Sweating is a problem that plagues both the sexes and begins to gain momentum during childhood or puberty. For many people, it becomes a lot better by the late twenties or thirties, however, all of us are not so lucky. The main cause for sweating can be hot or humid weather or physical exercise but, some people suffer from a disorder called hyperhidrosis. Although a rare condition, it causes profuse sweating in the people who suffer from it and is caused due to overactive sweat glands which produce abundant perspiration.
Most people sweat due to the general conditions of the environment like excess heat, humidity or consumption of foods that are high in sugar, alcohol or caffeine. The obvious solution is to recognize the cause and just remove or minimize the causative factor. Apart from that, there are several methods that have been found to help you reduce or control sweating. These include deodorant, talc etc. Also, there are several measures that require minor changes in your lifestyle or require minimal effort that can significantly help combat the problem of sweating and the accompanying odor. Let’s have a look at these:
Facial scrubs:
Often enough, using facial scrub over the area where you sweat, like armpits, back, etc, will provide complete relief, especially if you are one of those who experience more than normal sweating. That is the reason that this could be one of the first remedies that you may want to try. The reason behind its effectiveness is that it exfoliates the skin, thereby unclogging the pores on it. At first, this may cause more sweating, however, once all the toxins that have been trapped in your skin pores are released, you’ll notice that your sweating has reduced significantly both in amount as well as frequency. One word of caution though: Do not use facial scrub more than three times a week.
Turnip Juice:
Turnip juice is known as an effective way of reducing excessive sweat. It works by reducing the activity of the sweat glands. You can easily make turnip juice at home by grating the turnip and squeezing it. This, you can apply underneath your armpits, your back or wherever else you’ve been sweating. It is also believed that drinking turnip juice can be an effective remedy for sweating.
Sage Tea:
Sage Tea is a lesser known remedy for sweating, but it has proved to be very effective. Its working mechanism is similar to turnip juice and works by reducing the activity of the sweat glands. Drinking one or two cups a day can prove to be very beneficial if you are troubled by excessive sweating.
Baby powder:
Using baby powder is a well known way of reducing sweat. Often, baby powder may be replaced by corn starch. Both baby powder and corn starch works by absorbing the sweat. It may not actually stop the sweat but is a great method of controlling it. These two can be used on almost any area of the body.
Baking Soda:
Baking soda is said to work in practically the same way as baby powder and corn starch. Apart from that it is also said to unclog the skin’s pores and help in releasing the toxins that are trapped in the skin pores. But, remember that overuse of baking soda may prove to be bad for the skin. Do not use it more than twice a week.
Dietary changes:
Some dietary changes can bring about significant relief in your sweating problem. There are some foods that are known as “sweat foods”. In other words, some foods can cause excessive sweating. Examples of “sweat foods” are onions, garlic, spices, and caffeine. Eating food with high water content, like fruits and vegetables, may not reduce perspiration, yet they may aid you in reducing the awful body odor that accompanies sweating.
Lemon Juice /Zinc:
If you apply lemon juice on the area that sweats excessively, you can make a marked reduction in the body odor that accompanies sweat. Alternatively you can take zinc in pill form after consulting your doctor. These two methods are best for people who face the problem of excessive body odor as lemon juice and zinc have no sweat controlling effect.
Sweating can prove to be a nuisance especially if you are at a public gathering or amongst other people. It can be natural or may be as a result of some skin disorder. Try these ways in order to reign in your sweat glands, but if the problem continues to plague you, it would be advisable to take help from an expert, like a skin doctor, or look for more specialized help available online in the form of e-books written by a person who is an expert in this area.
Ø Minimizing your exposure to heat is one of the ways of controlling sweating. Hence, you should avoid going out in the sun and also to places where the temperature is high. Take care to be indoors; preferably in air-conditioned rooms. You should also avoid any excessive physical strain if possible.
Ø The types of fabric you wear, also determine to the amount of sweating. Cotton is the most ideal fabric for the purpose. Use of polyester and woolen dresses accentuates sweating. Dark colored garments absorb heat and hence should be avoided. Loose-fitting clothes are preferable as they allow the free passage of air.
Ø It is the bad pungent smell, which the sweat produces, become intolerable to many people. The odor is produced when the sweat sticks to the hairs. Afterwards, it dries up and leaves a thin coating on the head and body, which is very uncomfortable. Trimming the hair from body parts, where the sweat glands are located, helps to some extent. The underarms should be shaved.
Ø Sweat combines with the bacteria on the surface of the skin and leaves a thin coating on it. This coating produces bad smell. Taking regular baths cleans the skin surface and prevents excessive sweating. Use of Chamomile oil mixed with 10 ml of lemon juice and baking soda during bath, also provides relief from sweating and bad body odor.
Ø Use of baby powder helps to control sweating. Deodorants may also be used as they suppress the bad odor.