What Causes Body Odour During Menopause?

As your body’s internal heating system goes into over-drive in perimenopause, the hypothalamus, (the part of the brain that regulates temperature), is tricked by your depleting oestrogen levels into producing more sweat. Bacteria then feeds on the protein in your sweat causing mouth, groin, armpit, and foot odour. Other menopause symptoms including: hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, anxiety and panic attacks can make sweating worse. Whats even worse is you may also experience a heightened sense of smell during menopause. So if you think you’re a bit whiffy, relax you may be smelling something that nobody else is.

 Is Excessive Sweating During Menopause Normal ?

The main area where you sweat from is under the arms. And this is the one that very often may cause you a lot of discomfort and distress because you can be sitting there, quite happily, doing your job, and then think, “Oh shit… is that smell me? I can smell myself. I can smell my sweat.”

Now remember, during menopause, especially if you’re getting hot flushes or night sweats, you’re going to sweat more anyway, but during menopause, certain things can happen. One is that falling oestrogen can affect the balance of bacteria on your skin, so that can have an effect on the smells that you produce under your arms.

Change in body odour during menopause

One of the other interesting facts is that menopause can stress the liver. Menopause can also slow down your digestive system, so your bowels can become a little bit sluggish or you might end up constipated. If these things happen, your body has to find other ways of getting rid of toxins, and one of the places happens to be under your arms. So if you’re detoxing a bit more under the arms, you are giving those bacteria there an extra feed or two during the day. And that’s the reason why even if you’re using antiperspirants or deodorants, you can start to smell a bit more, a bit quicker, during the day.

Avoid cold showers  they can trigger hot flushes ( We accept the irony here as we recommended having cold showers to help with menopause dry skin!)

  • Shower frequently  pay particular attention to the armpits, groin etc.
  • Use antiperspirant and deodorant.
  • Stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
  • Avoid alcohol alcohol exacerbates body odour.
  • Maintain a healthy diet.
  • Avoid dietary triggers such as spicy food which can induce hot flushes or increase their severity.
  • Zinc and Magnesium are found in seafood (particularly oysters) and nuts  both nutrients are known to help eliminate body odour. Or even try a Zinc supplement.
  • Learning to manage stress and anxiety through relaxation techniques can help to reduce body odour.
  • Wear cotton or other natural fabrics.
  • Change clothes frequently.
  • Try some natural menopause relief to rebalance your hormones.
Body odour change during menopause