How To Get Rid of Body Odor: 5 Tips for Men

A bad case of body odor can feel like a curse: a smelly, nose-scrunching curse that just won’t go away. Worse yet, since you’re the one sitting with it all day, you can end up nose blind to the stink. Dealing with a body odor problem is bad enough, but constantly worrying about whether you smell is even worse.

Don’t sweat it; Dr. Squatch is in your corner. Today, you’ll learn how to get rid of body odor with five simple tips to keep you smelling fresh all day. We’ll also break down what causes body odor in the first place and show you the natural, skin-friendly products that’ll upgrade your hygiene routine.

What Causes Body Odor?

“Know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.” —Sun Tzu

To learn how to get rid of body odor, you must first learn what it is you’re fighting. Sweat itself doesn’t cause you to smell bad , but it is a source of fuel for the bacteria that live on your skin. These microbes feast on fats and proteins in your sweat. More sweat (and thicker sweat) means more food for bacteria, leading to a stronger stink. Defeating body odor isn’t just about staying dry; it’s about mounting an all-out attack on bacteria.

Meet Your Glands (And the Bacteria Feeding on Them)

Your skin naturally secretes oil and sweat through three types of glands all over your body: 

• Sebaceous glands release oils that lubricate your hair follicles. 

• Eccrine sweat glands secrete watery sweat through your pores to cool your skin.

• Apocrine glands release thick sweat through your hair follicles to hydrate and cool your hairier areas like your underarms, chest, and crotch. 

When these oils and sweat sit on your skin's surface, they provide a veritable buffet for bacteria. As the bacteria feed, they release odorous toxins like methanethiol and hydrogen sulfide — otherwise known as locker-room smell.

Everyday Triggers That Make You Smell

Because body odor relies entirely on this bacterial feast, any lifestyle habit that spikes your sweat production or traps moisture on your skin will worsen the stank. Watch out for these primary culprits :

• Diet: What you eat determines what you excrete. For example, garlic, onions, and alcohol introduce pungent compounds that your body pushes out through your sweat glands. You don’t have to cut them out of your diet altogether, but scaling back can help.

• Stress and hormones: High-pressure situations tell your apocrine glands to release more sweat, giving bacteria more to feast on.

• Synthetic fabrics: Plastic-based fibers like polyester act like magnets for body oils while trapping in heat and moisture. This creates the perfect breeding ground for stinky bacteria — like micrococcus — which multiply rapidly on your clothes. These bacteria get trapped in the fibers and are hard to wash out.

• Infrequent showering or poor soap quality: Skipping days between rinses or using low-quality soap leaves bacteria on your skin, allowing them to build to stink-inducing levels.

• Underlying health conditions: Certain medical conditions — like infections, hormonal imbalances, and diabetes — trigger overactive sweat gland responses that can worsen body odor.

Top 5 Tips for Getting Rid of Body Odor

“Art thou angry with him whose armpits stink? What good will this anger do thee? Show him his error. For if he listens, thou wilt cure him, and there is no need of anger.” — Marcus Aurelius

Now that you know what you’re fighting, it’s time to discuss how you’ll go about defeating it. Here are five tried-and-true tactics for improving your scent.

1. Shower Daily (And Be Thorough About It)

The bacteria that cause body odor live to do two things: eat and multiply. Regular showers will wash off the food they eat and the bacteria themselves. Use a high-quality body wash or bar soap , and lather yourself up well . Then, rinse thoroughly to get rid of all the stink-causing germs.

2. Dry Off Completely Before Getting Dressed

Pat yourself down with a clean towel after you shower. Don’t just lounge around damp — bacteria thrive in moisture and transfer easily on wet skin. Vigorous towel drying physically lifts away germs and dead skin cells that may have survived the wash. Just make sure your towel is clean and dry, or you’ll be rubbing old bacteria right back onto your skin.

3. Apply Deodorant To Clean, Dry Skin

Wait to apply your deodorant until your skin is dry. That way, you don’t lock in moisture that could go rank on you. Try a natural deodorant with a manly scent like Maverick Musk if you want to smell like wild west leather or Mountain Meadow to smell fresh as a daisy.

4. Wear Breathable Fabrics, and Wash Your Clothes

Wear clothes made of breathable fabrics like cotton and linen, and wash them regularly to remove trapped bacteria. Throwing dirty clothes back onto freshly cleaned skin just reinstalls the stink. If your gear still smells post-wash, your detergent might be the culprit. Switch to an antibacterial formula that targets odor-causing buildup, and wash your clothes after every wear to give your wardrobe a fresh start.

5. Watch What You Eat

We get it; you want to eat what you want, when you want, and wash it down with your favorite local brew. There’s nothing wrong with that per se, but moderation is key. Enjoy garlic, alcohol, and greasy foods occasionally — not every day.

Other Body Odor Treatments and Prevention Tips

If you’ve already tried all the above tips and still aren’t seeing (or smelling) results, it’s time to bring out the big guns. Here are some finisher moves to get rid of body odor for good:

• Trim or shave your body hair: Dense body hair traps bacteria, sweat, and oil against your skin. You don’t need to shave it all off, but trimming the common culprits like your underarms and crotch removes their hiding spots. Learn how to manscape to give your undercarriage a fresh start, and use a safety razor for a smooth shave.

• Talk to your doctor: Certain health conditions like excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis), an overactive thyroid, or kidney disease can contribute to body odor. Get a check-up so a professional can screen for and treat these hidden culprits.

Keep Body Odor at Bay With Dr. Squatch

By now, you’ve probably noticed that beating body odor comes down to a rock-solid cleaning routine. Regular washing, grooming, and trimming keep the stink in check, especially when you back them up with the best products in the biz. 

Dr. Squatch’s natural bar soaps, deodorants, and grooming products give you an edge in the fight against body odor. Our products use natural ingredients to help you smell your absolute best. Ditch the generic brands. Grab a Dr. Squatch starter bundle to lock in the premium hygiene routine you deserve.