The girlies on Tiktok are onto something here... 👀
, MD, confirms that glycolic acid can, indeed, help prevent that dreaded sweaty pit stench. "It sheds dead skin cells and lowers the skin pH so that the bacteria [that causes body odor] can't survive," she explains. Thus, the acid can leave your pits scent-free.
However, Dr. Gohara says that glycolic acid won't stop your underarms from sweating because it lacks the key sweat-blocking ingredient: aluminum salt. So if you don't want to deal with sweaty pits specifically, stick to anDr. Gohara suggests applying the acid after showering because it should be used on clean pits. "The whole idea is to keep the odor-producing bacteria at bay, so applying [the acid] when the odor is already brewing may not be as effective," she explains.
Because glycolic acid is a chemical exfoliant, irritation, redness, and inflammation are all possible side effects, especially when