People who sweat excessively have problems with sweat causing odors and smells. This can affect self-confidence and be embarrassing if the smell is too bad. One of the natural protections against the smell people use is an undershirt, so I wondered whether an undershirt helps with the smell.
The undershirt is a natural way to prevent body odor if you sweat excessively. It is important to wear a short-sleeved or long-sleeved undershirt to prevent sweat and body odor from transferring to outer clothing. Underwear that is odor-resistant should be made from natural materials.
In the rest of this post, you will find out how to prevent sweating and odors naturally with an undershirt. I’ll tell you what a sweatshirt needs to be to prevent odors and much more.
Do undershirts help with smell?
The undershirt can prevent unpleasant body odors caused by perspiration. To reduce odors, the following 5 things should be taken into account.
- The undershirt must have short or long sleeves (it must not be a tank top),
- The choice of material is important (natural materials – cotton, merino wool, bamboo),
- The undershirt must be made of absorbent materials,
- Regular washing and changing of the undershirt is necessary,
- Personal care is the basis for preventing body odor.
An undershirt is an item of clothing that is similar in shape to a T-shirt, but different in many ways. The main differences are that an undershirt is longer and more elasticated so that it fits close to the body and does not extend above the trousers. The undershirt can also be worn under a t-shirt and under other clothes to absorb sweat and prevent it from transferring to outer clothing.
Why is my sweat so smelly and how to stop it?
Sweat is essentially odorless. It only gets its smell when it comes into contact with bacteria on the body. Sweat odor can be prevented by showering regularly, at least once a day, and after each heavy sweat. It is advisable to shower after exercising, after a sauna, after work, etc.
Sweat that comes into contact with bacteria starts to smell when the sweat is transferred from the skin to the clothes. That’s when our clothes start to smell, and the smell can be felt by people around us. Let’s take a look at how to prevent body odors naturally.
If we sweat a lot, our skin becomes dirty and bacteria build up, which can cause acne and clogged sebaceous glands. An undershirt can help reduce the appearance of acne on the skin because it absorbs sweat well, so the skin stays dry and clean for longer.
The undershirt must have sleeves
The undershirts can have three different types of sleeves. An undershirt can have short sleeves, long sleeves, or no sleeves at all (tank top). You can prevent body odor from being transferred to your outer clothing by wearing an undershirt with short or long sleeves.
The undershirt should have sleeves because the underarm is part of the body where we sweat a lot. The undershirt, therefore, acts as a base between the skin and the outer clothing, so that sweat and odor are not transferred to the outer clothing.
The T-shirt can be worn at any time, even in summer. You can also wear an undershirt in summer to keep you warm, and a T-shirt will even keep you cooler. The long-sleeved undershirt is more suitable for wearing in cold weather.
Choose an undershirt made of natural materials
Natural materials are best suited for all clothing, especially underwear that is in direct contact with the skin, such as undershirts, underpants, and socks. Natural materials are comfortable and soft on the skin, breathe well, and absorb and wick away sweat.
The natural materials most commonly used to make undershirts are cotton and merino wool. Most undershirts are not made of 100% natural materials but are a mix of natural and synthetic materials (polyester, nylon, elastane). Of these synthetic materials, only nylon absorbs sweat. I will tell you more about why absorbency is important below. When choosing a T-shirt, the proportion of materials should be greater than 60%.
Undershirt materials should absorb moisture
The undershirt must absorb sweat so that it is not transferred to the outer clothing. However, not every undershirt absorbs sweat. The first requirement is that the undershirt has sleeves that stop sweat. The second condition is that the undershirt is made of absorbent materials.
| Ratio in percentage | |
| Natural/synthetic materials | 60-90 %/10-40 % |
| Absorbent materials | >60 % |
Absorbent materials that appear in the undershirt are cotton, merino wool, bamboo, and nylon. Of these materials, nylon is the only synthetic material that has moisture-wicking properties. It is therefore ideal if the proportion of synthetic materials in your undershirt is nylon. Which, together with the natural materials, is a mix of materials that absorbs sweat very well.
Polyester, which is not the best material for clothing or for our skin, is often found in undershirts. Read a detailed comparison between cotton and polyester.
Wash your undershirts and change them regularly
Sweat that comes into contact with bacteria on the skin also transfers bacteria to clothes. The undershirt is right next to the skin, so it is in direct contact with sweat and bacteria. Sweat-soaked clothes should be washed after wearing so that the next time you wear them you do not get bacteria on clean skin.
You should wash your undershirt after one day of wearing. Washing in warm water will get rid of the bacteria on the undershirt. Therefore, wash your undershirt, underpants, and socks at 60 °C or 140 °F. This temperature is high enough to kill the bacteria and low enough not to damage the clothes. Washing in hot water damages the elastic fibers, which can cause the garments to shrink and not be as soft and comfortable as they were.
On average, you should raplace your undershirt every 6 to 12 months or sooner if it wears out, gets holes, stretches and no longer fits you well enough.
Take care of your personal care to prevent body odor
Wearing an undershirt alone will not prevent sweating and smell. Regular personal hygiene is also necessary. Shower at least once a day (morning or evening) and after any activity in which you sweat a lot (sport, work, sauna).
Many people use antiperspirants to prevent sweating and odors. Prolonged use of antiperspirants advertised as stopping perspiration is very harmful. Such products contain aluminum, which clogs the pores and prevents sweat from being excreted. This stops the natural cleansing process that our body carries out through perspiration. Such products cause yellow stains on white clothes because the sweat turns yellow in contact with the aluminum.
Read how to remove yellow sweat stains, so you don’t have to throw away your clothes.
I recommend using antiperspirants made from natural materials rather than products containing aluminum. Such products are made by Lush, a company that is committed to using natural materials and fights against animal testing. You can check out their website and natural products here.