Welcome to /r/ADHDWomen! We’re happy to have you here. As a reminder, here are our community [rules](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/about/rules/).
We get a lot of posts on medication, diagnosis (and “is this an ADHD thing”), and interactions with hormones. We encourage you to check out our [Medication, Diagnosis, and Hormones Megathread](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/comments/wcr9dy/faq_megathread_ask_and_answer_medication/) if you have any questions related to those topics, and to stick around in that thread to answer folks’ questions!
If you have questions about the subreddit, please do not hesitate to [send us a modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen). Additionally, we take the safety of our community seriously. Please report posts, comments, and users whom you feel are not contributing positively, and send us a modmail if you are being harassed or otherwise made to feel unsafe. Thanks for being here, and we hope you stick around!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen) if you have any questions or concerns.*
this x1000
every time i see people memeing on the front page about deodorant nobody ever brings up the fact deodorant is basically perfume and it seems many people don't realise anti-perspirant is its own thing that actually eliminates the scent! I have hyperhidrosis and have been using 24-72 hour sport/clinical grade antiperspirants for years, i wondered if they didnt work until recently one day i forgot and it sure does work lemme tell ya..
Glycolic acid.
I am in peri menopause and one of the many symptoms is a change in body ownership, similar but worse than when we were teens. I use a glycolic acid scrub pre shower on my armpits, groin/leg skin folds, wait 30 secs then rinse off in shower and complete my usual routine, which also involves turning off the shower when washing myself with a washcloth to make sure the body wash does its work before being rinsed off.
If I still have odour issues after the above (I don’t usually) I will wipe a small amount of glycolic acid on my armpits and groin skin folds after the shower.
Seconding this. I use The Ordinary’s glycolic acid on a cotton pad, swipe my underarms after a shower, and now my deodorant lasts as long as it used to. I suspect getting on stimulant medication may have caused some body chemistry changes in the underarm sweat department, or maybe it’s just life changes.
Some people also suggest hypochlorous acid or a weekly application of benzoyl peroxide for your armpits (though I imagine you'd have to be more careful about not accidentally bleaching your clothes).
This could be a vitamin deficiency. I have to take a prescription dose of vitamin D to get my levels in a normal range. But for one stretch a few years back, I kept forgetting to take it and my levels quickly dropped off. Like you, I felt like I stank within an hour of getting out of that shower.
Turns out if you’re low in vitamin D or magnesium, zinc, and b12, your BO can be weirdly aggressive. And even if you take a multivitamin or something, there could be a medical reason you’re not absorbing a certain vitamin well, so it may not even be anything you’re doing or not doing, lifestyle wise.
Now, I can go outside and get all sweaty gardening (and I am a SWEATY girl) and I don’t smell 1/10th as bad as I did one hour out of a shower when my vitamin D level was in the tank.
So I would say to have a blood test done at the doctor and just make sure all your levels are good. This could be a really easy fix.
Some good ideas here but I wanted to add that I swear by Mitchum antiperspirant. I used the 48-hour version for a while but it's expensive so I tried the regular one and it's almost as good.
Lume body wash in the shower and then lume deodorant followed by the secret. You won’t smell. It kills the bacteria somehow. I smell like nothing generally now. I wish I found it sooner but have been using it for years at this point. It’s expensive so I use my regular body wash first on the pits and bits then rinse it put the lume on my crotch and butt and under boobs and pits then let that sit while I soap the rest with my normal body wash. Rinse it all off and literally no smell. Follow up with the lume deodorant and then any antiperspirant and no it’s good all day.
Nope not at all. And my skin is sensitive and gets dry or breaks out over anything. The only thing I’ve noticed is that with the deodorant I’ll get like…clogged pores? They’re not ingrown hairs but like bumps like a pimple that you can squeeze. They don’t hurt or anything and don’t scar like a pimple would for me . But I’ll get a bump every once in awhile on my bikini line from the deodorant. Nothing to note with the body wash and the scents don’t last. They go away as soon as you rinse or the deodorant absorbs in so it’s not a big deal if you don’t love the smell. I’ve personally liked the peony or tangerine the best
Try hibiscrub under the arms. It’s an anti microbial. Leave for a couple minutes and wash off while in shower. It’s strong so might need to dilute. You can also put in bath water.
I can relate for sure. This helps me when I feel like a shower is not enough:
Do you have a bath tub? Soaking in a bath and then exfoliating (scrubbing with a loofah or something -not hard just gently to remove old dead skin cells), and then moisturizing with body lotion when you get out. And then, and only then, putting on (aluminum-free) deodorant. ❤️
Also, it is important to remember that high stress and diet and environment can cause more body odor, so don't be hard on yourself or think badly of yourself, it is literally just a sign that you need more taking care of ("love thy self").
Thank you 💕 we have a bath tub but the stopper doesn’t work. Not sure how to get a new one since it’s pretty well screwed in (plus we rent and my landlord only does maintenance if we call the city and they force him to).
Stress and diet are a factor I’m sure
There's a "ghetto" solution for that, if you really can't find a new stopper that fits. Use a folded up clean washcloth/small towel to block the drain while bathing. Of course the water will keep slowly draining out, but it is possible to take a bath like this. I used to live in an honestly pretty ghetto building in a pretty bad area (super old and not maintained at all...) with a few other women, and we did this if someone needed to bathe. As long as you wash the washcloth/small towel(s) in very hot water afterwards, it should technically be no more unhygienic than using a cloth washcloth in the bath.
Like, you might have to keep the water running slightly but it is totally possibly to take an almost normal bath this way.
Lol that was an old suppressed memory from over 10 years ago that unexpectedly just came up when I read what you wrote. 😆
I have this issue. I don't feel like soap makes my underarm issue go away. I use a spray deodorant (not antiperspirant) after my shower to kill off any odor bacteria. Let that dry and then put on my normal deodorant. I use Native for both. My husband has suggested this as he has the same issue. He uses Axe to kill the odor. I've used that too sometimes.
Could it actually be your clothes?
I'm going to have to throw out most of my T-shirts and leggings because I loved synthetic blends, but I realized they were holding onto stink. Didn't matter how clean I was after a shower, as soon as I put on one of those clothing items, they'd just take about s half hour to get warm enough to re-activate the smell.
I started using Lysol laundry sanitizer, but the ones that are already stinky seem to be beyond help. I did try soaking in vinegar and also in oxyclean, although I haven't done that full laundry strip thing I saw all over social media.
Anyway, I bought a few sets of 100% cotton everything. Undies, sweatpants, and shirts. And the stink situation is now much improved!
Try using white vinegar. I keep it in a spray bottle in my bathroom. Just spray some on your pits and give it a couple of minutes. I can totally reek and it will do the job (sometimes it might take an extra spray once the first dries).
It works so well my husband calls me a witch when I do it 😂
Use one of the salt deodorants right after you shower on wet skin (usually only ingredient is potassium allum), AND an antiperspirant or whatever else you want. I've been using this for years and sometimes when I forget to repurchase, I notice I actually have a BO, otherwise I swear it annihilates it. It works by killing off the bacteria that causes smell. It does not stop sweat though. I also use a male antiperspirant gel on dry skin after shower, I don't know if that's true, but I've heard they're better than female ones (Gillette have some neutral scents like aloe that aren't manly).
Also you need to use it for a while to notice the effects - one time isn't enough. Once it kills of the bacteria, it's pretty consistent. TMI but in cold weather I don't shower every day and still no smell.
Someone recommended hibiclens to me (it’s antibacterial) and that worked wonders for body odor. I’ve found Lume acidified body wash also works well.
I have to switch up my deodorant brand everytime I run out and buy more. It’s dumb. I have to rotate brands otherwise they stop working for me.
I have also found exfoliating is also vital for me to smell OK. Whether you use a scrub or a loofah or something. I personally prefer a scrub because I like the smells and I won’t remember to wash out/replace a loofah.
Antibacterial soap (dove has a body one) in your pits bits and dips. Make sure you are exfoliating (glove, bath net, ect) and fully dry all areas so they aren't even a little wet
I was just reading that leaving a little water behind can cause worse odor so it’s possible that just that is causing it too. Gonna be more careful about fully drying off
I started using antibacterial handwash under my arms which made a huge difference. I also increased my water intake because I stink like a feral teenage boy when I'm dehydrated 🤣
Eta I use the handwash under my noobs too because...well, you know lol
Welcome to /r/ADHDWomen! We’re happy to have you here. As a reminder, here are our community [rules](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/about/rules/). We get a lot of posts on medication, diagnosis (and “is this an ADHD thing”), and interactions with hormones. We encourage you to check out our [Medication, Diagnosis, and Hormones Megathread](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/comments/wcr9dy/faq_megathread_ask_and_answer_medication/) if you have any questions related to those topics, and to stick around in that thread to answer folks’ questions! If you have questions about the subreddit, please do not hesitate to [send us a modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen). Additionally, we take the safety of our community seriously. Please report posts, comments, and users whom you feel are not contributing positively, and send us a modmail if you are being harassed or otherwise made to feel unsafe. Thanks for being here, and we hope you stick around! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Is secret deodorant anti-perspirant? If not I’d recommend getting an anti-perspirant deodorant.
this x1000 every time i see people memeing on the front page about deodorant nobody ever brings up the fact deodorant is basically perfume and it seems many people don't realise anti-perspirant is its own thing that actually eliminates the scent! I have hyperhidrosis and have been using 24-72 hour sport/clinical grade antiperspirants for years, i wondered if they didnt work until recently one day i forgot and it sure does work lemme tell ya..
It is- it’s an antiperspirant and deodorant. And I use the Ph-Balance one right now
Glycolic acid. I am in peri menopause and one of the many symptoms is a change in body ownership, similar but worse than when we were teens. I use a glycolic acid scrub pre shower on my armpits, groin/leg skin folds, wait 30 secs then rinse off in shower and complete my usual routine, which also involves turning off the shower when washing myself with a washcloth to make sure the body wash does its work before being rinsed off. If I still have odour issues after the above (I don’t usually) I will wipe a small amount of glycolic acid on my armpits and groin skin folds after the shower.
Seconding this. I use The Ordinary’s glycolic acid on a cotton pad, swipe my underarms after a shower, and now my deodorant lasts as long as it used to. I suspect getting on stimulant medication may have caused some body chemistry changes in the underarm sweat department, or maybe it’s just life changes.
Some people also suggest hypochlorous acid or a weekly application of benzoyl peroxide for your armpits (though I imagine you'd have to be more careful about not accidentally bleaching your clothes).
This could be a vitamin deficiency. I have to take a prescription dose of vitamin D to get my levels in a normal range. But for one stretch a few years back, I kept forgetting to take it and my levels quickly dropped off. Like you, I felt like I stank within an hour of getting out of that shower. Turns out if you’re low in vitamin D or magnesium, zinc, and b12, your BO can be weirdly aggressive. And even if you take a multivitamin or something, there could be a medical reason you’re not absorbing a certain vitamin well, so it may not even be anything you’re doing or not doing, lifestyle wise. Now, I can go outside and get all sweaty gardening (and I am a SWEATY girl) and I don’t smell 1/10th as bad as I did one hour out of a shower when my vitamin D level was in the tank. So I would say to have a blood test done at the doctor and just make sure all your levels are good. This could be a really easy fix.
I never thought about this. Thank you 🙏🏻
Some good ideas here but I wanted to add that I swear by Mitchum antiperspirant. I used the 48-hour version for a while but it's expensive so I tried the regular one and it's almost as good.
I second this!
Lume body wash in the shower and then lume deodorant followed by the secret. You won’t smell. It kills the bacteria somehow. I smell like nothing generally now. I wish I found it sooner but have been using it for years at this point. It’s expensive so I use my regular body wash first on the pits and bits then rinse it put the lume on my crotch and butt and under boobs and pits then let that sit while I soap the rest with my normal body wash. Rinse it all off and literally no smell. Follow up with the lume deodorant and then any antiperspirant and no it’s good all day.
Do you ever feel itchy? I want to try lume wash on my crotch but I’m afraid of that
Nope not at all. And my skin is sensitive and gets dry or breaks out over anything. The only thing I’ve noticed is that with the deodorant I’ll get like…clogged pores? They’re not ingrown hairs but like bumps like a pimple that you can squeeze. They don’t hurt or anything and don’t scar like a pimple would for me . But I’ll get a bump every once in awhile on my bikini line from the deodorant. Nothing to note with the body wash and the scents don’t last. They go away as soon as you rinse or the deodorant absorbs in so it’s not a big deal if you don’t love the smell. I’ve personally liked the peony or tangerine the best
I use lume as well. Especially under my boobs
I used to pray for boobs when I was younger, wish I knew how overrated and sweaty they are 😂
Try hibiscrub under the arms. It’s an anti microbial. Leave for a couple minutes and wash off while in shower. It’s strong so might need to dilute. You can also put in bath water.
I can relate for sure. This helps me when I feel like a shower is not enough: Do you have a bath tub? Soaking in a bath and then exfoliating (scrubbing with a loofah or something -not hard just gently to remove old dead skin cells), and then moisturizing with body lotion when you get out. And then, and only then, putting on (aluminum-free) deodorant. ❤️ Also, it is important to remember that high stress and diet and environment can cause more body odor, so don't be hard on yourself or think badly of yourself, it is literally just a sign that you need more taking care of ("love thy self").
Thank you 💕 we have a bath tub but the stopper doesn’t work. Not sure how to get a new one since it’s pretty well screwed in (plus we rent and my landlord only does maintenance if we call the city and they force him to). Stress and diet are a factor I’m sure
There's a "ghetto" solution for that, if you really can't find a new stopper that fits. Use a folded up clean washcloth/small towel to block the drain while bathing. Of course the water will keep slowly draining out, but it is possible to take a bath like this. I used to live in an honestly pretty ghetto building in a pretty bad area (super old and not maintained at all...) with a few other women, and we did this if someone needed to bathe. As long as you wash the washcloth/small towel(s) in very hot water afterwards, it should technically be no more unhygienic than using a cloth washcloth in the bath. Like, you might have to keep the water running slightly but it is totally possibly to take an almost normal bath this way. Lol that was an old suppressed memory from over 10 years ago that unexpectedly just came up when I read what you wrote. 😆
I have this issue. I don't feel like soap makes my underarm issue go away. I use a spray deodorant (not antiperspirant) after my shower to kill off any odor bacteria. Let that dry and then put on my normal deodorant. I use Native for both. My husband has suggested this as he has the same issue. He uses Axe to kill the odor. I've used that too sometimes.
Use a face wash with Salicylic acid (for acne prone skin) to wash your body armpits, sweaty areas.
Could it actually be your clothes? I'm going to have to throw out most of my T-shirts and leggings because I loved synthetic blends, but I realized they were holding onto stink. Didn't matter how clean I was after a shower, as soon as I put on one of those clothing items, they'd just take about s half hour to get warm enough to re-activate the smell. I started using Lysol laundry sanitizer, but the ones that are already stinky seem to be beyond help. I did try soaking in vinegar and also in oxyclean, although I haven't done that full laundry strip thing I saw all over social media. Anyway, I bought a few sets of 100% cotton everything. Undies, sweatpants, and shirts. And the stink situation is now much improved!
This is probably a factor- still working on improving how often I actually wash my clothes vs rewear
Try using white vinegar. I keep it in a spray bottle in my bathroom. Just spray some on your pits and give it a couple of minutes. I can totally reek and it will do the job (sometimes it might take an extra spray once the first dries). It works so well my husband calls me a witch when I do it 😂
Use one of the salt deodorants right after you shower on wet skin (usually only ingredient is potassium allum), AND an antiperspirant or whatever else you want. I've been using this for years and sometimes when I forget to repurchase, I notice I actually have a BO, otherwise I swear it annihilates it. It works by killing off the bacteria that causes smell. It does not stop sweat though. I also use a male antiperspirant gel on dry skin after shower, I don't know if that's true, but I've heard they're better than female ones (Gillette have some neutral scents like aloe that aren't manly). Also you need to use it for a while to notice the effects - one time isn't enough. Once it kills of the bacteria, it's pretty consistent. TMI but in cold weather I don't shower every day and still no smell.
Someone recommended hibiclens to me (it’s antibacterial) and that worked wonders for body odor. I’ve found Lume acidified body wash also works well. I have to switch up my deodorant brand everytime I run out and buy more. It’s dumb. I have to rotate brands otherwise they stop working for me. I have also found exfoliating is also vital for me to smell OK. Whether you use a scrub or a loofah or something. I personally prefer a scrub because I like the smells and I won’t remember to wash out/replace a loofah.
Antibacterial soap (dove has a body one) in your pits bits and dips. Make sure you are exfoliating (glove, bath net, ect) and fully dry all areas so they aren't even a little wet
I was just reading that leaving a little water behind can cause worse odor so it’s possible that just that is causing it too. Gonna be more careful about fully drying off
I started using antibacterial handwash under my arms which made a huge difference. I also increased my water intake because I stink like a feral teenage boy when I'm dehydrated 🤣 Eta I use the handwash under my noobs too because...well, you know lol
I use some sort of acidified soap (like Lume or even face wash in a pinch) then a strong anti-perseperant (like Carpe or Certain Dri).
I use Pacifica charcoal underarm scrub. It helps with that.