear canals, armpits etc. They produce thicker sweat which has proteins. We know that millions of bacteria are normally found all over our skin, when apocrine glands produce sweat, the bacteria breakdown the proteins in that sweat, releasing unpleasant smell which we know as body odour.

Body odour is influenced by various factors like your hygiene, diet, and gene. To deal with body odour, you can start by checking your diet;

• Are you eating more of onions, garlic, and very strongly flavored food? These could be causing the smell to change in the sweat.
• Drink a lot of water: Not drinking enough water stops your body from producing enough quantity of sweat. While this is logically supposed to reduce body odour, it actually makes matters worse because your body starts producing very concentrated sweat.
• Consider anti-biotic soap/body wash: Some bathing soaps/body wash contain properties that are actually aimed at reducing body odour. Deodorants also help to some extent to avoid body odour.

It is important to note that bacterial or fungal infections also cause body odour. So, if you don’t see improvement after trying out the home remedies listed above, please see a dermatologist who can rule out the fungal or the bacterial infection. A qualified dermatologist can also suggest treatment & medication options you can explore if an infection is not the case and the odour persists.