How To Stop Sweating So Much This Summer
By Adam Hurly.
Summer sweat is, without embellishment, miserable. We're talking chafed thighs, constant swamp crotch, increased breakouts, and more. You’re supposed to look forward to summer, not dread it. But, given the human body's proclivity for percolation, summer means swimming in your own sweat for months on end. Luckily, there are many ways to avoid the agony, allowing you to actually enjoy the sunny weather. To have a significantly less sweaty summer, just soak up these five tips, and put them into practice.
1. Chafing
Chafing isn’t just uncomfortable to experience, it’s uncomfortable to watch (ever see someone unable to walk in a straight line because he's trying to prevent his thighs from touching each other?). In the summer, all that sweat and rubbing starts to wear on the skin, and can end up blooming into a painful red rash. Instead of treating the chafe after the fact, you can prevent it with a friction-minimizing cream, like Body Glide’s Skin Glide Anti Chafing Cream. It uses talc and tapioca starch to create a dry, protective barrier atop the skin. The cream nourishes skin while preventing any pain and redness. Just apply it before putting on your clothes. It’s also effective on your feet if you’re prone to blisters.
2. Swamp Ass
It’s not summer until the khakis get steamy—from the inside. You can avoid swamp crotch (and any trickle-down effects, like bunched-up boxers) by wearing form-fitting, moisture-wicking underwear like Tommy John’s Cool Cotton Trunks. “Moisture-wicking” means it pulls sweat from the skin and allows moisture to evaporate through the fabric. Secondly, sprinkle on some body powder. (We like Grooming Lounge’s Super Powder. It absorbs moisture, which in turn keeps your lower half from turning into a private sauna.)
RELATED: 6 GQ-Approved Products to Keep Your Sweat In Check
3. Jock Itch
A swampy environment provides optimal conditions for the fungus tinea, which can grow in the crevices around the butt, genitals, and thighs. (Sorry.) Tinea is the formal name for jock itch, and is far more common in warm months, or in people who exercise frequently (and don’t shower immediately following). There’s your solution, though: Shower daily, and after any especially grueling activity. Heed the advice in the previous section (avoiding diaper butt) to minimize moisture, and pack some body wipes in your work or gym bag (like Every Man Jack’s Speed Shower Wipes) to cleanse and deodorize the skin at any point throughout the day.
4. Breakouts
It’s hard to keep a clear complexion any time of year. In the winter, the dry air dehydrates the skin. But in the summer, all that extra sweat threatens to clog pores. Any sweat from your scalp brings hair product down across your face, which only further aggravates things. Your best prevention plan is a lightweight, SPF-packed moisturizer (like Anthony’s Day Cream SPF 30] that doesn’t suffocate the pores, and a few face wipes to cleanse and hydrate the skin after it gets too oily and sweaty. (Try Ursa Major’s Essential Face Wipes.)
As for hair product, avoid dense stylers in the summer, like putties and waxes. Try a lightweight cream for medium and longer styles (like V76 by Vaughn’s Ultralight Grooming Cream), or a texturizing spray for tousled, wind-swept looks. (We like Living Proof’s Instant Texture Mist.) Neither will weigh down the hair nor melt down your face in the heat; they preserve your style without increasing the odds of a breakout.
READ MORE: 7 Grooming Essentials for a Sweat-Free Summer
5. The Pure Stench of Sweat
Sweat makes you stink—especially summer sweat. So, if you’re turning heads for the wrong reason, it might be time to revive a sweat-stopping antiperspirant. Try Old Spice’s Original Classic Antiperspirant & Deodorant, which doesn’t overwhelm with any scent, allowing you to still sport your favorite summer fragrance. You can get ahead of odor by picking a body wash with odor-minimizing powers, as well. Old Spice's 3x Clean Pure Sport Body Wash digs deep to fight all the microscopic, odor-causing bacteria that might otherwise repel your pals.
Watch Next:
2 Chainz Eats Gold-Coated Billion Dollar Popcorn
This story originally appeared on GQ.
More from GQ:
What Women Really Think of Your Cologne
The Secrets to Perfect Sit-Ups
How to Get the Best Shave Ever
SoulCycle Instructors Tell All
