Armpit Spotlight

Soft Services

BO, razor burn, acne, oh my! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

Manolo Blahnik & Antonio Berardi, unknown, @maworldgroup, unknown

Few parts of the body come with as much baggage as our armpits. We know that armpit insecurity is a struggle for many of our peers, and while we don’t think there’s anything to be ashamed about, the intricacies of armpit upkeep aren’t discussed as openly as they could be.

So as the body skin experts^™, we’re here to give you the full, shame-free crash course in armpit care. Oh, and for the sake of this piece, we’ll be leaving deodorant out of the convo—that’s a whole other ball game.

@andrewgeorgiades, @naturegirlmuscle, Kobe Bryant, @hilameir, KATSEYE, @fflorencia__________

First up: Odor

Body odor, as you can imagine, is completely natural; it’s simply the result of sweat intermingling with our skin’s bacteria. However, you’ve probably noticed that not all sweat has a stench, and that’s because only one of our two types of sweat glands produce a smell. A quick anatomy detour:

Eccrine glands, found on the majority of our bodies, secrete sweat directly onto our skin and tend to lack an odor.

Apocrine glands, which are found in our armpits and our groins, open up into our hair follicles, creating contact with bacteria that produce a smell. These glands don’t become active until puberty, hence the stinky nightmare that is middle school.

Like we said, sweating, and therefore body odor, are completely natural.

Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein

A few factors can cause your body odor to increase and/or change, namely medications, parts of your menstrual cycle, stress, and diet.

It can be a real challenge to fully eradicate the stinky pit situation, but a few things might help:

Let them breathe

Loose-fitting, natural fibers, and moisture-wicking fabrics like cotton and linen give your skin a little breathing room, which means less sweat in close quarters with our skin and its bacteria.

Shaving your pits

Less hair = less bacteria for sweat to interact with = smaller potential for scent.

Exfoliate on the reg

Beyond just smoothing out texture, chemical exfoliants like Smoothing Solution also lower your skin’s pH, making an inhospitable environment for odor-causing bacteria to survive in. Don’t overdo it (we’ll cover that later), but working exfoliation into your routine a few times a week—ideally on non-shaving days—can be a big help.

Gillian Anderson, @musu.ndureee, Julia Roberts, Grace Jones, Diana Ross, Terry Crews

Next: Hair

To shave or not to shave, that is the question. Look, if and how you choose to groom your armpits is a personal decision that we will always support you on, but those of us who shave consistently know the un-fun side effects: razor burn, ingrowns, nicks.

Razor burn, a relatively common redness and rash that comes up after shaving, occurs when you use a dull or dirty blade, go too hard in one particular area, or “forget” to use a shaving medium altogether. Its pesky relative, ingrown hairs, are discolored (sometimes painful) bumps that form when hair that’s already been shaven gets trapped beneath the skin and grows back into its follicle.

To minimize the risk of shaving-related irritation, it’s best to go back to basics:

Sophia Loren

Change your blade every 6-8 shaves. Apply some lubrication to the area. And shave along the grain.

Comfort Cleanse, an ultra-soothing body wash, happens to double as a hydrating shaving layer that doesn’t clog your pores or blade.

Dagobert Peche, @annvendi, Theo Cottle, Dorothy Dandridge, @caltexcowgirll, Alexa Demie

Time to Talk Acne

Our armpits are certainly not immune from acne formation. As with the rest of our bodies, the cause can be any or a combination of bacterial, hormonal fluctuations, poor hygiene, or clogged pores or sweat glands.

We should say, we don’t mean “poor hygiene” as an insult—taking care of our pits is not always as straightforward as it might seem. A few helpful tips:

Treat it.

Clearing Mist, a medicated breakout tonic, has 1% salicylic acid and 2% zinc PCA to clear acne, decongest clogged pores, refine texture, and help regulate sebum. Just make sure you wait for it to completely dry (which doesn’t take long) before following up with deodorant.

Speaking of deodorant,
don’t go overboard.

If you’re using a deodorant with active ingredients, avoid combining it with any other potent topicals (including Smoothing Solution and Clearing Mist) to prevent an unfortunate skin reaction. And make sure you completely wash off your deodorant in the shower. That residue can be stubborn, especially if you reapply throughout the day. Buffing Bar is a great tool to gently scrub away any lingering layers.

Charli xcx, Nike, Prince, @annvendi, Mirror Palais, Blood Orange

Discoloration & Hyperpigmentation

Skin discoloration, as it sounds, is simply any kind of change in skin color from its normal tone. And the armpit area is an especially prone location since it’s home to lots of potentially irritating activities: shaving, waxing, frequent deodorant application, sweat, friction of skin and garments—party galore!

If you’re trying to target hyperpigmentation under your arms, it’s a good idea to first review the products you’re already using in the area.

Allergies are real, and while we don’t fearmonger, ingredients like fragrance (whether natural or synthetic), dyes, and lanolin are common allergens. Try excluding them from your pit routine and see if that brings any improvements.

@nickiezimov

A proactive approach would be to incorporate a brightening exfoliant in your routine to help even skin tone.

Smoothing Solution, our calming gel exfoliant, features 10% AHA to dissolve dead skin cell buildup, making way for fresh new skin at the surface, while working away at the hyperpigmentation over time.

Armpits are sensitive areas, both physically and conceptually, so it’s best to treat them gently and with great care.

THE PIT CREW
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