People use some surprising household products for controlling underarm odor. Milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide) is a laxative that has been used for more than 140 years. We first learned about it as a deodorant in 2006. Here’s the letter that triggered this quirky approach. We have also heard from people who have worked in wardrobe departments at theaters that vodka works wonders for theatrical costumes. You will love these stories! Then there are people who use lemon juice as a natural deodorant. Here’s a reader who traded in milk of magnesia for vodka:
Q. I tried milk of magnesia for a while and it worked fairly well to control underarm odor but was messy and I didn’t like the feel of it.
Lately I’ve tried rubbing alcohol which kills bacteria and it worked really well but I was not sure using it daily would be good for my skin. I now am trying vodka! It also kills bacteria. The smell is milder than the rubbing alcohol and is gone by the time it has dried which is very quickly.
The vodka works as well as the rubbing alcohol for controlling underarm odor. I hope there is no harm in using the vodka because so far I am very impressed.
A. All we can say is WOW! We have heard some strange suggestions for controlling underarm odor but we have never heard of using vodka before. Readers have shared a lot of novel ideas including:
“I use diluted apple cider vinegar after every shower. It keeps my hair shiny too.”
Not everyone like vinegar, though:
“I use vinegar for around-the-house cleaning and I love it, so when I heard it could be used instead of deodorant, I thought it was a great idea. I went out shopping that day and was in a dressing room when I realized it did not work for controlling underarm odor. Not at all! Not only did the vinegar smell not dissipate, I was really stinky, only a couple of hours after my shower. I smelled like a sweaty pickle.”
Toothpaste as a deodorant. Really?
“I am always on the lookout for a new deodorant for my daughter, since the usual products don’t work for her. A friend who works out in the hot sun as a surveyor told me about an unusual product, Regular Dentarome Toothpaste. You apply a blob the size of a pea on clean skin.”
“My daughter is delighted that it works for her. I guess it is the essential oils with antifungal action that keep odor away. It is not an antiperspirant.”
Here’s someone who alternates between milk of magnesia (MoM) and alcohol:
“Everybody is different. What works for one person for controlling underarm odor may not work for another. It’s all trial and error. Those crystal stones never did a thing for me! I like the MoM thing–use that some. Use the alcohol thing, too.
“I swear, I think this odor thing is hereditary. I have sweating and B.O. problems. One of my sisters has complained of it, too. My nieces are bad, also, but my daughter is terrible! Her clothes get embedded with the worst smell (but I am able to get it out).
“My husband has an outdoor job where he sweats profusely, but he NEVER has body odor. Go figure!”
Coconut oil and baking soda: A truly imaginative combination:
“I’m kind of a hippie (who had the typical stinky armpits, something I wasn’t particularly proud of). Started using coconut oil and baking soda (a pea sized dollop) and the stinkiness has disappeared.”
Milk of magnesia doesn’t have to be so messy:
“I must disagree with the MoM being messy message. Simply shake the bottle of milk of magnesia, open and with two fingers gather that which remains around the inner rim and put it on the armpits. At this point I must say that I do not find the sugar free as good as the ‘regular’.
“This is a Godsend folks as I suddenly developed underarm odor after age 70 that was horrible. No more, thankfully and I’ll soon be 75!”
Why not try Aluminum-free MoM Roll-On from The People’s Pharmacy?
For those who do not want aluminum antiperspirants and do not wish to mess with liquid milk of magnesia (MoM), we do offer The People’s Pharmacy Milk of Magnesia (MoM) Roll-On Deodorants. There are several options:
- Unscented
- Women’s Scent
- Scented for Men (that many women love too)
- Economy-Sized (Unscented)
Some folks find the 2 oz bottles especially convenient when traveling, since the TSA may not let you carry a milk of magnesia bottle on the plane.
If you are a regular MoM user, please rate the product that you like the best.
Whatever you use for controlling underarm odor, please let us know how effective it is with a comment below.
