Facial sweating can feel much more personal than sweating from other parts of the body. Our faces are on the front line when it comes to meeting people. We communicate with our expressions and establish trust with eye contact. It is unfortunate when facial sweating distracts from your communication with others. It can interfere with your daily life and cause feelings of inadequacy.
This article features eight easy home remedies for facial sweating to help you get your confidence - and smile - back.
Facial sweating can be caused by a number of factors: anxiety, stress, diet, and hot climates, to name a few. In cases of excessive facial sweating with no obvious catalyst, the reason is likely to be a medical condition called craniofacial hyperhidrosis.
Hyperhidrosis affects around 15 million people in the United States. Approximately 10% of them experience excessive facial sweating (craniofacial hyperhidrosis). In the simplest of terms, hyperhidrosis is a nervous disorder that results in overactive sweat glands. Although there isn’t a one-size-fits-all cure, our excessive face sweating remedies may alleviate some of your symptoms.
Natural astringents, such as witch hazel, are easy to find in pharmacies and grocery stores, and can reduce facial sweating. The natural properties in witch hazel reduce the size of pores to help dry up sweat prone areas of the face. It also helps to control bacteria caused by sweat that can lead to odor. To reap the benefits, apply witch hazel to your face with a cotton pad and wash off after 30 minutes.
Evaluating what you’re eating and drinking is an important point on our list of facial sweating remedies. Yes, your diet could be the culprit when the facial floodgates suddenly open. Salty and processed foods take more work to digest and dispose of, which means the body sweats more as a side effect. Foods high in protein, sugar, and carbohydrates produce a thermic effect as the body breaks them down. This, in turn, causes a rise in temperature, which is cooled via, you guessed it, sweating. Also watch out for spicy foods, caffeinated drinks, and alcohol, all of which result in increased body heat and sweat.
Making sure you are hydrated is possibly the easiest suggestion on our list. It may feel counterintuitive to drink more water to avoid sweat, but bear with us here. Just like you sweat when your body temperature rises, you sweat when dehydrated. Hydration is a simple and natural remedy for excessive sweating on the face. Plus it also aids digestion, which is also favorable for those who sweat a lot. Get yourself a refillable bottle so you can sip water throughout the day.
Our next home remedy for facial sweat comes in the form of topical treatments, such as black tea, sage tea, and cucumber juice. Both teas contain tannic acid, which when applied to your skin constricts and reduces pores to minimize sweating. To use, steep the tea for several minutes to make a strong brew and let it cool. Once cool, apply directly to your face with cotton balls or pads.
You can also use the juice from a cucumber as a topical treatment. Simply soak a cotton ball or pad in the liquid, then wipe over your skin. Cucumbers are gentle, naturally cooling, and will keep you feeling fresh for hours.
Before you juice up the whole cucumber, cut off several slices to use as a separate home remedy for facial sweating. Apart from potentially reducing sweating, your face will benefit from the cooling, moisturizing and tightening effects of cucumber on the skin. Plus, the smell is so refreshing! Run the slices over your face and leave a couple covering your eyes in a true spa style.
Another water-based home remedy involves ice cubes. To use this remedy, wrap up several ice cubes in a soft hand towel and gently press against your face. By literally chilling your face, you fool your nervous system into thinking that you’re not hot. This allows your sweat glands to calm down and stop producing so much sweat. Plus, your skin will look and feel tighter.
Our mental state and thought patterns can often manifest physically on our bodies. When stressed out, we enter fight or flight mode. This results in an increased heart rate and elevated body temperature, which typically opens the floodgates (or sweat glands).
Managing stress by practicing relaxation techniques and breathing exercises can help reduce excessive sweating. (You’ll feel better mentally for it, too.) A regular physical fitness routine also helps control stress and anxiety.
Natural supplements can also reduce stress, anxiety, and other conditions that trigger sweating. St. John’s Wort is recognized for alleviating the symptoms of depression. Valerian root is also known to help with symptoms from anxiety. Since excessive sweating is sometimes associated with these conditions, managing the symptoms with supplements may be beneficial. (Before taking a supplement, be sure to talk to your doctor.)
As you can see, there are several home remedies for facial sweating that may help you. We've also recently looked at the best antiperspirants for facial sweat if you need something stronger.
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