Why Does Sweat Smell?
Sweat isn’t just wet — it can be kind of stinky, too. But the next time you get a whiff of yourself after running around outside and want to blame your sweat glands, hold on! Sweat by itself doesn’t smell at all. It’s the bacteria that live on your skin that mix with the sweat and give it a stinky smell. And when you reach puberty, special hormones affect the glands in your armpits — these glands make sweat that can really smell. Luckily, regular washing with soap and water can usually keep stinky sweat under control. Many teens and adults also find that wearing deodorant (say: dee-oh-der-ent) or antiperspirant (say: an-tee-pur-sper-ent) helps. So don’t worry about a little sweat — it’s totally normal and everybody sweats. Sometimes too much sweating can be a sign that there is something wrong in the body, but this is rare in kids. If you notice more sweat, it’s usually just a sign that it’s time to start using a deodorant or antiperspirant. But if you think you have a sweat problem, t
