Sweaty Business: Why Our Underarms Sometimes Go a Bit Overboard

Underarm Sweat: A Damp Secret

Sweating under the arms, in particular, is more than just unpleasant for many people. When sweat production goes into overdrive during the summer months, with strong temperature fluctuations (indoors/outdoors), or when stressed, sweat and sweat patches under the arms are a common occurrence.

So, you might also suspect that you sweat the most in your armpits? However, that's not actually the case! Less than 1% of our sweat is produced under the arms. Just for comparison: we have the most sweat glands on the soles of our feet, namely 370, with 120-160 per cm².

However, since the armpits are usually covered by the arms, the sweat produced there can't evaporate easily and therefore remains on the skin. Unfortunately, this quickly leads to unsightly sweat stains on clothing. This alone is bad enough, but it also gives bacteria an especially easy ride: damp armpits provide them with an optimal breeding ground, so unpleasant body odour can develop.

Therefore, it's more than understandable that sweat doesn't have a particularly good reputation. However, we mustn't forget that sweating is a very useful protective function of the body against overheating. Sweat itself is a clear liquid. But when sweat settles on clothing and dries, the salts, proteins and oils it contains can leave a mark. These sweat marks and sweat stains can usually be removed quite easily when washing clothes.

What to do about underarm sweat and unpleasant odour?

Here are a few tips for you to combat unpleasant underarm sweat. At the same time, you can avoid that annoying odour and those unsightly stains on shirts, blouses & co.:

Use an antiperspirant

By using an antiperspirant, you're using an effective remedy against underarm sweat. In comparison, a deodorant only masks the smell of sweat. An antiperspirant, on the other hand, inhibits sweating. For those who want to know the specifics, we explain the difference in our guide Antiperspirant vs. Deodorant. The aluminium salts contained in antiperspirants narrow the sweat glands, so that sweat production can be regulated in the long term. Sweating is reduced and the skin stays dry! When using an antiperspirant, please pay close attention to the instructions for use so that it can develop its full effect. Little tip: To improve the effect, you should remove underarm hair. With an antiperspirant, you kill two birds with one stone: if your skin is dry, no sweat odour will develop because the bacteria are deprived of their food source. Good to know: According to studies, the use of antiperspirants with aluminium salts is particularly efficient and, at the same time, completely safe on intact skin. This is also confirmed by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in its current statement.

Underarm pads

Sort out your underarm sweat problem

Problems like underarm sweat, body odour and sweat stains shouldn't dictate your life. Use the various options according to your individual needs to solve your "sweating problem". However, if none of this helps, a visit to a dermatologist might be worthwhile. You can discuss further treatment options with your doctor. Here you can also find detailed information about other therapies, such as tap water iontophoresis.

First published on: 12/05/2011

Updated on: 27/05/2025