Irritated Skin

Why Does My Belly Button Smell?

Why Does My Belly Button Smell?
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Published on February 7, 2025
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Belly button odor can strike anyone at anytime. While a smelly belly button is usually nothing to worry about, a foul odor paired with other symptoms could indicate a more serious issue.

Here’s a look at why your belly button may smell and how to prevent and eliminate odor.

6 Possible Reasons for Belly Button Odor

Belly button odor is more common than some realize, and it can result from basic hygiene issues as well as more serious infections.

1. Poor Hygiene

Washing with soap and water helps remove dirt, oils, and sweat from your skin. But without regular cleansing, these substances can build up in the navel, potentially leading to a musty odor.

This is especially true if you have a deeper-set belly button because the extra folds of skin can make thorough cleaning more challenging, explains Barbara Bawer, MD, a family medicine physician at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. “A deeper-set belly button creates a darker, more humid environment where bacteria can thrive,” she says.

2. Accumulation of Dirt, Sweat, Lint, or Debris

Even if you shower or bathe regularly, your belly button might not get the attention it needs. This often-overlooked area also acts as a catchall for dead skin cells and lint from clothing. And between trapped moisture and accumulated debris, it’s an ideal environment for odor to develop.

This combination also creates the perfect condition for a navel stone to form. This is a small, painless mass made from clumps of debris that can have an unpleasant odor, too.

3. Bacterial Infections

While it’s normal to have some bacteria on the skin, problems can occur when bacteria gets inside the belly button and multiplies. Bacterial infections that may affect the belly button include impetigo (which often starts as sores or blisters on the mouth and nose) and cellulitis (which often causes swelling and pain), and these typically occur when skin bacteria enters the skin through a cut and multiplies, according to Dr. Bawer.

If you don’t completely dry the navel after bathing or sweating, moisture can encourage the growth of bacteria that cause impetigo and cellulitis. Signs of an infection in your belly button include swelling, redness, pain, pus, and a foul smell coming from the affected area.

These infections are more likely in individuals with a weakened immune system (often caused by chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, and HIV/AIDS), poor circulation, skin folds due to overweight and obesity, and lack of mobility due to illness or injury. These factors can impair healing, which creates an environment for bacteria to thrive.

Bacterial skin infections are usually mild and treatable with antibiotics. However, if left untreated they can lead to complications like abscesses (pockets of pus that may require drainage) or sepsis (a life-threatening infection that spreads to the bloodstream).

4. Yeast Infections

Yeast infections — which can cause a sour, bread-like odor — can also occur in the navel. A common culprit is Candida, says Bawer. This fungus thrives in dark, warm, and moist environments, making the belly button an ideal spot, she explains.

Sweating heavily, such as during workouts or in hot, humid climates, can increase moisture in the belly button. Additionally, wearing tight clothing or fabrics that don’t breathe well can trap heat and moisture, creating a breeding ground for fungi.

Individuals who take antibiotics, wear dentures, are getting cancer treatment, or have health conditions that affect the immune system (like HIV or diabetes) are also at greater risk of yeast infections.

Belly button yeast infections often improve within a couple of weeks of starting treatment with a topical antifungal cream, ointment, or powder. However, infections can return if the area isn’t kept dry.

5. Cysts

A buildup of dead skin cells and oils in the belly button can also cause small, nonpainful bumps beneath the skin called epidermoid cysts. While these cysts are typically harmless, they can become infected or inflamed. When this happens, you might notice a grayish-white discharge and a cheesy odor.

If left untreated, a cyst can become infected, leading to the development of an abscess that may require drainage.

6. Piercings

Another worrisome cause of belly button odor is an infection, either in the belly button itself or spreading through the body, often caused by not cleaning a belly button piercing regularly with warm soap and water, says Benedict Ifedi, MD, a family medicine physician with Memorial Hermann in Houston, Texas.

If a belly button piercing is not properly cleaned, dead skin cells, oils, and bacteria build up, leading to infection. Common symptoms of infection include pain, redness, and smelly pus that can be yellow, gray, green, brown, white, or blood-red.

Similar to other infections, if a belly button infection from a piercing is left untreated, the bacteria can multiply and spread beyond the piercing site, potentially entering the bloodstream. This can lead to sepsis.

When Should You See a Doctor?

While some causes of belly button odor can be managed with proper hygiene, certain symptoms may indicate a more serious issue requiring medical attention. See a doctor if your odor is accompanied by redness, swelling, pain, or bleeding, says Dr. Ifedi.

Additionally, watch for any uncomfortable or tender lumps in or near the belly button, as these could be navel stones that need to be removed by a doctor. While they are usually painless, they can become irritating or bothersome over time.

Treatment: How to Get Rid of a Smelly Belly Button

Treating a smelly belly button begins with identifying the underlying cause and improving hygiene in this area.

“We can’t forget about the belly button during showers or baths, and a gentle wipe with a loofah, washcloth, or soapy finger can help clear away bacteria, dirt, and dead skin cells,” says Stephen Vogel, MD, a Carrboro, North Carolina–based family medicine physician with virtual healthcare platform PlushCare. He adds that regularly washing your clothes with detergent can help prevent transferring bacteria to your skin.

When bacteria or yeast cause odors, use over-the-counter (OTC) antibiotic ointments and antifungal powders or creams to help eliminate the bacteria or fungus causing the smell. If you don’t see improvement after two weeks, see your doctor about getting a prescription antibiotic or antifungal.
If you have a cyst, apply a warm, moist cloth over the area to help drain it. If this doesn’t work, your doctor might suggest other treatment options, such as injecting a steroid into the cyst, draining with an incision, or performing surgery to remove the cyst.
Piercing-related belly button odors often improve by cleaning the piercing site regularly with a saline solution. However, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic if you develop an infection.

How to Prevent Belly Button Odors

To prevent belly button odor, it’s essential to regularly clean the area and keep it dry, says Dr. Vogel. Since sweat contributes to odor-causing bacteria and fungi, he suggests wearing loose-fitting clothes during the summer.

Avoid using harsh scrubs and alcohol-based products that can irritate the skin. A cotton swab can help clean hard-to-reach spots in deeper-set navels.

Maintaining overall health through regular exercise and a nutrient-rich diet may also keep your immune system strong to fight belly button infections, Vogel says.

The Takeaway

  • Belly button odor is generally harmless and often resolved with proper hygiene.
  • Regular cleaning and keeping the area dry can prevent most issues.
  • If the odor persists or you develop symptoms like fever or swelling, make an appointment with your doctor.
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Allison Buttarazzi, MD

Allison Buttarazzi, MD

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Allison Buttarazzi, MD, is board-certified in internal medicine and lifestyle medicine, and is a certified health and well-being coach. In her primary care practice, Dr. Buttarazzi focuses on lifestyle medicine to help her patients improve their health and longevity, and her passion is helping patients prevent and reverse chronic diseases (like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes) by improving their lifestyle habits.

She is a graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine and completed a residency at Maine Medical Center. Diagnosed with celiac disease during medical school, she realized the power of improving one's health through diet and lifestyle habits, which she later incorporated into her practice.

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Valencia Higuera

Valencia Higuera

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Valencia Higuera is a writer and digital creator from Chesapeake, Virginia. As a personal finance and health junkie, she enjoys all things related to budgeting, saving money, fitness, and healthy living. In addition to Everyday Health, Higuera has written for various publications, including Healthline, GOBankingRates, MyBankTracker, and The Mortgage Reports.
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Resources
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