Don’t Sweat it – Tips on Reducing Excessive Sweating

Sweating is completely natural. When we feel hot, our body sweats. When sweat evaporates, it cools the body down. However, despite it being normal, it can be completely annoying especially for those of us who find themselves excessively sweating. Suffering from excessive sweating can also impact your confidence when the sweating strikes, which in turn creates stress which increases sweating, it is a vicious circle.

The good thing is there is hope. While we can’t stop the body from sweating, there are ways to reduce and deal with it. Here are some tips on how to deal with sweating.

Skip eating spicy food

If you are fond of eating hot peppers and other spicy delicacies, then it may be time for you to minimize your consumption, especially during lunch meetings. Eating spicy food can affect the amount of sweat your body produces, due to Capsaicin which stimulates the nerve receptors in your mouth, tricking your nervous system into thinking you are hot. You body then acts like 30+ C sending signal to your brain to activate your sweat glands to cool you down. Sweat then reaches your skin evaporates and taking the heat from your body with it.

Other than spicy food, eating onion and garlic can also increase your body odour. In garlics case the chemical you smell on your breath and skin is Sulphur. Sulphur compounds produce an unpleasant odour that as humans we have a low tolerance too. Garlic alone is not making us smell, as it is close relative onion from the alliaceous family can also produce pungent sweat. Other foods high in Sulphur and notorious odour producers also include cabbage, broccoli and brussels sprouts. If you are scheduled to attend business lunches, you may want to try avoiding these foods.

Up your hydration

Hydration is the easiest way to reduce perspiration. When your body is hydrated, it is better equipped to control your body temperature. Allowing your body to stay cooler for longer. This means drinking 8 glasses of water a day. When you are dehydrated your body will continue to perspire to expel fatty acids and other unwanted substances. There are millions of sweat glands in your body. Located in your armpits, apocrine glands are the most active of these glands.

These glands produce sweat that is high in fatty acids and proteins. These fatty acids combine with bacteria on your skin to produce the unpleasant odours associated with underarm sweat. This is also what creates the yellow stains on your shirts. The sweat by itself is odourless. So keep that water bottle handy and opt for some fruity snacks like strawberries and cucumbers that are up to 90% water to keep you hydrated.

Improve your diet

Like a car, your body runs smoother when it’s been properly maintained. High quality fuel, motor oil, regular oil changes keep your car from overheating, overworking and eventually breaking. Fruits and vegetable rich food high in B-Vitamins have a similar effect on your body. They help your body carry out critical metabolic functions and inter-nerve communication that keeps things running smoothly. When you don’t get these essential Vitamins your body has to work harder which can cause you to sweat more.  So, fill your plate with whole grains, proteins and vegetables to keep that body operating at optimal levels.

Wear breathable fabrics.

Sometimes staying sweat-free can simply comes down to wearing the right clothing. If you sweat excessively, it is best to stick to clothes that are made from light breathable fabrics as well as avoiding tight fitted clothing. In the warmer months you may want to invest in a breathable undershirt to absorb sweat before it reaches the outer layer of your clothing. In the cooler months try adding a jacket or cardigan in a breathable material that may also help keep sweat from coming into view. Just be sure your layers are thin or appropriate to the season — you don’t want to feel overheated and worsen the problem.

The colours you wear can also affect the amount you sweat. Dark colours like navy and black and very light colours like white tend to hide wet stains the most effectively. It is best to avoid grey’s, blues, and bright colours as they tend to be the worst options for hiding sweat and will definitely show the world that you can’t stand the heat.

Besides colour and the number of layers you wear, you might also want to think about the materials you’re wearing. Technology has come a long way with it come to the textiles. Many technical fabrics can now allow better moisture wicking than cotton. Moisture wicking will not stop sweat, but will draw the moisture away from the body faster, increasing the evaporation process which in turn keeps you feeling cooler, drier and more comfortable.

Apply antiperspirant at night.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to antiperspirants is the timing.

Antiperspirants blocks the sweat ducts, preventing sweat to reach the surface of our skin. For it to work effectively, it is advised to apply it at night before bed. Most people apply it during the day, believing it would protect them from excessive sweating and body odour. However, during the day our bodies actively produces sweat. Unfortunately, the active ingredients in the antiperspirant used to reduce perspiration is removed by your daytime sweat.

Antiperspirants needs time to absorb into our body to work effectively. During the night our body produces less sweat thus allowing the active ingredients from the antiperspirant to be absorbed. This in turn lessens sweat production during the day. If you shower in the morning it is not a problem as the active ingredient should have already soaked in overnight and will still be effective.

Deodorants are different. They don’t prevent sweat but rather mask the smell produced by the bacteria when the body sweats. Please note some antiperspirants also contain deodorants.

Stress Less

While advising someone to stop stressing, it is often easier said than done.
People suffering from excessive sweating tend to stress a lot especially with their constant concern relating to visible sweat patches and body odour. Unfortunately, the more you stress about it, the more you sweat, stress increases the level of adrenaline response thus causing the body to sweat more. Look for ways to minimize your stress especially when it comes to work, if possible think mindfulness, meditation, and life balance, and when you’ve figured that out, please let us know.

While not always pleasant sweating is very natural, by watching your diet, staying hydrated and wearing comfortable clothing hopefully you can stay a little cooler and more comfortable this Summer. Enjoy the Sunshine : )