Ever since I learned about Piticures I've been obsessed with exfoliating my armpits. But even if you aren't a fan of the PitiCure,
you have to admit that the current high temperatures are forcing you to
pay a little more attention to underarm area. I'll confess that my pits
turn into leaky faucets when the heat is on. And I totally do the
"sniff test" during the day to make sure that I don't stink.
You
can pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about, but I'm willing
to bet that you've (discreetly) taken a whiff of your pits on a hot
summer day. If you're worried about passing the sniff test, here are
some easy tips from dermatologists that'll prevent your pits from
becoming totally offensive when it's a zillion degrees outside:
1.
Wash your underarm area with a benzoyl peroxide face cleaner. It'll
kill odor-causing bacteria, says Los Angeles derm Ava Shamban.
2. Wipe down the entire area with cotton pads that have been soaked in a toner like Olay Refreshing Toner. The alcohol evaporates immediately, so you feel cooler, plus it minimizes any unpleasant aroma, says Dr. Shamban.
3.
Brew a superstrong batch of black tea, but instead of drinking it, pour
it over a washcloth, let it cool, and then place the compress under
each arm for five minutes. Do this every night for two weeks and the
tannic acid in the tea will permanently reduce your sweat production,
says Darrell S. Rigel, MD, clinical professor of dermatology at NYU
Medical Center.
4. Upgrade your regular antiperspirant to one of the new prescription-strength formulas. Dove Clinical Protection and Secret Clinical Strength won't irritate your skin.
Do
you have any good tips for controlling sweaty, stinky pits? Use a fab
antiperspirant that we should know about? If so, share in the comments!
For more advice on how to stay gorgeous no matter how gross the weather gets, read my article Look Hot in the Heat.
.S.
I know I already used this picture for the PitiCure post, but it's so
perfect (and funny) that I couldn't resist putting it up again!
More from Cosmopolitan
