Glycolic Acid - The Secret to Smelly Pits?
If you’ve been on Tik Tok at any point within the last year, you’ve probably seen the recent skincare trend of using Glycolic Acid on your armpits in order to get rid of BO. When I first heard about this I had a full body cringe because all I could imagine is my armpits burning and itching. Buuuut as a person who has hyperhidrosis and a love for buying new products, I had to try it – and I’m so happy I did let me explain why.
1 - Which type of Glycolic Acid to use?
The most popular brand people use is The Ordinary’s Glycolic Acid, which I already had because I’ve used it on my face before. I genuinely love all of The Ordinary’s product because they have worked the same and almost better than more expensive skincare I’ve tried. This Glycolic Acid comes with a spout (idk what it’s called) that you can attach to the top in place of the cap.
2 - When to use it?
I recommend to ONLY use it at night and NOT AFTER SHAVING!! I repeat DO NOT USE IT AFTER SHAVING. Use it at night and then shave in the morning.
3 - How to use it?
Most people use cotton balls or paper towels but I’m about to put you on – to cotton ovals. Okay I may be late to the game but as someone who has used small flimsy cotton rounds for years, these ovals have been a game changer. If you don’t plan to carry it around, attach the included spout thingy, and spray your acid onto one of these, then wipe a couple times under your arms.
4 - How to wash off?
Using your regular body wash, gently wash your armpits the next morning. You can also shave at this point.
5 - How soon will I see results?
Immediately. When I tell you once you wash your armpits the next morning, you will not smell ANYTHING – and I mean anything. You know how if you were to smell your skin during the day there would be a scent of something, such as lotion or perfume? Well you will literally smell nothing even when you sweat. I put my mom onto this and she could not stop smelling her armpits because she was so amazed there was absolutely zero scent. Some people say they don’t wear deodorant anymore and I will admittedly say there are times where I have forgotten to put it on, but I still do when I remember to anyway.
6 - How often do I do this?
Starting out, I recommend applying it every other day just so your skin can get used to it. If you have sensitive skin then it’d be best to space out even more time in between use. For me personally I use it every other day in the night. If you stop using it your armpit smell will return unfortunately so it’s not a permanent fix.
7 - Side effects/anything I should know?
One side effect that I’ve seen nobody talk about is underarm breakouts. When I started using it I would use it every night which caused me to break out in small pimples. Thankfully they cleared quickly and now that I only do it every other day I haven’t had the problem since.
If you have sensitive skin you should patch test it on one armpit or half of one armpit for the first night.
Final thoughts
Overall, this is one Tik Tok trend that I am glad I bought into. I have hyperhidrosis which has caused me a lot of insecurity and fear of BO all my life, and this has been one of the cheapest and easiest ways to combat that.
*As an Amazon Affiliate I earn a commission on qualifying purchases. That being said I am always 100% honest with anything I review and will never recommend something I don’t like or use.*
