I used to sweat waterfalls but my routine stopped me from being stinky, try my armpit layering method
THE summer heat is no match for one woman who cracked the code for preventing sweat.
She said her armpit layering method helped her stay dry and smell fresh in hot weather.
Redditor Sarah_withanH posted her advice on keeping sweat at bay in a comment on the social media platform.
She started off by recommending paying close attention to clothing items, especially those that have been worn on a hot day.
“Some clothes can hang onto stink for various reasons. Synthetics are notorious for this,” she said.
“Also waxy/oily deodorant or skin products plus your own skin oils can trap bacteria and odor into the fabric making it extra hard to get rid of.”
She added that while there are laundry tips that can help, some clothes will need to be tossed.
HER METHOD
Aside from cleaning clothing and consulting a doctor, she explained her process for staying dry.
“Wash your pits with an acidic body wash, and scrub them with a clean washcloth or silicone scrubber,” she said.
She follows up with another product to rid the area of odor-causing bacteria.
“Surgical scrub like Hibiclens will kill absolutely all bacteria on the skin,” she added.
“My routine was to use it for every or every other shower for one week, then go back to my regular body wash.
“When I started getting stinky again (after about three to four weeks) I’d do another week of surgical wash.”
She recommended using a glycolic acid toner to follow up the surgical scrub.
She uses The Ordinary’s Glycolic Acid, which is sold for $13 at Sephora.
“After washing under my arms I would apply a little of the toner, then let it dry before applying deodorant,” she said.
She completed her routine using a deodorant.
“Highly recommend looking into formulas that are not some kind of oil or wax (shea butter, coconut oil, beeswax, et cetera) based,” she said.
She added that the wrong formulation could melt directly into clothes, bringing the war against stinky pits back to square one.
“I was layering a few products towards the end there and it worked fairly well,” she said.
She also added a laundry solution to use after layering the odor-fighting products.
“Lume makes laundry products, too, and after I would take off my shirts I would spray the pits with their Biofilm Enzyme Spray to pretreat,” she said.
She added that at one point her sweat was so heavy, it was affecting her daily life.
“Add high heat and stress and I just stank and would have waterfalls running down my arms and sides,” she said.
Tip to remove yellow sweat stains
Yellow armpit stains affects everyone, whether people care to admit to it or not. But there is help at hand. To remove yellow stains from your clothing, experts recommend the following methods:
- Baking soda paste: The pros at The Laundry Cafe recommend mixing one tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide with one tablespoon of salt, and ½ cup of baking soda. Apply directly to the stain with a toothbrush, rub, and let the mixture sit for at least an hour, then wash as normal.
- Oxygen bleach: This method is just as useful for removing yellow stains. Mix one part of oxygen-based bleach with one part of ammonia in a non-metal bowl. Wear gloves during this application. Rub into the fabric with a toothbrush and allow the solution to sit for at least ten minutes before laundering as normal.
- Stain remover or detergent: Stains on collars can be stubborn to remove as armpit stains. So pretreat the area using a solvent-based stain-removing agent or detergent. Work the product into the collar with a toothbrush and allow it to sit for at least ten minutes before washing.