Some people sweat more than normal, and that’s generally no cause for concern. There are certain factors that can lead to a higher production of sweat, such as genetics, body weight, physical fitness, gender, and even the distribution of your sweat glands. It’s common to sweat when the weather is hot, or when something causes your body temperature to rise, such as intense exercise or fever. You might also sweat as an anxiety response in certain situations.
The purpose of sweat is to cool you down by moistening the surface of your skin and then evaporating. It’s clear we need sweat in order for our bodies to maintain efficiency and to sustain our overall health – but what if you’re producing more sweat than usual? How can you treat excess sweat, especially on your hands and feet?
First off, sweaty hands and feet are really common – so common that they have their own terms: palmar hyperhidrosis for sweaty hands, and plantar hyperhidrosis for sweaty feet. You’ll be happy to know that excess sweating of the hands and feet is rarely related to disease. It usually stems from childhood, and there’s often a DNA link somewhere.
The palms of your hands and the soles of your feet have more sweat glands than any other part of your body, which means that if you do sweat excessively, even if you don’t notice the sweat anywhere else, it’ll be the worst in your hand and foot regions.
Sweating can become worse with emotion or stress, and while it’s not dangerous in any way, it can be embarrassing. Holding hands on your first date, shaking your future boss’ hand in a job interview – whatever the situation, the last thing you want is for your sweaty hands to get the better of you. Frustratingly, it’s moments like these that are probably going to make your hands sweat worse than ever!
Luckily, you don’t have to deal with excessive sweat on your hands and feet forever if you don’t want to. There are a few options you can take. Many people would jump straight to seeing their doctor, who might prescribe them with a medication that risks not working or comes with a number of unpleasant side effects. You could also buy an expensive product from the pharmacy that might not do anything for you. The third and often most effective option would be to go down the natural route.
Before you head to the shops to medically treat your sweaty hands and feet, stop and consider the natural alternatives. There are plenty of non-medical, non-invasive methods that have been proven to successfully treat sweaty hands and feet – and often they cost very little and have a wealth of benefits for your overall health, too. Read this article or watch this video to discover the most popular of these methods, and why not give them a go yourself?
1. Apple cider vinegar
If you have overactive sweat glands, organic apple cider vinegar can keep your palms dry by balancing out the pH levels in your body. Adding a spoonful or two of apple cider vinegar to your diet is a good idea, but, as with many natural anti-sweat remedies, the vinegar tends to work best topically.
Dab a small amount over your palms and the soles of your feet, leaving overnight for the best effect. It might not smell the best, but it’ll put a stop to the sweat!
2. Good hydration
You would think that drinking more water would just give your body the extra opportunity to produce more sweat, but actually, you can avoid excess sweating by keeping yourself hydrated throughout the day. In spite of how bizarre it may seem, it’s dehydration, not good hydration, that leads to excess sweating – and sweating can cause dehydration, so it’s an endless cycle.
Because drinking water helps keep you cool, you can reduce your core body temperature, helping you to stay at the right level of heat.
3. Lemon juice
Here’s another sticky cure for excess sweat: lemons. Lemon juice is easy enough to incorporate into your diet, but you’ll get the best effect from applying the lemons themselves directly to the palms of your hands and soles of our feet.
Just squeeze the lemon to get rid of the worst of the juice, then rub it on the affected areas. Try to leave for up to twenty minutes before washing away. For a more powerful effect, try mixing lemon juice with salt and rubbing it on your hands and feet.
4. Tea tree oil
There are so many skin-based benefits of tea tree oil that it’s unsurprising that it’s also renowned for its antifungal effect. It creates a drying effect on the skin, a bit like alcohol, that can be particularly useful in areas where the sweat glands are working in overdrive.
To give the tea tree oil remedy a go yourself, simply soak a cotton ball in the oil and then apply it to your hands and feet. Do this regularly enough to notice a change, but be careful if you have sensitive skin – tea tree oil is better in moderation. CLICK HERE TO FIND THE BEST TEA TREE ON THE MARKET
5. Witch hazel
You might have already used witch hazel on your skin, to prevent acne or to keep new piercings bacteria-free. This popular herbal remedy is known for its astringent and antiperspirant properties, which make it effective as a natural method of controlling excessive sweating.
6. Black tea
Another store cupboard essential that is said to have impressive astringent products is black tea. Like witch hazel, black tea can effectively shrink pores and reduce sweating. To try out black tea for reducing sweaty hands and feet, make a large portion of regular black tea with five tea bags and plenty of water.
Once the tea bags have soaked for several minutes, remove them, and wait for the liquid to cook. Dip your hands in the cooled liquid and leave for up to half an hour every night.
7. Cornstarch
You’ve probably got cornstarch lurking in your cupboards somewhere, as it comes in really useful for thickening soups and stews. As it turns out, it’s also a clever natural remedy for excess sweat.
For the best effects, sprinkle cornstarch onto your palms and feet. You’ll notice that it works like talcum powder, absorbing sweat and keeping your hands and feet dry.
8. Tomatoes
Who would have thought that tomatoes could help with excess sweating? Their cooling and astringent properties make them useful in controlling the problem of sweaty hands and palms in particular.
Because they’re natural astringent, tomatoes help to shrink pores and block the ducts that secrete sweat. The good news is, you can get all the help you need from tomatoes by adding them to your diet – try drinking a cup of tomato juice a day to help combat the issue.
- EFFICACY OPTIMIZED: Our antiperspirant hand lotion was specifically designed to stop sweaty, clammy hands, and help manage the symptoms of palmar hyperhidrosis, or excessive hand sweat. Restore confidence and enjoy life with dry hands!
- EASY TO USE: With a pea sized amount of Carpe Antiperspirant Lotion you can reduce sweat with safe and effective ingredients. Apply every night and as needed, and say goodbye to your sweaty, clammy hands.
- AS SEEN ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA: A smooth, non-greasy antiperspirant lotion made for the sweatiest hands, Carpe includes ingredients that gently soothe the skin, and avoids greasiness with its quick-drying properties
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- GET A GRIP ON YOUR GAME: Gamer Grip lotion works fast and eliminates sweat and excess moisture from your hands in just seconds so you can get the friction needed for the best performance
- DRY-TOUCH FORMULA STOPS SWEAT ON CONTACT: This is a gel that leaves you with dry palms immediately after application, and unlike powder products, it leaves zero messy or sticky residue
- DRY-TOUCH FORMULA STOPS SWEAT ON CONTACT: This is a gel that leaves you with dry palms immediately after application, and unlike powder products, it leaves zero messy or sticky residue
- PERFORM WITH CONFIDENCE EVERY TIME: Our gripping solution comes in a travel-friendly squeeze bottle so you can get rid of those sweaty hands before gaming and perform with the maximum confidence every time
- EFFICACY OPTIMIZED: Our antiperspirant hand lotion was specifically designed to stop sweaty, clammy hands, and help manage the symptoms of palmar hyperhidrosis, or excessive hand sweat. Restore confidence and enjoy life with dry hands!
- EASY TO USE: With a pea sized amount of Carpe Antiperspirant Lotion you can reduce sweat with safe and effective ingredients. Apply every night and as needed, and say goodbye to your sweaty, clammy hands.
- AS SEEN ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA: A smooth, non-greasy antiperspirant lotion made for the sweatiest hands, Carpe includes ingredients that gently soothe the skin, and avoids greasiness with its quick-drying properties
- DEVELOPED WITH DERMATOLOGISTS: Carpe’s scientifically developed formula has been independently tested for safety and efficacy, and is a leading over-the-counter sweat treatment.
- STOP HAND SWEAT | SweatBlock fast-drying antiperspirant lotion is perfect for palmar hyperhidrosis & excessive hand sweating. The SweatBlock lotion for sweaty hands is a powerful, effective, and dermatologist-tested antiperspirant.
- SHAKE HANDS WITH CONFIDENCE | SweatBlock Quick-Dry Antiperspirant for hands will help stop sweat so you can shake or hold hands without worrying about clammy hands or a soggy grip.
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9. Coconut oil
It may seem strange to apply oil to an area that’s already dealing with excess moisture. However, coconut oil actually helps to prevent your hands and feet from sweating by eliminating the bacteria that causes the sweat and odour.
10. Talcum powder
We’ve talked about cornstarch acting in the same manner as talcum powder – and there’s no reason why you can’t use the real stuff if that’s more convenient for you. Talcum powder can help to absorb sweat and dry out sweaty areas, preventing an overwhelming build-up of moisture. Simply dust your palms with the powder morning and evening and watch it take effect.
11. Sage
Sage is one of the best natural herbs for eliminating excess skin oils and preventing sweating thanks to its extensive astringent properties. Not only can sage prevent sweating in the first place, it can lessen any nasty odours caused by sweating.
Try drinking sage tea or soaking your hands in a cup of cold water and sage for up to thirty minutes for the best results.
12. Potatoes
Perhaps the strangest effective natural remedy for treating sweaty hands and feet is through the use of potatoes. According to a recent study, rubbing potato slices across the body may help to absorb water, and subsequently prevent sweating.
It works because potatoes are rich in the mineral potassium, which is known to absorb excess water from the skin, leaving skin dry and sweat-free.
13. Baking soda
Thanks to its alkaline properties, baking soda can help to balance the pH of your feet and palms, as well as preventing any sweaty odours from becoming too overpowering. If you’ve got some baking soda lying around, try dissolving the powder into warm water and soaking your hands and feet for fifteen-to-thirty minutes.
14. Regular exercise
Exercise is one of the easiest ways to break a sweat, but it can actually be good for helping the body limit and reduce sweat in normal, everyday situations. Losing excess weight in the long run can help your body stay climatized, and the easiest way to do that is through regular exercise.
15. Meditation
Sweaty hands and feet aren’t always a hereditary thing– it may simply be that you’re struggling to deal with the pressures and anxieties you’re facing in day-to-day life. Just finding a few minutes a day to relax and meditate may be enough to help you calm your body and reduce excessive sweating.
Try to get into the habit of regular meditation if you think your sweaty hands and feet may be linked to anxiety.
Conclusion
There you have it: the best easy and natural ways to treat sweaty hands and feet. There really is no need to suffer the embarrassment of excess if you don’t want to. And when visiting the doctor or wasting your money on pharmacy medications may prove ineffective, you’re always best sticking to natural where you can.
If you’re looking to put some of these practices into place, consider adding them to your lifestyle one-by-one. That way, you can monitor how each natural method works for you, and discover which has the best and biggest impact.
Because it’s so simple to make and keep up with permanent natural changes, you’ll be able to find yourself a sweat-free solution for life. Now that’s a simple and effective way to solve your sweat problems.