Body malodours and their topical treatment agents

Abstract

SynopsisBody malodour, including foot odour, suppresses social interaction by diminishing self-confidence and accelerating damage to the wearer's clothes and shoes. Most treatment agents, including aluminium anti-perspirant salts, inhibit the growth of malodourous bacteria. These metallic salts also reduce sweat by blocking the excretory ducts of sweat glands, minimizing the water source that supports bacterial growth. However, there are some drawback effects that limit the use of aluminium anti-perspirant salts. In addition, over-the-counter anti-perspirant and deodourant products may not be sufficiently effective for heavy sweaters, and strong malodour producers. Body odour treatment agents are rarely mentioned in the literature compared with other cosmetic ingredients. This review briefly summarizes the relationship among sweat, skin bacteria, and body odour; describes how odourous acids, thiols, and steroids are formed; and discusses the active ingredients, including metallic salts and herbs, that are used to treat body odour. A new class of ingredients that function by regulating the release of malodourants will also be described. These ingredients do not alter the balance of the skin flora. Ré suméLes mauvaises odeurs corporelles, y compris celles des pieds, atté-nue l'interaction sociale en diminuant la confiance en soi et favorisant des dommages aux vêtements et aux chaussures portés. La plupart des agents inclus dans les traitements, y compris les sels d'aluminium antiperspirants, inhibent la croissance de bactéries malodorantes. Ces sels métalliques réduisent aussi la sueur en bloquant les canaux excréteurs des glandes sudoripares, réduisant ainsi au minimum l'eau, source de la croissance bactérienne. Cependant, il y a quelques inconvénients qui limitent l'utilisation de sels d'aluminium anti-transpirants. De plus, les produits antiperspirants et déodorants OTC peuvent ne pas être suffisamment efficaces pour des personnes produisant une grande quantité de sueur et producteurs de fortes odeurs. Les agents actifs sur les Odeurs corporelles sont rarement mentionnés dans la littérature comparativement à d'autres Ingrédients cosmétiques. Cette revue récapitule brièvement la relation entre la Sueur, les bactéries cutanées et l'odeur corporelle; elle décrit comment des acides odorants, des thiols, et des stéroïdes sont formés; et examine les principes actifs, y compris les sels métalliques et les végétaux utilisés pour traiter l'odeur corporelle. Une nouvelle classe d'ingrédients dont la fonction est de réguler la libération de mauvaises odeurs est également décrite. Ces ingrédients ne modifient pas l'équilibre de la flore cutanée.

Effective axillary malodour reduction by polyquaternium‐16‐containing deodorants

“…In deodorants, antimicrobials inhibit bacterial growth and are used for axillary malodour prevention [19,20]. The aim of this study was to identify a new, highly effective antimicrobial that is skin-friendly and well tolerated by human skin.…”

“…Characteristics of a well-working deodorant are as follows: (i) a reliable efficacy against axillary bacteria within an appropriate period of time and (ii) a non-toxic, skin-friendly and safe formulation [19].…”

“…Compounds such as ACH reduce the secretion of eccrine sweat by blocking the ducts of eccrine sweat glands. However, aluminium salts also exhibit antibacterial properties [19,31]. In our test design, ACH functions as an antibacterial agent in a deodorant.…”

“…Reduction in malodour formation can be achieved by different approaches: inhibition of bacterial growth, prevention of sweat secretion, inhibition of enzymatic bacterial reactions, absorption of sweat and malodour, and neutralization of odours [19].…”

Growth Inhibitory Activity of Selected Australian Syzygium Species against Malodour Forming Bacteria

“…However the major bacteria responsible for odour formation in this region belong to the genera Brevibacterium and Propionibacterium. 6 Deodorants contain chemicals formulated to minimize growth of odour forming bacteria. The efficacy of these chemicals is dependent on the microbial community present.…”