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Body odour (BO)

Body odour is a common problem. You can usually treat it yourself.

How to treat body odour yourself

Do

  • wash your armpits, groin and feet at least twice a day with soap and dry thoroughly

  • use antiperspirants and deodorants

  • change and wash your clothes regularly

  • wear natural fabrics like cotton, wool and silk

  • wear moisture-wicking socks, changing them at least twice a day

  • avoid wearing tight clothing and manmade fabrics

Don’t

  • do not eat too much strong smelling or spicy food

  • do not drink too much alcohol

A pharmacist can help with sweating and body odour

You can ask a pharmacist about:

  • stronger antiperspirants
  • armpit or sweat shields to protect your clothing
  • foot powders for sweaty feet
  • soap substitutes that are gentler on your skin
Find a pharmacy

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

You have body odour that has not got better after treating it yourself and:

  • it's affecting your self-esteem
  • you notice a change in how it usually smells
  • you suddenly begin to sweat much more than usual

Treatments from a GP

If you have severe body odour and sweating, a GP may suggest:

  • stronger, prescription antiperspirants
  • medicines to treat excessive sweating
  • injections to reduce the amount of sweat
  • surgery to cut the nerves that trigger sweating or remove the sweat glands

Injections to reduce the amount of sweat sometimes only work for a short period of time (2 to 6 months) and may not be available on the NHS.

Surgery is often only recommended if body odour and sweating are very severe. This is because it can cause further problems, such as sweating in other parts of your body.

Read more about treating excessive sweating.

Causes of body odour

Things that can make body odour worse include:

Often the cause of body odour is unknown, but it may be linked to excessive sweating and smelly feet.

Page last reviewed: 14 May 2025
Next review due: 14 May 2028