This Is How To Prevent Sweating Right After a Shower

Photo: Stocksy/Guille Faingold 

In the summer months, your spend a lot of time in the shower between trips to the beach, workouts in the heat, and getting dirty from repotting all your plants. But all that showering can feel like a waste of time when the second you step foot on your fluffy bat mat, you experience the post-shower sweats and question why you even took the time to shower in the first place.

Sweating after a shower is super common. Unlike the winter months when the air is cold and dry, the air in your home is likely a lot more humid, especially in the bathroom. That—combined with a higher body temperature due to the hot water on your skin and hair—can leave you feeling hot, sticky, and sweaty post-shower. Luckily, there’s a dermatologist-approved way to shower that will leave you feeling fresh… not ready to jump back in the shower for round two.

When you’re nearing the end of your shower, Annie Gonzalez, MD, board-certified dermatologist at Riverchase Dermatology in Miami, says the key is gradually lowering the water temperature from hot to warm in an attempt to cool your body. “It takes roughly 10 seconds for our bodies to acclimate to new temperatures, so do this in 10-second increments,” she says. “Also, try rinsing your hair with cooler water so that hot water isn’t left on the scalp, which can heat up your head.”

The way you wash your face matters, too. “You don’t want to wash your face with hot water either, as it strips the skin of natural oils and draws out moisture. The best temperature to wash your face with is lukewarm water—not too hot and not too cold,” she says, which helps prevent sweatiness and the beet-red look post-shower. By simply switching up the water temperature and making these changes, your body temperature will be cooler once you’re done showering.

Aside from cooling down the water temp in order to help keep you from sweating after a shower, Dr. Gonzalez says it’s also helpful to keep your bathroom as well-ventilated as possible. But whether you have vents or windows for proper ventilation or not, you can always make a run for it. “After you finish showering, get out of that humid environment as soon as you can,” she says. “If you need to stay in the bathroom, soak a washcloth in cold water and apply it to your face and scalp. This should help you cool off, too.”

While it’s nearly impossible to prevent sweating your butt off in the summertime, these tips will at least ensure you stay feeling fresh and clean after washing off.

EXPERTS REFERENCED 

Annie Gonzalez, MD

Dermatologist

Mona Gohara, MD

Board-certified dermatologist

written by Tehrene Firman