Staying fresh in this *GAWGA (GEORGIA) summer heat can be a daunting task…
During the summer months, temperatures increase, causing more body sweat. Although sweat can make the skin feel cooler, it is often accompanied by an unpleasant odor. You can control and manage this with a few tweaks to your daily personal hygiene routine.
Sweating is the body’s personal cooling system. When temperatures rise, millions of sweat glands in the skin are activated to remove excess water from the body. The excess water is sweat and is expelled through the skin’s surface. Body heat evaporates this sweat, causing a cooling sensation.
Sweat on its own is odorless. Bacteria on our skin, interact with the sweat and break down the acids present in it. They can multiply rapidly in sweat, therefore, causing odor. This makes it important to maintain good personal hygiene to reduce sweat and body odor.
1. Stay hydrated. Not consuming enough water can cause your skin to become dry. Dry skin tends to produce more oil. So, make an intentional effort to drink water.
2. Cleanse your face and body daily.
To get rid of excess oil and bacteria, you may cleanse your face as often as three times a day. Use products that are gentle and will not leave your skin dehydrated. Remember, dry skin causes the production of more oil. The same goes for showering.
In addition, You should also tone and exfoliate your face more frequently. These extra steps will break down the dirt deep within your pores.
3. Moisturize your skin. Keep your skin looking healthy and hydrated by using a moisturizer. Be cautious, as some moisturizers out there leave a greasy finish, which you don’t want. Therefore, go for an oil-free moisturizer that has a more mattifying effect on the skin.
4. An antiperspirant. This is probably the most important step to take to stay fresh in the heat.
5. Re-apply fragrance throughout the day as needed. In order to smell fresh throughout the day, 
re-apply fragrance as needed. Make sure you are placing the fragrance on the areas of the body which put off heat (i.e. the folds of arms). Never rub your wrists together after fragrance application! This will decrease the longevity of your scent.
6. Wear light, cool cotton clothing. Keep it simple! Wear cotton! Wear light-colored clothing that will not absorb sunlight. Clothing with patterns will help you avoid those unsightly sweat marks.
7. Use accessories such as Hats and Sunglasses. Hats will protect your face, hair, and scalp without any side effects. If you go out in the sun, remember to wear a hat. Good quality sunglasses can help protect your eyes from harmful UV rays.
8. Wash your clothes often. Wash your clothes often. Bacteria can breed on the skin and your clothes. Try not to repeat a pair of socks you have worn once without a wash because feet can get really sweaty!
9. Use some type of powder. Sweat alone is odorless. There are two main types of glands in the human body which produce odorless sweat. Unpleasant odors occur when sweat in the armpit and groin areas mix with the bacteria that naturally inhabit those areas. Using powder after showering will help with sweat absorption throughout the day. Powder helps to keep you dry and less prone to body odor.
10. Use Body Wipes. Although any type of body wipe will do, there are wipes specifically for men (Every Man Jack and Good wipes are some examples). These male wipes are basically giant wet cloths with a pleasing, masculine scent. Having wipes on hand allows you to “freshen” up on the go.
