10 Tips for Dealing with Sweating in Summer

When summer finally rolls around, the temperatures on the thermometer shoot right up. Relaxing in the sun, enjoying long summer nights under the stars, and a day at the lake – these are definitely the best bits of summer. But there are a few downsides, because when the mercury nudges the 30-degree mark or even goes beyond it, our sweat production kicks into high gear. Why do you actually sweat significantly more in summer than in colder months? And how can you still enjoy summer without unnecessary sweating?

Sweating in summer is a necessary 'evil' – but why's that then?

The average human body temperature is around 37 degrees Celsius. Especially when the ambient temperature changes, our bodies are designed to keep this core temperature constant. When the outside temperature rises, the body reacts to the heat that's warming it up. The brain then gets a signal, so the sweat production of the 2 to 4 million sweat glands all over the body is ramped up. A clear liquid (sweat) forms on the skin, which quickly evaporates due to the warm outside temperature. This process removes excess heat from the body, thus cooling it down.

Basically, sweating is like our very own unique, built-in air conditioning system. Sweating in summer is normal, important for the body, and even healthy, as long as you're not sweating excessively. Especially in summer, it's just part of the deal, and you can't completely avoid it.

Downsides of sweating in summer – when the heat makes everyday life a struggle

Nevertheless, sweating in summer is a pain, especially during important meetings with clients, in the office, or at night. These situations are surely familiar to everyone: those sleepless summer nights because it's too hot, and even an open window offers little relief. Sweaty clothes by mid-morning in the office because there's no air conditioning. The sweaty feet at the end of the day because your footwear isn't breathable enough. And let's not forget the smeared make-up caused by heavy facial sweating.

Do you just feel knackered and drained by the sweating and the heat during the day? The reason is that our bodies work overtime in the heat to cool us down. This quickly manifests as tiredness and exhaustion. What's more, the body loses a lot of fluid and minerals through sweating, which absolutely must be replenished in sufficient quantities. So, after a tiring summer's day, it's all the more understandable that you just want to chill out a bit.

Yes, sweating is a necessary 'evil'. But with a few simple tips and tricks, you can still prevent unnecessary sweat, unsightly sweat patches, and unpleasant body odour, thus making your summer much more enjoyable.

10 handy tips for dealing with sweating in summer

We've put together 10 simple tips to help you make your summer less sweaty and more comfortable.

1. Contrast showers and personal hygiene in summer

Sweat and body odour often go hand in hand, especially in summer. Unpleasant body odour occurs when the actually odourless sweat is broken down by bacteria that everyone has on their skin. Armpits (especially unshaved ones) are a very popular habitat for these bacteria. There are a lot of active sweat glands under the arms, and bacteria can easily cling to armpit hair. The warm, moist climate under the arms also encourages the growth of odour-producing bacteria.

Thorough personal hygiene is always important, but it should be given extra attention, especially in summer when temperatures are high.

Tip: Shower at least once a day with lukewarm water and only use an antibacterial shower cream. This removes sweat residue from the skin and gently reduces odour-causing bacteria. A cold shower only cools the body down for a moment. Immediately after a cold shower, sweat production is ramped up again to compensate for the temperature difference as quickly as possible – you might even sweat more than before showering. So, if you're going to have a cold shower, it's better to go for so-called contrast showering. This involves alternating between lukewarm and cold water. It's best to finish your shower with lukewarm water. Contrast showering also boosts circulation – so it's preferable to shower in the morning. This way, you can start the hot day feeling refreshed.

2. The right skincare

Sweating all over is just part of summer. However, increased sweating, especially on the face, head, and neck, unfortunately often causes skin impurities and sweat pimples.

Therefore, when cleansing your face daily, make sure to use an antibacterial and deep-cleansing product. This will remove excess sebum, sweat residue, and environmental pollutants. Use soap-free products that cleanse with mild surfactants and are gentle on the skin.

For day and night care, products that provide intense hydration without being greasy are ideal, especially in summer. Greasy creams and lotions often leave an unpleasant feeling on the skin. Therefore, quickly absorbed creams and lotions offer the best care for sweaty skin. Nourishing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, or panthenol provide extra support for your sweaty skin.

Don't forget your hands and feet when it comes to skincare. They go through a lot, especially in summer, and therefore deserve an extra bit of care. When choosing a moisturising lotion, make sure it absorbs quickly, isn't greasy, and has an antibacterial effect.

3. Use antiperspirants

Do you tend to sweat heavily and experience unpleasant body odour in summer? You can effectively prevent this by using an antiperspirant. Make sure you buy an antiperspirant, not a deodorant. Conventional deodorants don't have a sweat-inhibiting effect; instead, they inhibit the growth of bacteria that are responsible for body odour. So, even the best deodorant won't help against heavy sweating.

Antiperspirants, on the other hand, specifically and long-term inhibit the formation of sweat and odour, and they're easy to use. Antiperspirants with nourishing ingredients like sage, aloe vera, and allantoin are also suitable for sensitive skin. Depending on the form (roll-on, spray, or wipes), antiperspirants can be used in a wide variety of areas and are not limited to the underarms – for example, heavy sweating on the head, face, hands, or feet can also be effectively reduced with antiperspirants.

4. Cool down in the pool

Spending a day at the outdoor pool, the lake, or in your own pool – this has been a favourite summer pastime since childhood. Swimming or splashing in the water promises the necessary cooling. Just like with showering in summer, however, the water in the pool or lake shouldn't be too cold. It's also important to dry yourself thoroughly after cooling off in the water.

Don't have space for a pool or no lake nearby? No problem! A 'foot pool' will do the trick, because a nice foot bath promises cooling and relaxation for the whole body. Simply fill a small tub in which your feet can easily fit with lukewarm water and add a bath bomb or bath salts. This way, you treat yourself to a wonderful and cooling break that your feet really deserve in summer.

Homemade foot bath bombs – our favourite recipe

With homemade foot bath bombs, you can end even the hottest and longest summer day in a relaxed way. The bath bombs with mint oil, lemongrass oil, olive oil, and sage revive tired feet and spread a summery fragrance. The best sweat break for your feet!

You'll need:

• 200 g bicarbonate of soda
• 100 g citric acid (powder)
• 150 g salt
• 10 tbsp olive oil
• 12 drops mint oil
• 12 drops lemongrass oil
• 2 peppermint tea bags
• 2 sage tea bags
• Optional: food colouring (if you want to colour your foot bath bombs in summery shades)

Making the foot bath bombs – here's how:

1. Put the bicarbonate of soda, citric acid, and salt into a large, dry glass bowl and mix everything together well.

2. Now add the liquid ingredients – olive oil, mint oil, and lemongrass oil – and stir everything together. Then add the sage from the tea bags.

3. If you want to colour your foot bath bombs in different colours, divide the mixture now. You can simply fold the food colouring into the mixture. However, don't add too much colour, otherwise the bath bombs will become too moist. 1 to 2 drops are sufficient depending on the amount.

4. Now shape the foot bath bombs. You can use small silicone baking moulds, egg cups, or an ice cream scoop for this. Sprinkle some peppermint tea into the mould and press the mixture firmly. Carefully remove the bombs from the mould. Then place the still-moist foot bath bombs on a board or plate lined with aluminium foil.

5. The foot bath bombs need to harden in the fridge for two days so that they are stable.

6. Store the finished foot bath bombs in an airtight glass jar so that they don't attract moisture.

Now all you need is your tub, lukewarm water, and a towel. Lean back and let a nice foot bath pamper you for a few minutes.

5. The right summer clothing

It gets hot in summer. It gets even hotter with inappropriate and non-breathable clothing. Tops, trousers, and vests made of polyester or tight-fitting garments trap heat between the body and the clothing, thus promoting increased sweating.

Therefore, choose the right clothing in summer that allows your skin to 'breathe'. Your perfect summer outfit should be light and not too tight. Clothing made of cotton, linen, silk, as well as special functional vests with integrated underarm wetness protection, quickly transport sweat away from the skin to the outside. If you don't want to skip your workout even in summer, it's best to wear special functional clothing that is particularly airy and breathable.

Did you know? Black clothing absorbs sunlight much more strongly than light-coloured clothing, so you'll sweat significantly more under dark clothing. Therefore, it's best to put together your summer wardrobe with predominantly light and summery garments.

6. Warm drinks bring cooling

Warm drinks when it's hot outside? Sounds odd, but it's true: when it gets warmer outside, it's not ice-cold juices and fizzy drinks that bring cooling, but lukewarm beverages.

Ice-cold drinks only promise short-term cooling. The effect immediately after drinking is indeed significant, as they suddenly cool the body down a lot. However, your body then needs a lot of energy to compensate for the large temperature difference again. Sweat production is thus ramped up again, creating a vicious cycle. You should therefore only drink ice-cold fizzy drinks and alcoholic beverages in moderation to avoid unnecessarily stimulating sweat gland activity. Lukewarm drinks like fruit or herbal teas, which also taste delicious, are much better. Sage tea is considered a natural home remedy against increased sweat production.

It's also important that you drink enough in summer. A lot of sweat can dehydrate the body if this fluid loss isn't replenished in time. The mineral loss should also be compensated for. It's best to drink 2 to 3 litres of fluids per day. Mineral water, fruit spritzers, teas, and infused water (water with a fruity and light flavour) are recommended.

Infused Water – our favourite recipe

With water, whether still or sparkling, you can optimally balance your fluid levels. But sometimes 'normal' water is just too boring. An interesting alternative to water is 'infused water'. This is 'flavoured water' that you can easily prepare yourself according to your taste. How about an infused water with raspberries and mint, for example?

You'll need:

• 100 g raspberries (fresh or frozen)
• 3 sprigs fresh mint
• 1 lemon
• Tap water or still water

Making infused water – here's how:

1. Wash the raspberries thoroughly and cut the lemon into thin slices.

2. Put the raspberries, lemon, and mint into a carafe or bottle with a large opening and a capacity of at least 1 litre.

3. Fill the carafe with about 500 ml of water so that the ingredients are covered.

4. Let the infused water steep at room temperature for at least 1-2 hours.

5. After steeping, fill the carafe completely with water.

You can refine this basic recipe according to your preferences. Maybe you like oranges? Or prefer strawberries? You can also prepare a delicious infused water with cucumber. There are no limits to your flavour creativity!

7. Enjoy light meals and avoid spice

A little bit of spice in your food and you're already breaking out in a sweat on your face? Many people can relate to that. Why is that actually the case? When you eat spicy food, the responsible substances in your mouth irritate your nerve cells. These then send a 'false' signal to your brain, because instead of 'spicy', the nerve cells interpret the spiciness as 'hot'. Metabolism is stimulated, and so is sweat production. So, a lot of spice heats the body from the inside out.

Therefore, adapt your diet to the summer temperatures so that you can avoid unnecessary sweating. The right choice of food in particular can help to not additionally drive the activity of the sweat glands. With a light, summery diet that is easy to digest, you relieve your body. It therefore requires less 'effort' during digestion, so less internal heat is generated. Light dishes without hot spices (like chilli or hot pepper) are therefore ideal for warm summer days. Fresh fruit, a colourful salad, or light summer pasta are particularly delicious.

Summer pasta – our favourite recipe

Juicy, bright red tomatoes are typical of summer. Sun-dried tomatoes with their very unique aroma are particularly intense. Together with pasta, nutty pine nuts, salty feta cheese, and fresh sage, you can conjure up a quick pasta dish that brings summer to your plate.

You'll need:

• 250 g pasta
• 100 g sun-dried tomatoes in oil
• 150 g feta cheese
• 2 spring onions
• 1 clove of garlic
• 10 leaves fresh sage
• 3 tbsp pine nuts
• Salt
• Pepper

Making summer pasta – here's how:

1. Cook the pasta, e.g., spaghetti or penne, according to the packet instructions in plenty of boiling, lightly salted water. Drain the cooked pasta in a sieve afterwards.

2. In the meantime, prepare the ingredients: drain the tomatoes and collect the oil separately. Clean the spring onions and cut them into fine rings. Dice the feta cheese into equal-sized pieces (approx. 1x1 cm). Peel the garlic, halve it, and remove the sprout from the centre. Finely dice the garlic as well. Wash the sage and pluck off the leaves. Cut the leaves into thin strips. Finally, cut the drained tomatoes into narrow strips as well.

3. Heat a large frying pan and briefly toast the pine nuts in it without oil until they get some colour and develop their aroma. Let the pine nuts cool down in a small bowl.

4. Put the tomato oil in the pan and briefly sauté the spring onions and garlic in it. Then add the sage. Make sure the sage doesn't get too dark, as this could make it bitter. After half a minute, add the tomatoes. Mix everything together and finally add the pasta and feta cheese to the pan.

5. Season the pasta with a pinch of salt and pepper and arrange the pasta on two large plates. Sprinkle the pine nuts over the pasta.

The light dish for warm summer days is ready – enjoy!

8. Cool down your home

When it gets warmer, your own four walls are rarely exempt. In summer, rooms heat up considerably – this is a big problem, especially in older and poorly insulated buildings.

Tip: Ventilate properly by opening the windows wide early in the morning and late in the evening to create a slight draught. This brings fresh, cool air into your rooms and displaces the warm, stuffy air.

Instead of opening the window during the midday heat, you should rather darken your rooms during the day. Use blinds, curtains, or awnings to easily protect your rooms from sunlight and heat.

If simple ventilation in the morning and evening doesn't help, there's another tip that promises relief even on tropical nights: dampen a towel with water and hang it in front of an open window. The moisture evaporates and creates evaporative cooling. The room cools down slightly, and the night becomes at least a little more pleasant.

9. Cooling down in between, in the office, on the go, and at home

Looking for a really quick way to cool down in between times? There are several ways to make summer as pleasant and sweat-free as possible. A water spray, for example, promises a bit of cooling.

You can buy such water sprays in various forms

First published: 12.05.2011

Updated: 27.05.2025