Does using toner on your armpits actually reduce odor?

Armpits and toner? It’s a combination you may not have thought of before but may want to consider it if you experience some lingering odor issues. Let’s break down how this works.

Toner is a skincare product used to neutralize the pH of your skin. It also helps to remove dirt, skin cells, and oil that clogs your pores. By eliminating those things, it allows for your deodorant to absorb better.

Sweat isn’t necessarily what causes your armpits to smell. It’s caused by the bacteria that love sweat, particularly from your apocrine glands (found in your underarms and lower region).

Using an acidic toner on your underarms helps to remove this odor-causing bacteria. It’ll get a deeper clean than you can get in the shower with soap and water. This also works similarly regarding the pH level. The pH scale ranges from 0 (most acidic) to 14 (most alkaline).

Skin falls at about a 5 on the pH scale, and sweat is less acidic. When you sweat, your skin becomes more neutral and thus more susceptible to bacteria to find a home. To make your underarms uninviting, then you need to either go closer to 0 or closer to 14. Using an acidic toner will help create an environment where the bacteria can not thrive.

Deodorants work by being slightly acidic. However, adding toner before your deodorant clears it of the bacteria already there and helps make it even more acidic to prevent it from returning.

Here are some acidic toners you can try:

The Ordinary: Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution

The Ordinary has an affordable toner that’s also vegan and cruelty-free.

Pixi Beauty: Glow Tonic

Pixi Glow tonic not only has 5% glycolic acid but also red ginseng to help protect the skin.

Mario Badescu: Glycolic Acid Toner

Besides glycolic acid, this toner has aloe vera to hydrate the skin.