Hack
Washing your armpits with face cleanser to blitz underarm odour without using deodorant.
Test
Our sweat is odourless – it’s bacteria on our underarms that causes any smells we might encounter. So the theory is: eliminate the bacteria to eliminate the odours. It’s a hack I’m interested in because I often forget to use deodorant and by about 2pm, post train journey, I’m often reminded about my omission because vintage polyester clothing is nothing if not unforgiving when it comes to armpit whiffs.
This hack uses benzoyl peroxide, a skincare ingredient used in acne products that is available over the counter in the form of a face wash. I picked up some Acnecide Face Wash 5% in Boots and, in the shower, applied it to my pits as I would soap. Then I deliberately went deodorant-free, armed with a lot of hope. I did the 2pm sniff test and it did reveal far less whiff than usual – so far, so good. It fared pretty well in a spin class too, although there was definitely cause for a shower afterwards, so it’s not a 100% odour deterrent as such.
Verdict
For anyone who struggles with odours, this is definitely a hack worth trying (although it can be drying on armpit skin). It could be worth combining this with a gentle deodorant such as AKT or Wild, which are the only two “natural” deodorants I’ve found to work.
