We are here to talk about a very basic condition that drives a lot of judgment among people around us. Did you know that poor blood circulation or accumulation of toxins, closed skin pores or an imbalance in Doshas can all cause body odor, also known scientifically as Bromhidrosis, Osmidrosis or Ozochrotia? Here using the knowledge of Ayurveda, one of the oldest healing systems in the body, we find out some simple ideas you can implement in your life to get rid of BO!
What Causes BO?
1) Stagnation in the flow of body fluids
Body odor can happen due to poor circulation of blood in the body. Not enough oxygenation in the body can lead to odor in some of the body parts even after taking multiple showers a day. It can also be caused by bacterial action. Some bacteria are present in the ducts of sweat glands. Sweat in itself has no odor but the bacteria present in it break it down into acids causing unpleasant smell.
2) Toxins
Building of toxins or aama in the body can reflect through body odor. This toxin in the system can manifest in the form of other diseases as well. Later in the article we will discuss ways to get rid of these toxins from the body.
3) Imbalance in Doshas
There are three Doshas or bio elements that carry the qualities of the Panch Mahabhutas or the Five Great Elements- Vata(space and air), Pitta(fire and water) and Kapha (water and earth). Each person’s physical and mental constitution is influenced by these Doshas. When the Doshas are out of balance due to unhealthy lifestyle, dietary patterns, wrong foods or other substance addictions that go against the constitution of the body, the imbalance is likely to reflect through body odor.
4) Pours not open and poor hygiene
If the skin pores in the affected areas have been blocked or closed due to poor hygiene over time, they are likely to cause odor.
5) Menopause or emotional stress
Women going through menopause or stressful lifestyle could temporarily develop body odor issues as well. Metabolic dysfunction is also found to be a common cause for body odor or B.O.
6) Constipation
People with odor issues must examine their bowel movement. Constipated bowel can be another cause for body odor.
What Are The Types of body odors
Each odor reflects improper functioning of a particular body organ. If you see that a particular type of body odor has persisted for considerable period of time, you must reach out to an Ayurveda practitioner, preferably a Sri Sri Ayurveda expert, who will be able to specifically guide you as to what imbalance has caused the odor and which organ in your body needs attention. We recommend Ayurveda in these cases because, the problem of body odor is a screaming sign of other underlying problems in the body that are studied by Ayurvedic doctors and can be specifically treated through non-invasive and holistic treatments.
-Scorched or burnt smell
-Putrid smell (resembles the odor of stagnant water)
-Rancid smell
-Rotten smell
-Sweetish fragrant (though less unpleasant it is still not good for the body)
Remedies To Get Rid of BO Naturally?
1) De-stress
If you already haven’t, this is a good excuse to get into Yoga, meditation or creative writing/art making, among other things. Though, Yoga and meditation is known to have worked best in this regard since they also help reduce excess Pitta in the body.
2) Increase oxygenation in the body
Powerful breathing exercises or Pranayamas, Ujjayi Breathing and practices like Sudarshan Kriya help increase the supply of oxygen to each cell in the body, achieving multiple objectives of increased oxygenation and increased serotonin secretion which results in a clear and happy state of mind, better sleep cycle and feeling of inner joy, and of course, less odor.
3) Natural alcohol free deodorants
Although it is rare to find a natural astringent made to perfection keeping in mind the Dosha imbalances, a wonderful replacement for harmful and cancer causing deodorants and perfumes could be the use of organic herbal brands that are safe to use for skin. For example, a brand that comes highly recommended in this regard is Shankara which makes a completely natural deodorant designed to naturally neutralize body odors. The deodorant can be applied directly to the skin and most importantly is free from chemicals, aluminum, and alcohol.
It is a pure essential oil deodorant with odor-fighting properties made from the essential oils of lavender, tea tree, vetiver and thyme. These ingredients open up the skin pores. It works with your body’s natural chemistry to neutralize unwanted body odors safely and effectively. You can pick it up here /
3) Brisk walking
Brisk walking in open air increases the flow of Prana or life force in the body right from head to the toes.
4) Panchakarma
Panchakarma treatments are recommended to balance the Doshas in the body and remove the toxins from the deepest body tissues. They also substantially help in reducing the stagnation of body fluids, better circulation of blood and open up the skin pores in the affected areas. Panchakarma is a set of cleansing processes prescribed by Ayurvedic doctors, based on the Dosha constitution of an individual. These treatments, using natural oils and lepas or masks, are tailor-made targeting the specific imbalances and Aam in the body.
5) Marma
Marma techniques found in Ayurvedic sciences are similar to acupressure and they work on the energy channels in the body. Marma practitioners remove the blocks in these channels, to smoothen the flow of prana. When Prana flows smoothly through the body, it brings good health and enthusiasm. Blocked channels can later potentially manifest in the form of disease in the body.
6) Avoid caffeine and non-vegetarian fare
Avoid coffee, alcohol and non-vegetarian food. The way our lifestyle is, we generally are unable to give sufficient time for the food, especially non-vegetarian food, to digest, which takes over 70 hours to fully digest. This can cause digestive problems like constipation (a reason for the body odor) among those who consume meat on a daily basis.
7) Balance your blood pH level
It is also important to balance the pH of our body and make our system more alkaline which has turned acidic due to excessive consumption of certain type of foods.
8) Avoid stale or pre-cooked food
Stale food has to be avoided at all costs because it increases the acid level in the body.
(With inputs from Sri Sri Ayurveda experts at Sri Sri College of Ayurvedic Science And Research)
