Why Do My Armpits Smell Like Onions?

What Causes Body Odor to Smell Like Onions?

"The reason why someone's sweat smells stinkier is based on their own microbiome. It doesn't mean that you're dirty," Dr. Hooper says. Ditto if you've got a sour body odor.

How to Stop Armpits From Smelling Like Onions

So, here's the deal: There isn't good science to support that diet changes (like eliminating garlic or onions) are going to get rid of onion-smelling sweat.

"You can try it, but my advice is keeping the sweat under arms to a minimum," Dr. Hooper says.

Because sweat feeds bacteria, stopping sweat will be the best way to control underarm odors, onion-y or not:

1. Clean Those Pits

Prevention starts in the shower. Look for a gentle soap (like Dove), an antibacterial wash or a cleanser with sodium hyochlorite like CLn BodyWash.

"A good 10 to 15 seconds of massaging a cleanser into underarms will do a nice job of temporarily ridding bacteria in this area," Dr. Hooper says.

2. Dry Them Well

Here's a trick worth trying, Dr. Hooper says: After you shower, use a blow dryer to fully dry your underarms. Use a warm not hot setting and stop before/if any redness occurs.

The dryness creates a less-friendly environment for bacteria to flourish, which can help prevent sweat from smelling like onions. If you notice any other folds of your skin smell under the breasts, on your belly, in your groin you can use the hairdryer to dry those areas, too, she says.

3. Use Antiperspirant

OTC and prescription-strength antiperspirants are available. These traditionally use aluminum to temporarily plug sweat ducts, though some natural antiperspirants use alternative ingredients to decrease sweating.

(There is no scientific evidence to say that an antiperspirant will up your risk of cancer or other major health risks, though talk to your doctor if you have severe kidney disease, per Penn Medicine.)

In the 2015 Microbiome study mentioned above, people who had a more intense onion armpit odor were those who didn't use antiperspirants.

Read more on: livestrong