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woman smelling armpit
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There are many home remedies for body odor that you can use to keep yourself smelling like a rose. See more personal hygiene pictures.

­­­In some cultures and countries, intense body­ odor is considered a­ desirable characteristic, signifying greater sexual attractiveness and even prowess. But let's face it, in the United States, a pungent body aroma is not going to make you the life of the party.

So powerful is our cultural distaste for body odor that every day, some 95 percent of all Americans over the age of 12 reach for one product or another that will enable them to feel secure in their lack of odor in the company of others.

Body odor begins with sweat. The body has two types of sweat glands, and both types produce sweat that is made up largely of water. The eccrine glands, which are located on almost every part of the body, produce the sweat that cools the body. The apocrine glands, which are located in the armpits, around the nipples and in the groin, produce sweat whose function is not clear.

One thing is obvious, however. The sweat from the apocrine glands can make you stink. The reason is that apocrine sweat contains a substantial amount of oil, which provides food for bacteria. It's this bacterial feeding frenzy that creates the odor that keeps others at a distance.

Despite some unpleasant side effects, sweating is actually an invaluable part of keeping your body cool -- even bacteria has many positive contributions to our lives. If you can't stop sweating and you can't stop bacteria, what can you do? You can try some of the following home remedies, which will help keep your body odor from announcing your presence to those far and near. ­