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Natural Aromatic Oils Effectively Inhibit Microbial Proliferation and Human Body Odor

By Bill Misner, PhD

Body Odor Increases by Microbial-Proliferation

Body odor is an unpleasant odor emanating from the skin in warm, moist, dark, clothed, recessed areas such as the axillae (armpits) when unexposed to evaporative cooling and light. Body odor occurs as a result of chemical waste products (such as 2-methyl-2-hexenoic acid) produced by detrimental bacteria after these bacteria (which reside on the skin) interact with secretions from the apocrine sweat glands that are located in clothed, enclosed regions of the body. Sweat alone is odorless in humans. In fact, humans have difficulty smelling their own body odor, yet they can detect even the slightest hint of body odor originating from others. Human eccrine and apocrine sweat glands profusely sweat in order to reduce excessive internal body core heat temperatures. Eccrine sweat consists largely of water. However, apocrine sweat contains proteins, minerals, pheromones, and urea that tend to accumulate in clothed, recessed areas of the body such as the armpit, groin, genital, feet, anus, and behind the ears. A variety of microbial organisms living on all skin surfaces are particularly attracted to apocrine sweat, which they consume and break down into acids resulting in offensive body odor.

A variety of bacteria, mold, yeast, and fungi colonies rapidly proliferate in an enclosed space where evaporation is further restricted by clothing. One of the worst pungent offenders is Staphylococcus hominis found in the armpit, emitting pungent odor-producing thioalcohols. Some researchers have listed both genetics and sex as exacerbating the level of body odor produced. Dietary choices, like plant foods from the Allium genus (onions, garlic) and Brassica genus (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower), profoundly increase body odor due to their sulphur content. Excessive consumption of dietary fat and protein also increases the rate of proliferation of detrimental bacteria within the digestive tract, immediately increasing body odor. Detrimental bacteria in the digestive tract produce hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide, which are absorbed into the bloodstream and excreted from the skin and lungs. Once the large intestine digests excess choline, it is converted to trimethylamine (TMA), which generates a very unpleasant “fishy” body odor.

Antiperspirant Issues

Antiperspirants mask body odor temporarily and then only to a limited degree. Some antiperspirants ingredients are smeared on skin surfaces killing the least odor-causing species, while increasing uninhibited proliferation of odor-producing microbes. Commercial antiperspirants further contribute to body odor by clogging up the pores of the skin. Exley et al, wrote, “Aluminum salts are the major constituent of many widely used antiperspirant products. The use of such antiperspirants has been linked with the systemic accumulation of aluminum and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.”¹ Graves’ epidemiological study² linked the use of aluminum-containing antiperspirants to Alzheimer’s disease. Werbach concluded:

Drinking water should be low in aluminum. Some bottled-water companies provide an analysis of the aluminum content of their water. You might also find out from your public water company what the aluminum level is in the local drinking water. Aluminum -containing antiperspirants may easily be avoided, as can aluminum utensils and even, to play it safe, aluminum-containing antacids. Commercially processed foods such as cake and pancake mixes, frozen doughs and self-rising flour are sources of dietary aluminum, hence their ingestion should be minimized. Watch for and avoid sodium aluminum phosphate, an ingredient in baking powder. Pickles and cheese aluminum content should also be avoided.³

There is a close relationship between silicon and aluminum in Alzheimer brain lesions, as the two substances bind together to form aluminosilicates.⁴ High levels of silica in drinking water in the form of silicic acid appear to protect against the adverse effects of aluminum ingestion, plus silicic acid ingestion increases urinary aluminum excretion.^{5, 6} However, whether silica supplements protect against the development of dementia has yet to be determined, but this is a small sample of research^1-6 that conclusively supports avoiding the use of any product containing aluminum, including antiperspirants, for reducing perspiration-induced body odors. If you apply anything to the skin, keep in mind there is no liver organ to filter, metabolize, and convert harmful substances to a less toxic form.

Methods

A natural aromatic oils compound has been shown to effectively inhibit aerobic bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and mold spores, located in dark, moist, human-body recesses where odor-causing microbes tend to proliferate rapidly.⁷ This same formulation was converted to NEU-STIC Neutralizing Deodorant, a solid-stick to safely deliver these natural aromatic oils substances to the axillae skin surface. This product was selected to measure the combined efficacy for suppressing odor-causing aerobic bacteria and fungi/yeast cultures proliferating inside the warm, dark, moist, confined (clothed) surfaces of human axillae (armpits). A male (age 78y) athlete submitted swab samples, for counts per square inch of commensurable microbes, collected during seven test periods:

1. BASE swab sample was taken immediately after a shower, using hot water and plain soap (with no antiperspirants or antibacterial substances).

2. BASE swab sample was taken immediately after hot water shower with plain soap (with no antiperspirants nor antibacterial substances and application of NEU-STIC Neutralizing Deodorant.

3. Swab sample was taken four hours after application of NEU-STIC Neutralizing Deodorant

4. Swab sample was taken eight hours after application of NEU-STIC Neutralizing Deodorant

5. Swab sample was taken

   24-hours

   after the subject did not exercise, did not sweat, used no soap, and took no shower.

6. Swab sample was taken from the subject immediately after a

   
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   one-hour, strenuous indoor treadmill run with profuse sweating

7. Swab sample was taken from the subject eight hours after the subject finished the above indoor one-hour indoor strenuous treadmill run

All of the following-swab samples were incubated 24-hours at 25-30º C to determine aerobic bacteria count/inch² and/or incubated 72-hours 25-30º C to determine yeast-mold-fungi count/inch.²

Results

The first base swab surface sample extracted from axillae of the subject immediately after subject showered using plain soap (no antiperspirants nor antibacterial substances) and hot water showed 100 aerobic bacteria count/inch² and 10 yeast-mold-fungi count/inch.² The same aerobic bacteria were detected in first base test as in the second base tests, following application of plain soap (no antiperspirants nor antibacterial substances), hot water both with or without NEU-STIC Neutralizing Deodorant; however, application of the NEU-STIC reduced yeast-fungi-mold counts from 10 Yeast-mold-fungi count/inch² to 1-3 Yeast-mold-fungi count/inch.²

The third swab surface sample was extracted from axillae of the same subject four hours after application of NEU-STIC, which also showed 100 aerobic bacteria count/inch² and 1-3 yeast-mold-fungi count/inch.² Then the fourth swab surface extracted from axillae of the same subject eight hours after Neu-STIC application showed a significant reduction in aerobic bacteria from 100 to only 10 count/inch², but the 10 yeast-mold-fungi count/inch² remained the same.

A fifth swab surface from axillae 24 hours following no exercise, no soap, and no shower showed 1000 aerobic bacteria count/inch² and 100 yeast-mold-fungi count/inch.²

Now, this raises a question as to how much sweat alone raises aerobic bacteria count/inch² and yeast-mold-fungi count/inch.² A sixth swab extracted immediately finishing a one-hour strenuous run (profuse sweating) on an indoor treadmill resulted in 100,000 aerobic bacteria count/inch² and 100 yeast-mold-fungi count/inch.² What then happens to these counts when exercise-induced profuse sweating stops? Do the counts continue to increase, multiply at a reduced rate, or simply stop when the microbial population count/inch² peaks? A seventh swab surface sample was extracted eight hours after the subject stopped sweating. The original values of 100,000 aerobic bacteria count/inch² and 100 yeast-mold-fungi count/inch² produced during his run neither increased nor decreased.

Conclusion

1. Application of

   NEU-STIC Neutralizing Deodorant

   to this subject’s axillae inhibited overgrowth of both aerobic bacteria and yeast-fungi-mold immediately and continued to limit projected microbial proliferation for up to eight hours for aerobic bacteria and up to four hours for yeast-mold-fungi after deodorant application. Whether topical application of this compound prevents body odor associated with microbial proliferation in larger populations is unknown, nor is it here shown. This calls for more research collected from larger multiple populations exposed to a variety of elements that may increase their microbial-proliferation resulting in offensive body odor.

   Competing Interests

   All work has been completed in accordance with guidelines governing such work with no financial relationships (including grants, honorarium, stipends, patents or patents pending, royalty agreements, board memberships) related to these findings, and the author has no remunerative nor competing interests nor any commercial interests in this product. Collected data from a single subject case report is conclusively relevant in only the single subject participant in this study. The results reported describe what occurred in this single subject, and, therefore, may not reoccur in a larger cross population of subjects. 

   Acknowledgements

   The author expresses appreciation to Cozy Bear Natural Products, PO Box 1105, Chewelah, Washington 99109, 509.937.2699 or 877-663-2699, for their generous donation of NEU-STIC – Neutralizing Deodorant, a natural aromatic oils compound (consisting of arrowroot, coconut oil, baking soda, cocoa butter, shea butter, beeswax, candellia wax, essential oils (sweet orange, pink grapefruit seed, lime, basil, bay, sage, tea tree, and clove) for this project.

   References

   1. Exley C., et al.  Does antiperspirant use increase the risk of aluminum-related disease, including Alzheimer’s disease?  Mol Med Today.  1998;4(3):107-109.
   2. Graves AB, et al.  The association between aluminum containing products and Alzheimer’s disease. J Clin Epidemiol. 1990;43(1):35-44.
   3. Werbach MR.  Can aluminum cause Alzheimer’s disease?  Health & Nutrition Breakthroughs.  March 1998.
   4. Candy JM, et al. Aluminosilicates and senile plaque formation in Alzheimer’s disease. Lancet. 1986;i: 354-57.
   5. Jacqmin-Gadda H et al. Silica and aluminum in drinking water and cognitive impairment in the elderly. Epidemiology. 1996;7(3): 281-85.
   6. Bellia JP, et al. The role of silicic acid in the renal excretion of aluminium. Ann Clin Lab Sci. 1996;26: 227-33.
   7. Misner BD. A novel aromatic oil compound inhibits microbial overgrowth on feet: a case study. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2007: 4:3. PMCID: PMC1997117

Bill Misner graduated from Indiana University, and later completed both his MS and PhD at the American Holistic College of Nutrition. He is an AAMA board-certified alternative medicine practitioner. He published papers in the American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM) journal, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (JISSN), and seven original research papers in past issues of the Townsend Letter. Misner wrote Endurance Nutrition – Finding Another Gear, Editions I and II of What Should I Eat? A Food Endowed Prescription for Well Being, and Phytonutrition: Finding Fitness for Life! Misner, age 78, continues to run races from one mile up to 13.1 miles to demonstrate “Practice (what he preaches) really works!”