06.18.08
Don't Sweat It
With gas at a wallet-munching $4 a gallon (gasp!), it’s all about bike commuting this summer. But if you’re anything like us, the ride to work in 85-degree heat creates another problem that may seem as severe as your dwindling bank account: Sweaty pits. Or worse, swass (sweaty ass) or swits (sweaty sound-it-out) or sweaty feet (sweet?). Next week, we’ll talk about ways to reduce sweat. But first, we have a lot to learn about how to embrace our perspiration - a natural mechanism for keeping your body cool. The best news? It turns out sweat and oysters have something in common - they increase your sexual appetite (yesssss).
Why Oh Why?: There are two to four million sweat glands (250,000 in your feet alone!) located in that hot body of yours. That’s roughly equivalent to the population of Los Angeles - under your skin. But they’re all there for a reason. Sweat keeps your body cool and prevents you from heat stroke and heat exhaustion. And all that glistening also helps clear and open your pores. So go ahead, sweat a little. If you’re lucky, you’ll pull it off like Anna Kournikova after a tennis match.
Mental Vacay: Sit in a sauna and you could likely shed enough sweat to fill a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey. Studies have shown that saunas don’t have any major medical benefits but the real bonus is deeper than that: tension and stress relief. That’s enough to make us want to sit in a 150-degree wooden box for as long as possible.
Bring On The Man Scent: Have you ever walked into a musty men’s locker room and suddenly felt turned on? Ok, maybe not, but trust us here: A study from the Journal of Neuroscience shows that the chemical androstadienone, a derivative of testosterone found in male sweat and an additive in cologne, actually triggers women’s sexual hormones. (Hey baby, your B.O. is turning me ON!) Let’s just hope the same thing works in reverse.
Rinse, Launder, Repeat: While you're waiting for our top tips next week on how to prevent sweat, treat the existing pit stains on your cute exercise tops with the organic and biodegradable Stain Solution from The Laundress. Because not everyone needs to know you sweat like an NFL player.
Why Oh Why?: There are two to four million sweat glands (250,000 in your feet alone!) located in that hot body of yours. That’s roughly equivalent to the population of Los Angeles - under your skin. But they’re all there for a reason. Sweat keeps your body cool and prevents you from heat stroke and heat exhaustion. And all that glistening also helps clear and open your pores. So go ahead, sweat a little. If you’re lucky, you’ll pull it off like Anna Kournikova after a tennis match.
Mental Vacay: Sit in a sauna and you could likely shed enough sweat to fill a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey. Studies have shown that saunas don’t have any major medical benefits but the real bonus is deeper than that: tension and stress relief. That’s enough to make us want to sit in a 150-degree wooden box for as long as possible.
Bring On The Man Scent: Have you ever walked into a musty men’s locker room and suddenly felt turned on? Ok, maybe not, but trust us here: A study from the Journal of Neuroscience shows that the chemical androstadienone, a derivative of testosterone found in male sweat and an additive in cologne, actually triggers women’s sexual hormones. (Hey baby, your B.O. is turning me ON!) Let’s just hope the same thing works in reverse.
Rinse, Launder, Repeat: While you're waiting for our top tips next week on how to prevent sweat, treat the existing pit stains on your cute exercise tops with the organic and biodegradable Stain Solution from The Laundress. Because not everyone needs to know you sweat like an NFL player.
Don’t be shy!
I've tried Drysol before too (in those awkward years when I started to sweat when a boy just LOOKED at me). It definitely worked - that stuff i serious! Good suggestion for all the gals out there that are serious sweaters.
– laxer | 06.18.08 | 10:30 AM
I am sitting in my boyfriend's room right now and his "natural" scent is killing me! I hope it triggers my hormones soon before I pass out from the god awful smell!
– eboe411 | 06.18.08 | 10:10 AM
I'm part of a family who are sweaters, and it ain't pretty, nor does it have a nice fragrance. It was embarassing most of my life up until I discovered a prescription via my doctor. I now use Drysol for my underarms. (And so does my brother.) After washing the area, I apply it two to three times a week before bed. (I don't wear any nice shirts since it may bleach. And don't apply directly after shaving!) When I wake up, I rinse the area. That's it. You can't apply deoderant or anti-perspirant, and you don't need it. It's as if my underarms are just a regular part of the body. For those with sweaty feet, hands and heads, it can be applied there, too. My husband prefers I stop using it because it contains aluminum (as do most anti-perspirants), but when I was pregnant and didn't use Drysol he understood why it was so important to me. I tell everyone who wants to talk sweat!
– keddy | 06.18.08 | 9:37 AM
Oh, I'm SOOOO using the term "swass" from now on...
– laxer | 06.18.08 | 8:20 AM
