Science of body odor

Doctor Armpit

DrArmpit is a science communication platform where scientific research about armpit microbiology in relation to body odour, in a broad sense, is made available to the public.

DrArmpit focuses on the science of body odor in the armpits, skin, clothes, washing machines and novel ways to solve it. Few research is done in this field. DrArmpit is a pioneer in finding solutions against the malodor generation. DrArmpit is hosted at CMET in Ghent University, Belgium. The research is independent from industry and supported by the Flemish GovernmentResearch Foundation – FlandersGhent University and Belgian American Educational Foundation. In this website you can find research updates and see what kinds of bacteria live in the armpit.

We have developed a probiotic deodorant that tackles body odor at the source. We have run clinical trials that show great results. In case you suffer from body odor, we invite you to fill in this Body Odor Assessment to better understand your problem. You will also be the first to hear when our probiotic deodorant is ready.

Stay informed




Armpit bacteria

The forearm is the desert, the scalps are the cool woods and the armpit is the tropical rainforest.

Mary J Marples

Mary J Marples couldn’t have put it in a better way. The armpit is like the tropical rainforest, containing an enormous amount of bacteria. Although numbers of bacteria go very high, not a lot of different bacteria reside over there. The diversity of the axilla is rather low, compared to other skin sites such as the belly button and the hands. Therefore, some very dominant bacteria reside in the armpit. Most of the times, staphylococci or corynebacteria are the dominant bacterial strains. In the first case, this only results in a moderate –normal– body odor, while in the last case, this can give rise to an unpleasant smell.

Smelly armpits

Smelly armpits, axillary body odor or axillary osmidrosis is a condition in which an unpleasant odor emanates from the armpit region. This can significantly affect the subjects quality of life. It is moreover a taboo issue to talk about. It is generally not considered as a disease. In rare cases, axillary osmidrosis becomes a disease if it completely overpowers and interferes with the subjects life. Besides washing and using deodorants, there is not much that can be done about it. Our research team is trying to find solutions for body odor. We are unraveling the science of body odor.