Oh summer, we’re so glad you’ve finally arrived. Barbecues, warm, sunny evenings, lighter clothes and eating al fresco at every given opportunity, when we do manage to keep the rain at bay, the summer months are nothing short of perfect.
Despite loving the warmer weather, longer days and the excuse to head to a pub beer garden on a Friday afternoon, there is an unspoken downside to summer.
The smell. There, we said it.
With the heat and humidity comes the sweat, and with the sweat comes the smell. Sweating is unavoidable and natural, but there are ways for us to reduce that sweat becoming an unpleasant smell.
Here are our four top tips for maintaining a good hygiene routine during a sweaty summer:
1. Nail a Sweaty Summer Shower Routine
It might sound like the obvious thing to do, but maintaining a good shower routine is paramount for a smell-free summer.
Begin by exfoliating two to three times per week to rid the skin of dead skin cells and trapped hairs, dirt and impurities. Exfoliation can be harsh on the skin so make sure to choose a kind, gentle exfoliation, whether a soap or a scrub.
Avoid really hot water, instead opting for a lukewarm so as not to dry out the skin and actually increase sweating.
You’ll need to choose the right body wash for your summer shower, avoiding harsh chemicals like sulfates, parabens and artificial fragrances. Opting for a natural soap infused with kind-to-skin essential oils for a natural scent combats odour-causing bacteria. We recommend choosing a cleansing soap, such as our Sea Salt & Moss Natural Soap.
When washing, focus on problem areas such as your underarms, groin and feet. Before finishing your shower, consider a cooling cold rinse to close pores and leave you feeling refreshed.
2. Lock in Moisture
Now that your summer shower routine is locked down, it’s time to lock in moisture.
Showering, particularly when more frequent during the warmer months, strips your skin of its natural oils, leaving it dry and vulnerable.
Applying a lightweight, quick-absorbing Post-Bath Moisturiser whilst the skin is still damp helps to seal in moisture, preventing it from evaporating quickly and leaving your skin dry and flaky.
Adequate moisture is essential for maintaining the skin’s moisture barrier and promoting healthy, soft skin.
3. Pick your Perfect Antiperspirant
Antiperspirants and deodorants are not the same. An antiperspirant reduces sweat production while deodorants are designed to remove and mask unpleasant smells, but not reduce the sweating.
To ensure you’re not irritating the skin under your arms, opt for a fragrance-free or low-fragrance antiperspirant and look out for Aluminium Chloride as a key ingredient in keeping sweat at bay.
4. Hydration is Key
Although not a direct way to improve cleanliness and support overall good hygiene, keeping hydrated, particularly during the summer, promotes healthy skin and mucous membranes, which act as barriers to bacteria.
Ensuring you’re drinking an adequate volume of water each day and avoiding doing anything to dehydrate the skin, such as consuming excessive volumes of alcohol, keeps your skin healthy and happy and avoids sweat mixing with bacteria that causes a nasty body odour smell.
Maintaining good hygiene goes beyond summer too, ensure you’ve got your bathing routine down so that you’re smelling and feeling good all year round.
Share your summer snaps with us on social @sentobathing 🌞🧴🫧
