In the shower, clean sweat-prone areas like the underarms, chest and back carefully. Don't put off your shower after training. Don't stay in sweaty clothes; choose cotton, breathable fabrics. If you use deodorant, apply it after the shower, on dry skin. Shower gel doesn't replace deodorant; the two work together. Shower gel cleans the sweat-prone areas, deodorant handles odor during the day.

Guide · 3 min read

What causes sweat odor?

Q: What causes sweat odor?

Fresh sweat is odorless. Odor forms over a few hours when certain underarm bacteria break down odorless molecules in sweat. Cleaning sweat-prone areas regularly and keeping them dry reduces odor.

Sweat itself doesn't smell. What creates the odor, and what helps in the shower and in daily life?

sweat doesn't smell

Sweat doesn't smell

In a classic study, sweat taken from an underarm kept sterile produced no odor for days; normal underarm sweat started to smell within a few hours. So the problem isn't the sweat itself.

What creates the odor?

Certain bacteria in the underarm take an odorless precursor molecule in sweat and turn it into sharp-smelling sulfur compounds. A study published in 2018 identified the bacterium behind this conversion and how it works.

What helps?

1In the shower, clean sweat-prone areas like the underarms, chest and back carefully.
2Don't put off your shower after training.
3Don't stay in sweaty clothes; choose cotton, breathable fabrics.
4If you use deodorant, apply it after the shower, on dry skin.

Shower gel doesn't replace deodorant; the two work together. Shower gel cleans the sweat-prone areas, deodorant handles odor during the day.

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Sources

This article is for information only and is not a substitute for medical advice. If a complaint persists or gets worse, see a dermatologist.