There’s nothing quite like those seasons: teen years, pregnancy, or menopause, when shifting hormones make odor more noticeable and sweat and bacteria team up to create a stubborn armpit smell.

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aimee on homemaker on a budget sharing about detoxing stinky armpits

Every afternoon when I pick up my kids from school, the car instantly fills with that unmistakable scent of onions. It’s dreadful, so we roll the windows down, everyone gasping for fresh air! After a few too many days of this, I knew I had to find a solution.

Amazing Benefits of Bentonite Clay

I learned about the powerful benefits of bentonite clay and why it’s such an effective natural detoxifier. When applied to the skin, it works deep within the pores, binding to impurities, toxins, and odor-causing bacteria. Rather than just masking odor, bentonite clay helps draw out what doesn’t belong there, leaving the skin feeling clean, purified, and truly refreshed. Bentonite clay is known as “healing clay” because it draws out impurities and heals the skin.

stinky armpit detox with aimee guess bentonite clay

What Causes Armpit Odor During Hormonal Shifts?

Hormonal body odor often shows up during major life stages like puberty, perimenopause, and menopause because hormones directly influence how our sweat glands function. During these times, changes in estrogen and other hormones can increase sweat production and alter the type of sweat released, especially in the armpits. This thicker sweat isn’t naturally smelly, but when it mixes with bacteria on the skin, it creates odor. As hormone levels shift, the balance of skin bacteria can change too, which is why body odor may suddenly feel stronger or harder to manage.

“Many women report stronger body odor as they transition to menopause … profuse perspiration from hot flashes and night sweats can nourish underarm bacteria, leading to more body odor. The menopausal drop in estrogen also leaves our bodies with relatively higher levels of testosterone … which can attract more bacteria to sweat, making it smell funkier.”

From Harvard Health

As we learn about these shifts, we can plan for them, whether for ourselves or our children. Have a teenage daughter or son with smelly armpits, grab the bentonite clay, and get started. You’ll immediately notice a difference!

Menopause also affects the skin itself. As estrogen declines, skin can become thinner, drier, and more sensitive, which may alter the skin’s microbiome. Did you realize that the natural mix of beneficial and odor-producing bacteria that lives on the skin could be affected by your microbiome? We often think of our microbiome being inside our stomachs, but because our skin is the largest organ, it greatly affects our immune system, too. When that balance is disrupted, odor can become more noticeable or harder to manage with conventional deodorants alone. Let’s get below the skin’s surface, detoxify the armpit odor caused by menopause, and live with cleaner skin.

Together, bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar don’t just cover up smells; they help detoxify the pores, rebalance the skin’s environment, and interrupt the cycle that leads to persistent underarm odor. This is especially helpful during hormonal shifts, when changes in sweat and bacterial balance can make odor more noticeable.

homemaker on a budget sharing the 2 ingredient detox for stinky armpits

How To Apply Bentonite Clay To Armpits

See my Instagram reel explaining how to apply the bentonite clay solution: Stinky Armpit Detox

1 Tbsp bentonite clay
1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Amazon is where I buy my favorite and affordable bentonite clay, get yours here, too.

First, put on a tank top, or something that’s ok to get messy and can be washed.
Grab a plastic spoon (NOT METAL) and mix the ingredients together. Work quickly, because this dries fast.
Use the back of the spoon to apply half of the mixture to your armpit. Leave your arm up in the air to expose the armpit.
Carefully apply the remaining mixture to your other armpit.
Leave your armpits exposed and lie down for 10-20 minutes; the longer you can do this, the better the results. I typically turn on a show to watch before starting, so I’m entertained and relaxed.
Once the 20 minutes are up, take a warm wash rag and wipe the clay mixture off your armpits. I generally shower after this.

I highly suggest that you don’t shave your armpits before doing this because it can cause irritation.

We have done this several times on different family members, and it works! It works so well, it’s incredible! You might need to continue doing this once a week until you notice improvements. Then, you can extend it to once a month, and quite possibly get to a point of having to do it once every 6 months.