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Antiperspirants Could Cause Smelly Armpits

by Sushma Rao on Aug 19 2014 7:17 PM

A recent study suggests that using antiperspirants could actually increase the levels unpleasant underarm odor.

 Antiperspirants Could Cause Smelly Armpits
A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Ghent in Belgium suggests that using antiperspirants could actually increase the levels of the odorous bacteria populating the armpit, which "could lead toward an altered, more unpleasant, underarm odor."
It was as early as in 1968, that scientists created a metaphor for the human body, which is used even to this day. They called the human body an ecosystem. It is said that within this ecosystem are several "ecological niches." The forearm is dry like the desert. The scalp is airy like the cool woods. And then, the armpit: The lowliest of all human body parts. It's a "tropical forest." Hot and humid, the armpit populated by bacteria cursed with creating a noxious odor.

This study involved 8 subjects who were asked to avoid using deodorant or antiperspirant and matched against another subject who did not regularly use either was asked to use deodorant. The time duration for this study was one month, which is about the time a new layer of skin cells form.

Armpit bacteria of each subject was tested at the start and the end of the month, and the results showed that each armpit ecosystem had been altered, 'Science Alert' reported.

The findings of this study revealed that the subject who used the antiperspirant was linked to an increase in Actinobacteria, the 'bad' type of armpit bacteria that caused the noxious armpit odor.

Chris Callewaert, the lead author of this study, said, "the presence of the aluminium compounds in antiperspirants is to be blamed for this."

Callewaert added, "these compounds can block pores to prevent sweating by killing off "good" bacteria which allows Actinobacteria to dominate.

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The results were published in the journal Archives of Dermatological Research.



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