All products are independently selected and reviewed by CNNUnderscored editors. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Learn more
Beauty Grooming
By Maxwell Shukuya, CNN Underscored
Published 9:26 AM EDT, Wed June 12, 2024
What’s in this guide
- Best sweat-control products
- Why do people sweat?
- What is hyperhidrosis?
- Who gets hyperhidrosis?
- How can I control my sweating?
Ask anyone who sweats a lot, and they’ll tell you that there’s a lot more to sweat control than wearing strong deodorant. That’s especially true for people who have hyperhidrosis, a condition where their glands overproduce sweat throughout their body — on their armpits, feet, palms, forehead and cheeks.
If that sounds like you — or if the summer is just blazing hot and oppressively humid — we’ve got 16 products that’ll make dealing with sweat easier. You can be sure that these antiperspirants, wipes, powders and other sweat-stopping products actually work, as we consulted board-certified dermatologists and the International Hyperhidrosis Society (IHS) for their recommendations and skin care expertise.
Best sweat-control products
Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Debra Jaliman recommends this unscented, starch-free body powder because it “actually absorbs excess sweat.” Board-certified dermatologist Dr. David Kim agrees, calling Zeasorb powder a “dermatologist favorite.” Since the powder reduces friction, it’s beneficial for people who suffer from chafing and heat rashes. For fungal infections, use Zeasorb’s athlete’s foot and jock itch formulas.
Think of these sweat wipes like an extra-strength antiperspirant. They use aluminum chloride, an antiperspirant that Jaliman says is helpful to prevent excess sweating, to keep you dry for up to seven days. The only drawback is that they take four to five hours to take effect, meaning you have to use them before bed.
Dr. Corey L. Hartman, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology, often recommends this antiperspirant, especially to patients with sensitive skin, eczema or contact dermatitis. While it’s free of dyes, fragrances and parabens, its 20% concentration of aluminum zirconium is high enough to keep your underarms dry. Antiperspirants like these will be your first line of treatment.
Sweaty feet? Another IHS fan favorite, these adhesive shoe liners soak up and dissipate moisture quickly with their absorbent wool-rayon material. They’re also available in a men’s size.
Carpe, an IHS community favorite, is a leading sweat-control body care brand, offering everything from clinical strength underarm lotion to more niche formulas like this sweat-absorbing face primer. While it doesn’t contain an antiperspirant, this mattifying, broad-spectrum SPF primer stays on, even if you’ve got oily, sweaty skin.
If you can't or don't want to go braless, you can reduce underboob sweat with a liner. This one comfortably fits under bras of all sizes, wicking away moisture to avoid any pesky sweat marks or stains.
Having dealt with hyperhidrosis firsthand, Thompson Tee founders Billy Thompson and Randy Choi developed this sweatproof undershirt. Fitted with extra-absorbent underarm pads and made with breathable fabrics like cotton and bamboo, these T-shirts absorb and evaporate sweat to keep your skin dry. They sell shirts for women too.
For head-to-toe sweat prevention, Carpe sells its foot, hand and underarm lotions in a discounted package. All three come with 15% concentrations of the antiperspirant aluminum sesquichlorohydrate, which works like most antiperspirants by temporarily blocking your sweat ducts.
When Katie Sturino launched Megababe’s line of body care products, she wanted to create a beauty company that would tackle taboo issues like boob sweat and thigh chafing. Hartman is a fan of the company’s anti-chafe stick, which he says “helps protect skin all day long.” Reviewers say that even if you sweat a lot on a hike or just throughout the day, Megababe’s thigh balm stays on.
For an all-inclusive sweat-control package, pick up Duradry’s three-step system, which combines a daytime antiperspirant stick, nighttime sweat-minimizing gel and everyday deodorizing body wash to keep you dry and fresh. You can pick from four fragrances.
When facial antiperspirant and a mattifying primer aren’t enough, you can pull out Carpe’s witch hazel and tea tree-infused face cooling wipes. They won’t prevent sweat, but you can use them to control sweat, oil and grime.
Excess sweat and friction is a recipe for bad chafing. Of course, controlling sweat with an antiperspirant will help. But if your chafing is persistent, consider incorporating an anti-chafe stick too. Jaliman recommends First Aid Beauty’s product, which comes packed with soothing shea butter and colloidal oatmeal.
Some over-the-counter deodorants don’t work. But with its concentration of aluminum antiperspirant at 20% — the highest amount the Food and Drug Administration allows — Jaliman recommends Secret’s Invisible Solid formula.
If your first line of sweat defense fails, you need to consider pairing your antiperspirant with something like ZeroSweat’s sweat pads. You’ll still sweat, sure, but these adhesive pads should absorb a good amount of moisture. They’re also a great sweat-control alternative for people who want to avoid aluminum-based antiperspirants.
This roll-on French antisperspirant sits at the top of best-of lists and is a favorite on Amazon, where reviewers say that it’s strong yet gentle enough for sensitive skin. Its main active ingredient is aluminum, though Uriage’s formula also boasts the antibacterial bisabolol.
This clear antiperspirant is Jaliman’s pick for an anti-mark, stain-free deodorant. It’s also a bestseller on Amazon, earning praise for keeping customers’ pits fresh and dry — without leaving dreaded white marks and yellow sweat stains. Degree also sells a women’s version.
Why do people sweat?
“Sweating is a natural physiological process that helps regulate body temperature,” says Dr. Shoshana Marmon, a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology (FAAD), assistant professor at New York Medical College and board-certified dermatologist. As your body heats up on a hot summer day, for example, sweat glands release moisture on your skin, cooling your body as it evaporates.
Hartman adds that sweat glands also release antimicrobial peptides, or chains of amino acids that kill microorganisms like bacteria.
“These antimicrobial peptides serve as one of the first lines of defense on the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin) and can help bolster our immunity by effectively killing unhealthy bacteria that can lead to certain infections or viruses,” he says.
What is hyperhidrosis?
If you sweat excessively — so excessively that it interferes with your life — you might have hyperhidrosis.
“Any of us might sweat more when it’s very hot, humid, we are exercising hard or are feeling stressed out,” says Lisa J. Pieretti, the executive director and founding member of the IHS. But people with hyperhidrosis sweat four to five times more than what’s considered normal.
This condition affects about 5% of the population, or around 385 million people, according to Pieretti and a 2023 study. Hyperhidrosis affects everyone differently, however. Some might have sweaty hands or feet, while others might have extra-sweaty spots across their body.
“Having hyperhidrosis does not mean a person is unhealthy, nervous or lying. It’s not someone’s fault,” Pieretti says. “They may be sitting there doing nothing and all of a sudden the sweating ‘turns on.’”
Who gets hyperhidrosis?
Marmon explains that there are two types of hyperhidrosis: primary and secondary. Primary hyperhidrosis begins early in life and usually affects specific areas of the body, such as someone’s palms, soles of their feet or underarms.
“The exact cause is not fully understood, but it is thought to be related to genetic factors,” Marmon says. While the cause might not be clear, Jaliman says that “if you’re anxious under a lot of stress, you may notice that you sweat a lot more.”
Meanwhile, secondary hyperhidrosis is caused by a medical condition or medication side effect(s). “Diabetes, hyperthyroidism, menopause, obesity, Parkinson’s disease, certain types of cancer and neurological disorders have been associated with the development of secondary hyperhidrosis,” Marmon says.
How can I control my sweating?
Whether you want to control your sweat this summer, have hyperhidrosis or both, there are a variety of sweat-control treatments, though some will only be available if you speak to a doctor.
The most common treatments include:
• Antiperspirants: “Antiperspirants work by plugging sweat ducts to block sweat from coming out — and when sweat can’t travel out of the ducts, there is also a biofeedback mechanism that kicks in to slow down sweat production,” Pieretti says. For the best results, Pieretti says to apply antiperspirants to dry skin at night. Just ensure you avoid deodorants or deodorant balms that lack an antiperspirant if the goal is to control sweat; these won’t address sweating, Pieretti says.
• Absorbent and sweatproof clothing: Clothes specifically designed to hide, absorb and dissipate sweat are another low-cost, over-the-counter option.
• Iontophoresis: Delivering a mild electrical current through your hands, feet and other areas of your body, aka iontophoresis, can reduce sweating, Marmon says. That said, you’ll want to speak to your doctor before acquiring one of these devices.
• Botulinum toxin injections: Botox injections aren’t just for anti-aging benefits; they’re also an FDA-approved treatment to reduce sweating. Though, as with iontophoresis, you’ll need to talk to a doctor first.
• Oral medications: Anticholinergics — pills that block the neurotransmitter that induces sweating — are another behind-the-counter solution. But Pieretti says that “oral medications are also the treatments with the lowest satisfaction rates from a patient perspective.”
• Laser therapy: It may sound like science fiction, but doctors can use lasers to target and destroy sweat glands in the body. Unlike surgery, the procedure is noninvasive, typically lasting less than an hour in a doctor’s office.
• Surgery: Doctors can treat hyperhidrosis by removing patients’ sweat glands or cutting the sympathetic nerves that control sweating. Unfortunately, insurance companies usually don’t cover hyperhidrosis surgeries, according to the IHS.
The experts we spoke to said you can also adjust your lifestyle and grooming habits to manage excessive sweating and body odor. Strategies include:
- Wearing breathable clothing.
- Taking daily showers.
- Staying cool.
- Managing stress and anxiety.
- Maintaining a healthy weight.
- Limiting spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol.
However, Marmon says you should speak to a doctor “if excessive sweating disrupts your daily activities, occurs suddenly or worsens, causes emotional distress or social anxiety, or you experience unexplained night sweats.” Seeing a professional can also broaden your treatment options to include injections, surgery and other treatments mentioned above.
Maxwell Shukuya Associate Writer, Updates
Maxwell Shukuya is an associate writer for CNN Underscored who covers updates across a variety of verticals. He has a particular passion for gear, especially when it comes to coffee, hiking and climbing.
Latest Articles
More recommendations
Note: The prices above reflect the retailers' listed price at the time of publication.
Thanks for signing up! Your welcome email is on its way.
Get the CNN Underscored newsletter
Receive product recommendations, reviews and deals three times a week.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
