If Your Body Odor Stinks More Right Now, There’s A Reason

Layered clothes, a weakened skin barrier and other cold-weather factors may be making you downright stinky. Here’s how to combat it.

Winter feels like it should be deodorant’s easiest season. With the heat gone, one can assume sweat and odor should be less of an issue. And yet, for many people, body odor becomes harder to control once temperatures drop.

Dermatologists say that’s not your imagination. “It may feel like you sweat less in the winter, but your sweat may be trapped under layers of clothing, giving odor-causing bacteria more time to produce body odor,” said Dr. Susan Massick, associate professor of dermatology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Cold weather changes how your body sweats, how odor forms, how clothing traps moisture, and even how your skin’s microbiome behaves. Add in the differences between deodorants and antiperspirants — and the growing popularity of natural formulas — and it becomes clear why winter can be surprisingly tough on underarm freshness.

You’re still sweating in winter — it’s just trapped longer

One of the biggest misconceptions is that less heat means less sweat. “Sweating serves a purpose in helping you maintain a steady internal body temperature,” Massick said. “You will sweat regardless of the outdoor temperature, even in the cold winter months.”