How Alcohol Causes Body Odor
Wellness & SelfcareHealthy Living

How Alcohol Can Change How You Smell

How Alcohol Can Change How You Smell
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Published on October 31, 2025
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Note: While research on alcohol is evolving, the World Health Organization says drinking less or not at all is better for your health.

When you drink alcohol, traces of it can stay on your breath for 24 hours.

 But you also may notice that it can lead to body odor and changes in how your urine smells.

This has to do with how your body metabolizes alcohol. When you cannot metabolize all the alcohol you consume, your body breaks it down into acetate and removes it through carbon dioxide and water, which can have a vinegar-like smell, says Jim White, RD, an American College of Sports Medicine–certified exercise physiologist in Norfolk, Virginia.

How Does Alcohol-Induced Body Odor Work?

Alcohol is a toxin. When you consume it, your body tries to remove it.

The liver works so fast, however. It can metabolize about 0.5 ounces of pure alcohol per hour, though that amount may vary from person to person.

 If you consume more alcohol than that in a short time, your body removes it in other ways.

“The body gets rid of the rest through a process called oxidation, which breaks the toxins down into smaller parts,” White says.

Alcohol is first broken into acetaldehyde, which itself is broken into acetate. Each is progressively less toxic.

Your body then tries to remove acetate however it can, usually through sweat, breath, and urination. Because acetate has a similar chemical composition to vinegar, those excretions can smell like vinegar.

You may end up feeling warm and sweaty, says John Mayer, PhD, a Chicago-based clinical psychologist and the author of Family Fit: Find Your Balance in Life

“Drinking causes the blood vessels near the skin to enlarge, which causes people to feel flushed or hot and as a result triggers the body to sweat,” he says. “The higher the alcohol content of the drink or drinks the person consumed the night before, the more alcohol oxidation a person’s body will go through, which means more stink-causing acid.”

It also can lead to halitosis, or bad breath, says Lawrence Fung, DDS, a board-certified dentist and the owner of Silicon Beach Dental in Los Angeles. Alcohol consumption is a potential cause of dry mouth, which occurs when you are not producing enough saliva. In addition to bad breath, this condition can lead to trouble eating and drinking, mouth and throat pain, and mouth sores.

How Long Does an Odor Last After Drinking?

It may take longer than 24 hours from your last drink for your body to metabolize alcohol fully.

 Until the alcohol is broken down all the way, odors may linger.

This may be especially true after a night of heavy drinking, says Kimberlee Blyden-Taylor, ND, a practicing naturopathic physician and the chief medical officer at Sonoran University of Health Sciences in Arizona. If your liver is working in overdrive to break down toxins, it may slow down the process of breaking down alcohol.

Always be aware of signs of alcohol poisoning in yourself or someone you are near, as well. Call 911 immediately if you see the symptoms of alcohol poisoning, These may include:

  • Cold or bluish skin
  • Confusion
  • Inability to stay awake
  • Incontinence
  • Lack of coordination
  • Low body temperature
  • Seizure
  • Slowed or irregular breathing
  • Slow heart rate
  • Vomiting

How to Reduce Body Odor From Alcohol

The best way to avoid alcohol-induced body odor is to abstain from drinking alcohol, especially drinking too much. Alcohol has no proven health benefits and carries risks even in small amounts.

The potential for body odor exists as long as your body is metabolizing alcohol.

“Theoretically, you’re going to excrete a little more [alcohol] by sweating more,” Blyden-Taylor says. “But because only 10 percent goes through breath, urine, and sweat, you’re just not getting rid of that much alcohol.”

You may think that drinking coffee, taking a shower, brushing your teeth, or exercising can help you “sober up” or mask the odor. But each is temporary, and none speeds your metabolism. In fact, taking acetaminophen for a headache or having existing liver problems can actually slow down your metabolism.

 Exercising or trying to sweat more also may dehydrate you, which can make symptoms worse, Blyden-Taylor says.

If you choose to consume alcohol, remember to do so responsibly. This may include eating food rich in protein, Blyden-Taylor says, which can slow down alcohol absorption.

“If you’re not eating, [alcohol] gets absorbed faster, and you accumulate more [alcohol in your system], and that can cause more odor,” she says.

The Takeaway

  • The safest way to avoid additional body odor from drinking alcohol is to abstain from drinking alcohol.
  • Consuming more alcohol than your body can metabolize may cause it to excrete alcohol through your breath, sweat, and urine, which may carry an unpleasant smell.
  • There is no way to speed up the metabolism process, and alcohol may take longer than 24 hours to metabolize fully.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. How Long Does Alcohol Stay in Your System? Cleveland Clinic. December 3, 2021.
  2. Booze Truths. California Polytechnic State University.
  3. Semler E. Microbial Origins of Body Odor. Vanderbilt University Medical Center. February 23, 2022.
  4. Xerostomia (Dry Mouth). American Dental Association. April 24, 2023.
  5. Alcohol Poisoning. Cleveland Clinic. January 26, 2024.
  6. Metabolizing Alcohol. University of Toledo.
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Grant Chu, MD, MS, MBA, FACP

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor

Grant Chu, MD, is an associate clinical professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dr. Chu is also associate director of inpatient East-West consult services at the UCLA Health hospitals.

He's board-certified in internal medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is a diplomate of the National Certification Board for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (formerly the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine).

He received a bachelor's degree in neuroscience from Brown University, where he also earned his medical degree. He has a master's in acupuncture and oriental medicine from South Baylo University and a master's in business administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

He completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles and a fellowship at the Center for East-West Medicine at UCLA. He has held academic appointments at the University of California in Irvine and the University of Queensland in Australia.

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Gabrielle Kassel (she/her) is a fitness and wellness journalist whose focus is at the intersection of strength training, hormone health, and longevity. In addition to Everyday Health, she is a contributor to a number of publications such as Shape, Cosmopolitan, Health, Self, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, GQ, and more.

In her free time, Kassel can be found training for local CrossFit competitions, coaching classes at her local CrossFit box, and hiking with her border collie. You can find more on her on Instagram @Gabriellekassel.

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