How to Identify and Help Prevent Body Odor

You may think sweating causes body odor, but this is only part of the story. Body odor (commonly referred to as B.O.) occurs when sweat interacts with bacteria to break down proteins and fatty acids, which emits an odor.

Your body has two types of sweat glands: eccrine glands (which are responsible for regulating the body’s temperature) and apocrine glands (which develop as the body goes through puberty in areas of the body where hair grows).

Many people don’t begin to notice body odor until they hit their teenage years because apocrine glands are primarily responsible for the reactions that cause body odor. Apocrine glands release sweat that is high in protein, which bacteria find easy to break down, resulting in unpleasant odors. This sweat is also thicker, and often has a milky or yellowish color.

Understanding body odor might sound complicated, but there is an easy way to prevent it: Wash daily with Safeguard Active Sports Body Wash or Bar Soap. Both are specially formulated with GermShield+ to keep more odor-causing bacteria away than other antibacterial cleansers for up to 12 hours of great-smelling protection. Giving yourself a good all over clean will help to ensure you protect against germs near the apocrine glands, where the germs that are more likely to cause body odor tend to thrive.