SweatSational

In humans, sweating is primarily a means of thermo-regulation, evaporation of sweat from the skin surface has a cooling effect.
Hence, in hot weather, or when the individual’s muscles heat up due to exertion, ie climbing up a flight of stairs, more sweat is produced.
Sweating is increased by nervousness and nausea and decreased by cold.
 Sweating allows the body to regulate its temperature. The process of sweating decreases core temperature, whereas the process of evaporation decreases surface temperature.
Perspiration, or sweat, is your body’s way of cooling itself, whether that extra heat comes from hardworking muscles or from overstimulated nerves.
 In this article, we will examine your body’s sweat glands, how sweat is made and what it does.
There are two situations in which our nerves will stimulate sweat glands making us sweat: during physical heat and emotional stress.
Emotionally induced sweating is generally restricted to palms, soles, and sometimes the forehead, while physical heat induced sweating occurs throughout the body.
Emotionally charged situations perhaps when you are about to do something really big — maybe a job interview, a presentation, a first date or your wedding — and you notice that your palms and underarms are sweating.
Physically induced sweat can perhaps be due to the fact you’ve just completed an aerobic workout, or carried out a laborious task and your whole body is drenched in sweat.
The sweat gland
The average person has 2.6 million sweat glands in their skin!
Sweat glands are distributed over the entire body — except for the lips, nipples and external genital organs. The sweat gland is in the layer of skin called the dermis along with nerve endings, hair follicles and so on.
Basically, the sweat gland is a long, coiled, hollow tube of cells. The coiled part in the dermis is where sweat is produced, and the long portion is a duct that connects the gland to the opening or pore on the skins outer surface.
 Nerve cells from the sympathetic nervous system connect to the sweat glands. There are two types of sweat glands:
Eccrine — the most numerous type that are found all over the body, particularly on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet and forehead
Apocrine — mostly confined to the armpits (axilla) and the anal-genital area. They typically end in hair follicles rather than pores.
The two glands differ in size, the age that they become active and the composition of the sweat that they make. Compared to apocrine glands, eccrine glands are smaller are active from birth (Apocrine glands become active only at puberty) produce a sweat that is free of proteins and fatty acids. The way your sweat smells is influenced by bacteria, your diet, your mood, drugs and medical conditions — i.e a thyroid gland irregularity — and even fluctuating hormonal levels especially for women during the menopause.
Sweat Composition
Sweat contains mainly water but is not pure water; it always contains a small amount (0.2 – one percent) of solute, minerals, as well as lactate and urea.
When a person moves from a cold climate to a hot climate, adaptive changes occur in their sweating mechanisms.
This process is referred to as acclimatisation: the maximum rate of sweating increases and its solute composition decreases. The volume of water lost in sweat daily is highly variable, ranging from 100 to 8,000 ml/day.
Mineral composition will vary with the individual, the acclimatisation to heat, exercise and sweating, the particular stress source (exercise, sauna, etc.), the duration of sweating, and the composition of minerals in the body.
Sweat solutions
We all go to great lengths to stop our sweat since the way we smell has become a factor of social acceptance.
Sweating and bad body odour has become unacceptable in today’s society, and how ironic, that the more we worry about it the more we tend to sweat. However, studies show in earlier centuries natural body odour was attractive and that washing and cleanliness is only a recent phenomenon when it comes to being socially acceptable and attractive to others.
Unfortunately we have to accept that sometimes we just do not smell as we would want to. We are now performing many activities and we have to maintain our outer appearance all day long. Firstly, for both men and women, removing hair in the under-arm region is a must, either by shaving or waxing. As the hair follicles underarm is where the sweat comes out of the sweat gland, this will reduce the amount of sweat.
Secondly, a fix tip is to mix one teaspoon bicarbonate of soda with one teaspoon of lemon juice and apply under the arms. This acts as a treatment for perspiration. Also, if you feel sweaty during the day, you can just quickly, in the bathroom, wash up your armpits in the bathroom and reapply the solution.
Deodorants
This is what we reach for first, but deodorants and anti-perspirants will only mask the smell of your sweat and not reduce the level of sweating or remove it all together.
Clarins has an extensive range of deodorants for both men and women neutralising bacteria responsible for the formation of odours while respecting skin’s natural balance.
The Clarins Gentle Care Stick Deodorant is an anti-perspirant deodorant with skin care, long-lasting and ultra-gentle.
 The Clarins Gentle Care Deodorant Roll On and Gentle Care Deodorant Cream are an anti-perspirant deodorant that benefits from the Clarins expertise in skin care making these deodorants a true skin care treatment for all skin types, even the most sensitive again both long-lasting and ultra-gentle acting on the surface of the skin to reduce the size of the pores and slows down perspiration without blocking it. Tightens the pores and reduces the sweat flow. Refreshes the skin softening, soothing and protecting the very sensitive skin of underarms, including after waxing and does not stain, dries-up quickly and doesn’t leave any sticky feeling.
And for men there is the Clarinsmen Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Stick and Deodorant Roll on which are discreet yet effective, helping control the body’s natural perspiration for hours while respecting its natural process.
 Botox
Botox is an effective treatment for overactive sweating, and can be used for the underarms, hands and feet, groin and forehead.
Taking between a week to 10 days to take effect, it works by reducing the effect of the nerves stimulating the sweat glands.
 Experts say it is safe, simple and quite painless.
Oral medication
Ask your doctor if this could be an option for you. There are prescription drugs available to prevent the nerves which make the sweat glands over produce.
 Surgery
This is the last option but it removes the actual sweat gland. Of course it goes without saying that any type of surgery comes with its own risks, and complications.
The extensive Clarins Range fits into your lifestyle and fulfils your every desire.
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