Gut / skin axis
The skin microbiome and its volatiles/odor are influences by our gut. We have found clearcut correlations between dietary habits and body odor. The frequent consumption of meat and fast food is unfavorable for odor development. While the frequent consumption of vegetables led to a better underarm odor and microbiome. This shows the clear connection between our gut and our skin.
The gut / skin axis has also been identified in other skin disorders. We have identified a long list of skin conditions where both skin and gut microbiome were altered, namely in atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, acne, hidradenitis suppurativa, rosacea, dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and alopecia. The consumption of typical Western high fat high carbohydrate diet is associated to common disorders, that not only manifests in our body but also on our skin. As such, altering our diet can have beneficial outcomes and can make our skin beautiful and nicely smelling again. It is a long process of course; it does not change in the course of a day or a week. In these times of lockdown, it is a good moment to experiment with good food. I have also been doing so, and have noticed some clear improvements.
We have recently written a long review on this topic, and this overview makes it very clear that also our food determines how we look and how we will smell. More info you can find in the open access article here.