Why Stress Sweat Is Different Than Regular Sweat

Is sweating healthy?

Sweating has multiple health benefits starting from cooling the body and preventing overheating to keeping your skin healthy. Even though it can be embarrassing at times, our bodies wouldn’t be able to function without sweating. These are the numerous health benefits of sweating:

• It regulates your body temperature.
• It works to remove heavy metal toxins from your body.
• Sweating aids in weight management.
• There is some evidence that suggests sweating helps to remove bacteria from the skin.
• It maintains your skin health by removing dirt, debris and excess oil.
• It helps with your immunity and cardiovascular health.
• Sweating boosts your mood by releasing endorphins.
  
  

Stress sweat vs regular sweat

Even though sweat appears to be just sweat to the naked eye, there is an inherent difference between the two kinds of sweat produced by the body:

• Regular sweat - Regular sweat is produced by the eccrine sweat glands, which open onto the skin's surface and cover the majority of the body when it is heated. Water, salt, and potassium make up this perspiration, which lies on top of the skin. The body cools down when the moisture evaporates.

• Stress sweat - Stress sweat is produced by the apocrine glands when the body is responding to an emotion such as worry, stress, or excitement. These glands generate a fatty acid and protein-rich milky perspiration. Near thick clusters of hair follicles beneath the armpits, around the groin, and on the scalp, you can find the apocrine glands. While this form of perspiration is initially odourless, it does not evaporate as rapidly as other types and can acquire an odour when bacteria on the skin interacts with it.

That said, there are other differences between the two types of sweat:

• Proteins, fatty acids, and liquids found in apocrine sweat help bacteria proliferate and feed. It's made up of 80% fluids, 20% lipids, and 2% proteins. Eccrine sweat, on the other hand, is made up of 99 percent water and 1% salt and proteins. 

• Stress perspiration doesn't always offer the same degree of dampness, despite its strong odour. Furthermore, although exercise or eccrine sweat takes time to activate, worry or apocrine sweat occurs almost instantly. 

• The smell of stress perspiration is also emitted in greater amounts. When you're stressed, your body is capable of releasing 30 times more odour. It usually comes in brief, forceful bursts and does not disperse as rapidly as normal perspiration.
  
  

Why does stress sweat smell different?

The pungent stench of stress sweat can be blamed on the following factors:

• Anatomy - The bulk of stress-related perspiration is produced by apocrine glands, which are bigger. Sweat from the apocrine glands is thicker and contains more proteins and lipids and body odour is primarily caused by these lipids and nutrients combining with the bacteria that dwell on your skin.

• Evolution - Body smell is thought to be an evolutionary protection mechanism, according to scientists. When threatened, many animals rapidly emit an odour to fend off predators. When you're worried, your palms become wet for evolutionary reasons. Wet hands made it easier for our forefathers to handle weapons.
  
  

How do you manage stress sweat?

There are a number of ways in which you can manage stress sweat, and in turn, your body odour:

• Shave your hair - Hair in places like the armpits and pubic hair can delay perspiration evaporation, allowing bacteria more time to break down proteins and produce odourants. You can better control your body hair if you shave the hair in such locations. Shave your underarms without creating irritation with the Carmesi Body Razor. For a really smooth and irritation-free shave on your bikini line, try the Carmesi Bikini Razor.

•  Use deodorants - Natural deodorants, such as the Carmesi Natural Deodorant Roll-on, work to reduce perspiration volume while also reducing the number and activity of germs on your skin. To a significant extent, this aids in the regulation of body odour. Use them on your underarms to keep you feeling fresh throughout the day.

• Take regular showers - Showering with soap and water on a daily basis will help you smell less since soap can efficiently kill germs on your skin. After a shower, make sure you thoroughly dry yourself.

• Manage your anxiety and stress levels - If you're always sweating from stress, you could have an anxiety problem. To alleviate your anxiety, talk to your doctor about getting therapy or using an anti-anxiety medication.