# Armpit Stains
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-stains/41183
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 14, 2000, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-stains/41183 "2000-11-14T18:56:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Tadly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tadly)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2000, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-stains/41183/1 "2000-11-14T18:56:08Z")
While indulging ourselves at Southport Lanes in Chicago, one of my friends asked the question “What causes armpit stains?”
Not really being sure of the answer, I assume it has to to with minerals & other chemicals found in sweat, and not some strange bacteria, I thought I’d search the SDMB’s, but couldn’t find anything here, or in the archives. Any help out there?
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### Author:  [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2000, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-stains/41183/2 "2000-11-14T19:53:52Z")
Actually, this exact question is answered in this months “Maxim” magazine. They have a section called “Smart answers to dumb-ass questions”, or something of the sort. It’s not unlike the SD. (Yes, I know they don’t have anyone even close to attaining Cecil-dom).
For the longest time, I thought it was dependent on the deodorant you used. I was wrong, they claim it is chemicals in your sweat. I don’t have the magazine here (I have this funny habit of not bringing faux-softcore porn mags to work with me). If this hasn’t been answered by the time I get home, I’ll post more details later.
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### Author:  [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2000, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-stains/41183/3 "2000-11-14T21:19:54Z")
I never had armpit stains until a couple of years ago. I finally figured out that they started appearing at the smae time I switched from a whilte solid anti-perspirant/deodorant to the new “gel” clear solids.
At first I thought, well, the gel solids don’t work as well, and sweat is getting through. Nope. It was something in the product itself making the stain. Now I’m back on the white stuff and stain-free!
Anyway, this is why undershirts were invented.
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### Author:  [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2000, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-stains/41183/4 "2000-11-15T04:22:23Z")
I lived in CA, MD, VA, DC, NJ, Central Africa, and West Africa and never had a shirt that I stopped wearing because of armpit stains until I lived in Asia. There all my shirts started to get unsightly stains to the extent that I stopped wearing some of my favorite, older shirts. Then I moved to GA and the armpit stains disappeared! I conclude that it is the wash water.
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### Author:  [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2000, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armpit-stains/41183/5 "2000-11-15T15:31:57Z")
OK, I ripped that page out of the magazine before I left today. This is from the current issue of Maxim magazine, and I am cutting portions of it out. (Manny, I hope that this is kosher with SDMB copyright jazz):
> [@](#):
>
> …(the stains) come from your apocrine glands, the underarm pheromone factories the spritz your pits lipfuscin, a chemical that can turn clothing yellow and, in super-mortifying cases, bluish-green…there’s little you can do to stop this splotching, which tends to get worse when you’re stressed but eventually decreases with age. …NYU Downtown hospital dermatologist Barry Goldman: “Apocrine glands are larger than sweat glands, so you can’t block them with deodorants or antiperspirants.”
However, I noticed that switching to Degree deodorant (from a clear gel) cut way down on the stains. As always, YMMV.