Tips & Tricks
Our body is always trying to maintain an even body temperature. Sweating is natural and normal. It helps our body to cool and get rid of excess heat from working.
Sweating reduces body heat through a process known as evaporative cooling.
Lots of things can make us sweat. Heat and humidity, physical activity, pregnancy, stress, emotions, hormones, sickness and fever, coffee, alcohol, spicy foods, and certain medical conditions and medications can all induce sweating—more for some people, less for others.
Sweating is not a sign of weakness—it is a natural physiological process. The key to feeling dry, fresh, and confident is to use SURE every day.
Our feet sweat because of heat and exercise, as well as stress. With other areas of the body, sweat can easily evaporate, but with feet, it gets trapped between our toes and in socks and shoes. When sweat gets trapped, the bacteria that feed on our sweat release an unpleasant smell, causing foot odor or smelly feet, also known as bromodosis.
Some people’s feet naturally sweat more than others, but it doesn’t cause them any problems or discomfort. Changes during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause can also increase foot sweating. And people who stand all day for their job can find their feet sweat more.
No. We have two types of sweat glands. Eccrine glands produce a watery sweat containing water and sodium and are found all over our bodies, especially on the hands, feet, and face. They release the fluid through the sweat pores onto the surface of the skin, where it cools the body as it evaporates. Apocrine glands, on the other hand, are found in areas with lots of hair follicles such as the armpits and groin. They produce a smaller amount of a thicker fluid containing water, protein, fatty acids, and other substances and release the fluid through the hair follicle onto the skin surface, where it mixes with perspiration from the eccrine glands.
Sweat by itself is odorless, but naturally occurring bacteria on our skin breaks sweat down, and odor is created.
- Sweat easily gets trapped on our feet and toes, so wash and dry them properly at least once a day.
- Socks made from natural fabrics like cotton or bamboo fibers are the best option, as they draw moisture away from the feet.
- Change your socks at least once a day.
- Wear shoes made from breathable materials, like canvas or leather. Sandals or flip-flops in the summer will help your feet breathe.
- Don’t wear the same pair of shoes every day, so they have time to dry out.
- For very sweaty feet, wipe rubbing alcohol between your toes after a shower or bath to help dry them out.
- Deodorizing insoles and foot powders can help to absorb sweat and keep shoes fresh.
- Consider using a foot soap or deodorant – particularly in hot climates.
Antiperspirants help limit wetness and odor. They minimize wetness by reducing sweating or perspiration. Minimizing wetness also helps to minimize odor because odor comes as a result of the breakdown of perspiration by bacteria that live on your skin.
Deodorants do not control wetness. They only help limit odor. Deodorants contain fragrance to keep you smelling fresh.
TO PREVENT: Residue is often a result of applying too much of the product. To prevent residue, apply a thin, even layer of the product to dry, clean skin and allow the product to dry before dressing.
TO REMOVE: Try soap without added moisturizers. Cleansing bars or body washes with levels of moisturizer won’t clean the residue as well.
White, grey or black stains usually indicate the overuse of antiperspirant or deodorant. If too much product is applied, it will not absorb into the skin and the product will transfer onto clothing. These stains may be greasy, oily or chalky in appearance.
TO PREVENT:
Start with clean skin and blot your underarms to remove any excess wetness before applying the product. Then apply a thin, even layer and allow it to dry before dressing.
TO REMOVE:
FOR DRY CLEAN ONLY FABRIC: Inform your dry cleaner of the stain so they can pre-treat. Most stains can be removed by dry cleaning.
FOR MACHINE-WASHABLE FABRIC: Work only in a well-ventilated area and avoid inhaling solvent fumes for maximum protection of your lungs. Wear rubber gloves when working with cleaning products.
- Turn the garment inside out and apply a cleaning solvent or stain remover to the affected area and scrub. Apply a liquid detergent on top of the solvent and scrub.
- Rinse under warm running water.
- Alternatively apply solvent or stain remover and liquid detergent, scrubbing and rinsing until the stain is gone.
- Wash in the hottest water that is safe for the fabric (max. temp 160 degrees F)
Prevent recurrence by pre-treating clothing by scrubbing underarm areas with liquid detergent and stain remover between washings.
Make it a daily habit to apply SURE to clean, dry skin.
People sweat less at night, when they are resting, and it won’t get washed away before it’s absorbed into your glands. Leave SURE on your skin for at least eight hours for maximum absorption.
Wear breathable clothing. Natural fabrics such as cotton, wool, hemp, silk or linen allow air to pass through to your skin, and the cloth fibers absorb moisture well, which prevents bacteria from feeding on your sweat and causing odor. Other fabrics such as bamboo, lyocell and modal are made from plant cellulose and pulp, and function similarly to natural fabrics.
In the summer, try synthetic moisture-wicking fabrics—they draw moisture away from the skin and to the outside of the clothing, where it evaporates more quickly.
In the winter, use a smart layering technique with outer layers that are easy to remove when you head inside. Using removable layers is also a good idea in the fall and spring, when the temperatures can go up and down daily and be quite unpredictable.