Why Do I Sweat So Much?
This is a question many Americans have asked themselves: why do I sweat so much? But maybe the first question we should be asking is, “Why do I sweat at all?”
Sweat is our body’s natural cooling system that kicks in when our internal temperatures reach unsavory levels. Pretty much, we sweat so we don’t cook our insides. When our sweat, which is mostly water, evaporates from our skin, it takes the heat with it. Isn’t the human body so amazing?
Certain factors—such as age, weight, activity level, and gender—will affect how much we sweat in comparison to others. Some even suffer from a condition called hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating, which occasionally can only be remedied with a doctor’s intervention.
That salty, smelly liquid can exit our 2 to 4 million sweat glands for many reasons, including external heat and humidity, changes in mood, exercise, eating spicy foods, and getting sick. Certain parts of our body are more prone to sweat, such as our feet, groin, breasts, and behind (which is why Fresh Body has specific solutions for them all). Night sweats can be caused by certain stressors escalating at bedtime or even by wearing the wrong pajamas. And regardless of why sweat arrives, we can all agree that it’s annoying.
Anyone who has commuted to work on a hot summer day will consider sweat an enemy. And generally, in modern society, being sweaty is seen as gross, dirty, and unattractive, even if it is a natural product of the human body. Nobody wants to stand up from a seat on public transportation and leave a wet bit of evidence. While there are movements these days to rebrand sweat as “sexy”—particularly to support vigorous exercise among women—too much sweat and at the wrong time is never going to be ideal.
Centuries ago, with the people of medieval times and early American colonists, cleaning off sweat was seen as dangerous, potentially clearing the pores for other toxins to enter. They opted instead to change from one pair of sweaty pants into another. Sounds refreshing, no? In the late 15th century, it was even a bragging point for Queen Isabella of Spain to claim that she had only bathed twice in her entire life. Maybe it’s for the best that time travel doesn’t exist.
But that was then, and this is now. These days, so many products and procedures exist to help dam up thos
e millions of pores. From the more extreme, like Botox, to what society sees as the bare minimum, like deodorant, stopping sweat in its tracks is now a billion-dollar industry. The bottom line is, we don’t want to smell like anything other than our perfume.
As Americans, we all have our favorite deodorants, whether they are roll-on, spray-on, medicated, aluminum-free, you name it. And we can’t forget to mention the wide variety of antiperspirants, fabric fresheners, and the good ol’ daily shower. Fresh Body’s travel-sized solutions for stopping sweat in its tracks, keeping you dry and fresh smelling all day, are another great option—and they’re discrete.
Because that’s the thing. Everybody sweats. Some people sweat a whole lot. But it remains taboo in society to take out your deodorant in public for a reapplication. We are all constantly seeking ways to get dry and stay dry as we live our lives. If anything can unite us during a time of great division, it might be our hatred of pit stains.
Why do you sweat so much? Could be many reasons. If it’s truly concerning, consult a doctor instead of this blog. But in any case, modern society has given us many ways to deal with the discomfort, odor, and stigma that sweat brings. Doesn’t that smell nice?
