What helps against excessive sweating?
Sweating is a perfectly normal human reaction and an extremely clever body mechanism. When sweat evaporates on the skin, the body releases surplus heat thereby stopping us from overheating. It is nothing to be ashamed of.
But it is not always summer temperatures that get us sweating. Our body’s own air-conditioning system also works when you are feeling stressed: When you are visiting the dentist or discussing a salary increase with your boss, your heart beats faster, your body releases hormones and adrenaline, the apocrine glands secrete sweat. This sweat emits the smell of fear. Subconsciously we notice that this sweat smells different to the sweat we produce when we are active. It originates from the eccrine sweat glands that are responsible for heat regulation. It primarily consists of water and salt and is less likely (when it is fresh) to be broken down by bacteria resulting in a strong smell. Some home remedies to make sure it doesn’t come to this:
Sage for sweaty feet
Sage is a miracle cure against excessive sweating. It can be drunk as tea – boil 3 teaspoons of sage leaves in 1 litre of water, leave to brew for 10 minutes and drink lukewarm – or used in a foot bath to prevent sweaty feet.
Avoid spicy foods
For some people their hypothalamus reacts more sensitively to triggers such as particular spices, caffeine or alcohol. The cure is simple: avoid them! You should also try to maintain a healthy weight.
Apply pressure
Keep a cool head using your fingertips: there is an acupuncture pressure point near the ear lobes that helps to cool the body. You’ll find it roughly one finger-width behind the ear on the cranial bone. Make circles with your fingertips behind both ears several times a day.
Camomile against sweaty hands
Did you dread shaking hands even before the pandemic? Bathing your hands in a camomile tincture can help. Dip your hands in several times a day. Baby powder is a quick cure that you can rub into the palms of your hands.
Have a lukewarm shower
Having a cold shower might ease the sweating temporarily but it is completely counterproductive at the height of summer. The cold water lowers your body temperature, but you will end up sweating even more outside because your body will increase your temperature again. Having a lukewarm shower or drink is much more effective.
Natural fibres to stop sweaty armpits
Cotton or linen are much better at wicking sweat. Clothes that quickly start to smell again after washing (some bacteria smells are heat resistant) can be put in sealable freezer bags and placed in the freezer for several days to kill the bacteria with cold.
Relax
Autogenic training, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation and special breathing exercises can help against sweating due to nerves.
Expert tip
Dr Paola Maltagliati-Holzner, dermatologist with Medgate
“Hyperhidrosis is a condition that causes excessive sweating that goes beyond the necessary heat regulation of the body. Experts make a distinction between primary hyperhidrosis (without an underlying disease) and secondary hyperhidrosis (with symptoms of an underlying disease). You should see a doctor if you are sweating excessively and it is affecting your quality of life, causing skin infections or you suffer from night sweats as these could be an indication of an internal disease. Some medications also cause hyperhidrosis.”