The inside.
Although sweat is most annoying when you can see it and you want to find ways to camouflage it as quickly as possible, it might be better to prevent sweating in the first place. Prevention is always better than healing.
1. Drink Enough Water
You might feel like drinking less water because you will sweat it all out anyway, and less liquid in your body equals less liquid to sweat out, right? Nope. Water is needed to flush out toxins. Your body wants these toxins gone and if you're not drinking enough to pee them out, your body finds another way to get rid of them by sweating.
2. Lay Off Spicy, Dairy, Salty, and Sugary Foods (or junk food in general)
I know it sounds terrible, but if you want to sweat less, this is the way to go. Spicy foods are a no-brainer, they make your insides warm/hot, which causes you to sweat. Salty and sugary foods are not very pleasant for your body, it counts them as toxins, so it has to work harder to get rid of them, and a hard working body equals more sweat. As for the dairy, most bodies find it hard to digest (lactose intolerance) which is also a trigger to sweat more.
3. Keep Your Head Cool
Stress and anxiety are huge factors when it comes to sweat. It makes your body go into overdrive, which causes sweat. To reduce that meditate or drink some camomile tea. Anything that makes you feel more relaxed will help.
4. No Caffeine (sorry)
Of course you probably want to avoid hot drinks in the first place, because those make you sweat, but drinks like Red Bull are also a no-go (the sugar in those drinks already makes your body cry). The caffeine in those drinks also stimulates the central nervous system, activating sweat glands (noooohhhh my morning coffeeee T_T).
5. Lose Weight
I don't like recommending anyone to lose weight, but the bigger you are, the more energy your body needs to keep you from overheating. So, if you can, try to manage a healthy weight.
6. Eat The Right Foods To Prevent Sweating
We discussed some foods you should avoid earlier in this post, but there are also some foods that could give aid. The foods I will mention are basically foods that help with digestion, proper body functioning and hydration. That means fruits and vegetables, foods high in calcium, foods high in vitamin B and olive oil. If you suffer from Hyperhydrosis like me, I would definitely give these a try.
The outside.
After you've tried these tips, you'll hopefully sweat less, but when you do still sweat, these following tips will help to camouflage it.
7. Use Antiperspirant
If you're prone to sweating, you shouldn't be using a deodorant. Use a antiperspirant instead. These antiperspirants keep your armpits from sweating (it works for a lot of people, but if you have Hyperhydrosis like me, just try to see is as a way to reduce the amount of sweat). Try to look for ones that have aluminium in them and apply them throughout the day.
8. Wear The Right Materials
You probably already avoid some items from your closet because they show your sweat (like grey pieces), but did you know that the following materials are best for when you sweat a lot? Cotton is widely recommended, because it will absorb moisture. I like linen as well as it has a very loose weave which makes it a very light and cool (literal) material to wear. Also if it's your style, go atletic. The atletic wear is almost always made from materials that wick away moisture.
9. Wear layers
Now, I know what you think, layers are too hot, but bare with me. If you're wearing, say, a blouse for work and you know you are going to sweat, use a barrier piece of clothing to keep your blouse from getting wet. That way, if you sweat a lot, you have a interchangeable layer. Bring an extra shirt to your work so you can change it during the day. Dry blouse, happy you.
10. Shave/Wax
Shaving won't help with sweating less, but the sweat will no longer get trapped in the hair and make you smell like sweat), but will evaporate quicker. I prefer waxing, because the results are smoother and it lasts longer. Just pick a favourite, whatever you like.
11. Use Some Kind Of Garment Shield (Or Pad)
Because there are a tonne of people who sweat quite a bit, the market also has tonnes of products to help you hide it and reduce it. Garment shields are one of those products to save you. They are basically thin pads that you stick in your shirt where your armpit would be and it will catch the sweat (just like a pad during your period). In the past I have also used the really thin pads, but either one works well.
12. Talk To Your Doctor
If sweat is a daily struggle for you, go talk to your doctor. There are a lot of ways to reduce the amount you sweat. Treatments with Aluminium, Botox, Electrolyte and surgery are nothing unordinary. If the sweating has an effect on your well-being or confidence, these kind of treatments can really improve your life! Ask your doctor for the possibilities.
13. Wash Yourself
If you sweat a lot, you might start to smell, which is not nice, but also, the antiperspirant will work better when applied to a clean skin. So, keep it clean. It's for the best.
Well, I hope these tips helped you a bit. In the past I've tried the craziest things to fight the sweat, but I've found that the more standard tips like the ones above have helped me the most. Let me know if these tips were helpful to you and let me know what your favourite tips are!
♥ Love, Vivian
