Sweating in a social setting is embarrassing to some of us. Some of us actually understand that sweating is a normal bodily process just like how ageing is. In either case, you might want to reduce and manage sweat. Both of these are possible but you can definitely not stop sweating since it’s a natural and essential body process. Here’s what you need to note down to manage your sweat glands next time when you’re at your fanciest, best-dressed for a date!
Why do you sweat?
Another word for sweating is perspiration. Our body has about 2-3 million sweat glands all over the body. Sweating is the body’s way to lower our temperature and also to detox. When sweat evaporates from our body’s surface, it gives us a cooling effect. Eccrine and apocrine are the two types of sweat glands present in one’s body. Apocrine glands are the ones that are majorly present around the groin and armpits while eccrine glands are present all over the body. Sweat from apocrine glands does not evaporate as quickly as sweat from eccrine glands. Apocrine glands produce an oily secretion which then gives an odour due to bacterial decomposition. Apocrine glands are usually more active when your emotions are extreme. Everybody sweats and it’s just a sign of a healthy body. But there are certain times when we wish we did not sweat. That’s when we might want to effectively control sweat. But before diving into that part, let’s know what are the factors that affect sweating-
1. Medical condition
Due to certain medical conditions like diabetes, heart conditions, fever, hyperthyroidism, and depression that lead to activating the sweat glands. Excessive sweating can also occur due to a medical condition called generalised hyperhidrosis which means excessive sweating.
2. Medications
Certain medications lead to excessive sweating as a side effect. It is a very common side effect and just to know if your medication is causing this, you can ask your doctor beforehand. You might even find the side effect inserted on the medicine pack.
3. Diet
Lifestyle includes your diet and the way that you treat your body in a day. If you have spicy food often then you might be sweating often. This is because spicy food has a substance called capsaicin that traps your body into thinking that you’ve been exposed to heat. Items that contain caffeine work on your central nervous system to increase your blood pressure and lead to excessive sweating. Food is a very broad category. To some, just munching on anything and everything can lead to sweating. You can’t stop that. But you can try to include more water-rich food like cucumber, berries, watermelon, etc.
Learn more about how food affects your body here!
4. Climate
Sweating is just a reaction to the environment you’re exposed to. You’re less likely to sweat in a snowy region than you are in a polluted city. It’s simply because pollution raises the temperature and as a reaction to heat, your body will try to cool itself by sweating truck loads.
5. Anxiety
Situations like anxiety attacks, stress, or any kind of emotional distress can tense your muscles, increase your heart rate and lead to sweating to cool down your body. Given how fast this generation asks us to move, it is natural and okay to be overwhelmed sometimes. We’ve all been there.
Here’s our tried and tested means to reduce and manage stress!
6. Genetics
Excessive sweating is a condition called hyperhidrosis. The study has proven that excessive sweating is a condition that can be traced back to many generations in your family chart. It simply means that you could have possibly inherited this condition due to which you’re sweating excessively at certain parts of your body like palms, feet, back, groin, armpits, etc.
What are the ways to control sweating?
Our body has sweat glands all over but we all have patches where we sweat excessively. For example, some of us have sweaty palms or sweaty feet or even sweaty bum which leaves a temporary sweat line when you sit somewhere for too long. There are ways to control them if you know why you are sweating. Here are a few ways to deal with sweat patches-
1. Cool it
If you’ve come from a morning jog or simply been sitting in a hot room, your body temperature must have changed due to which you will sweat. Take a cold shower right after to maintain hygiene and immediately stop sweating. If you’ve ended up with just sweaty armpits then you can simply place a cloth packed with ice cubes under your arms. The same goes for when you have sweaty palms.
Sublime recommends Isa Ice Therapy. It comes with a beautiful blend of Aloe Vera, Cucumber, Carrot, Gooseberry, and much more to provide soothing and healing properties when you roll it.
2. Diet changes
Skip hot and spicy food that makes you want to scratch your scalp. Your body just can’t take so much spice and hence, you’re sweating. Maybe you can try ‘meetha pani puri’ for once. You must also work on reducing caffeine intake. This doesn’t mean just coffee but also tea since tea contains caffeine too. You can probably replace your daily drink with a nutritious shot of juice or coconut water. This especially becomes essential for a woman since her body goes through many ups and downs every month.
Sublime recommends Cosmix What Women Want which helps you avoid period cramps, hormonal balance, and maintains overall health to be the boss babe you are meant to be!
3. Wear loose clothes
The more your clothes are sticking to your skin, the more likely your skin will feel hot and irritated. This will lead to sweating. We say bring back those hoodies and oversized shirts and dresses. You must also skip fabric that can irritate your skin. Opt for cotton, silk, linen, satin, etc that won’t irritate your skin.
4. Manage your Vitamins intake
There are micronutrients and macronutrients that your body needs to grow and stay nourished. In our mundane routine, we might forget to opt for a nourishing and wholesome diet. This can create an imbalance in your body and lead to smelly sweat. Honestly, it’d be stressful if we started keeping a track of our daily calories, protein, and nutrient intake. The best way to overcome this modern problem is by resorting to supplements for healthy hair, skin, and nails.
Sublime recommends Nyumi Radiant Skin Gummies that has Hyaluronic Acid, Curcumin Extract, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Zinc, Selenium to age well and maintain your bodily functions.
5. Antiperspirants
Antiperspirants or anti-sweating products contain aluminum salt which turns into a gel when it comes in contact with sweat to form a plug on your sweat glands. You can opt for antiperspirants only if you feel you’ve been sweating excessively or before a big day/event. When it comes to strength, you must consult a doctor. Antiperspirants work by plugging into your sweat glands and hence you might want to resort to natural deodorants as a temporary relief to smelly armpits. You can find them in spray, roll-on, and even stick form. Whatever works for you!
Learn more about transitioning to natural deodorants here.
Sublime recommends Shankara Aura Essential Oil Deodorant. It’s a roll-on deodorant that has no alcohol or aluminum. Good for individuals of any skin type!
If you prefer a stick over spray, you can look at Juicy Chemistry Grapefruit & Patchouli Organic Deodorant Stick. It has Arrowroot powder to pull out toxins, Apricot oil to nourish, Patchouli to heal, Grapefruit for cell regeneration. Pretty perfect!
6. Opt for herbs
Turns out that herbal teas actually help your body just like how herbs in skincare help our skin too. One best way to reduce sweating is by reducing the fight-or-flight emotions. You can do so by drinking herbal teas like Chamomile, Citrus, Peppermint, Sage leaves, etc. You can also apply herbal face masks to detox your skin and thereby reduce smelly sweat around your armpits.
Sublime recommends the Prakriti Herbals Detox And Glow Papaya Strawberry Face Pack that has Papaya, Strawberry, Aloe Vera, and Organic Turmeric to detox and gently exfoliate your skin.
7. Acupuncture
Acupuncture is generally used to treat pain but little did we know that it works great to lift our mood by reducing stress and improving quality too. This, eventually, leads to reduced sweating. It works great even for those who sweat excessively due to a genetic condition called hyperhidrosis.
Are you sweating too much?
The question is, how much sweating is excessive sweating. There is no solid answer to this. If you feel like the smallest exhaustive task can make you sweat or in a hot room you’re the first one to sweat or if you feel like ten minutes of the walk can make you look like you took a shower with your clothes on, then you have your answer. You can consult a dermatologist who may take down your family history and ask a few relevant questions to understand your body. Whatever it is, excessive sweating is not an embarrassing thing to have. Everybody sweats and it is manageable if you know the cause of sweating.
Takeaway
Sweating aka. Perspiration is a natural bodily process that can cool down our body. Some of us may sweat excessively due to a condition called hyperhidrosis. It is manageable to reduce sweating by making certain changes in our diet to reduce body heat, wearing breezy fabric like cotton and silk, and managing our stress to achieve control over excessive sweating.
-Divya Salvi
