Dietary Control for Perspiration

Dietary Control for Perspiration

What we ingest can affect the amount and the scent of our perspiration.

Caffeine or other stimulants in coffee, tea, chocolate, soft drinks, or over-the-counter medications may be responsible for excess perspiration due to nervous tension. Garlic and other pungent seasonings can produce odiferous perspiration. Drinking a cup of sage tea every day reduces excessive perspiration; tomato juice blenderized with a handful of fresh sage leaves is even more effective. Vitamins and minerals. Dietary supplements of B-complex and magnesium often help reduce the amount of odor-forming perspiration, and a 30- to 50-milligram tablet of zinc each day can perform a dramatic odor-disappearing act. Water. Drinking enough water to dilute as well as replace the pints of liquid the body pours out through the skin each day helps diminish perspiration odor.

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How to Control Perspiration and Body Odor

How to Control Perspiration and Body Odor

Men sweat. Women perspire. Regardless of terminology, evaporation of this natural moisture is essential for dissipating excess body heat accumulated from metabolic processes, muscular exertion, and external sources. Eccrine sweat glands (widely distributed over the body) are stimulated by heat, physical activity, or nervous tension. The apocrine sweat glands do not develop until puberty, are activated by pain, sexual excitement or emotional stress, and are concentrated under the arms and around the genitals, with additional outlets on men's backs. Males perspire more profusely than females, although excessive perspiration may be caused by hormonal fluctuations, then wane as glandular activity decreases with age.

Body odor is produced by bacteria growing and decomposing in the liquid. Only in our well-scrubbed society is this natural fragrance deemed unpleasant; it once was considered so sexually appealing that "love philters" filled with sweat were worn as arousing sexual desire.

Natural Deodorants and Antiperspirants

Alcohol is a deodorant and temporary antiperspirant. Apply rubbing alcohol, let dry, then dust with cornstarch.

Baking soda and cornstarch. Mix equal amounts of soda and cornstarch, or use cornstarch by itself-with a pinch of cloves, if desired. Apply to clean, dry armpits for a deodorant and mild antiperspirant.

Lavender oil. Applying a single drop under each arm helps eliminate odor.

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Pampering your skin while you bath

Pampering your skin while you bath

Glycerin

silkens your skin while it prevents "dry skin." Add a tablespoonful into the water; add rose water for fragrance, if desired.

Cucumber glycerin: For a skin-rejuvenating treatment, simmer an unpeeled, sliced cucumber in unsalted water until tender. Strain off the solids and add the liquid to your bath with 2 tablespoons of glycerin.

Honey

Add 1 tablespoon to your tub to soften your skin.

Lemon

To reduce the oils on your skin, and to unjangle your nerves, swirl a cup of fresh lemon juice in the bathwater.

Milk

Two to three cups of fluid milk, or one cup of instant dry milk will soften hard water, smooth, and firm your skin.

Oil and milk pamper your skin and dispense with dry flakies. Reverse the usual procedure by cleansing before entering your beauty bath—milk and oil may mix with water, but soap gets scummy—and be cautious when exiting from any bath containing oil, as both you and the tub will be slippery Depending upon how dry you are, add '/2 teaspoon to l/2 cup almond, avocado, wheat germ, or other unsaturated oil and 2 to 6 cups fluid milk (or the equivalent in instant dry milk) to the tub as it fills. Swish to combine, then luxuriate for at least 15 minutes before polishing off dead skin with a loofah or bath brush.

Salt and milk is a potent solution for transforming rough, scaly skin into silky smoothness. Dissolve 1 cup of table salt in a pan of boiling water. Pour it into your tub and mix in 4 cups of instant nonfat dry milk (or 3 quarts of fluid milk). Soak, then scrub with a washcloth or loofah.

Oils

Olive and sesame oils were the ancient Roman and Egyptian favorites. Bathing in an emulsion of oil and water helps restore the moisture lost through the assaults of detergents, counteracts chemical dyes from clothing, repairs skin damage from exposure to heat and cold, and relieves dry, itchy skin. The soft film of oil clings, even after toweling, to leave you sleek and smooth.

Salts

"Bath salts" are water softeners. To manufacture your own: Place 2 cups borax in a jar. Stir in l/4 teaspoon of your favorite perfume. Cover and let stand 24 hours. Stir in another 1/4 teaspoon perfumes and store tightly closed. Use 2 or 3 tablespoons for each bath.

Epsom salt has a reviving effect on the body when ½ cup is added to the bathwater. A solution of 1 pound per tub is a restorative for overworked muscles and ligaments if you alternate underwater massaging with relaxing.

Sea salt (or table salt mixed half-and-half with epsom salt) also has a beneficial effect on sore muscles, cleanses pores, and revs up weary bodies. Use 1 or 2 cups for each bath.

Sea salt scrub is an allover exfoliant to depose dead skin cells and restore rough skin to seductive smoothness. Mix 1 cup sea salt with enough water, milk, or oil to form a paste. Stand in a partially filled tub while vigorously rubbing the salt mixture over your wet body. Fill the tub with warm water, then soak and bathe as usual.

Table salt is said to help guard against vaginal infections when ½ cup is dissolved in the bathwater.

Vinegar

Vinegar can help relieve achy muscles or flaky, itchy skin. It will both relax and invigorate your body when 1 cup is added to your bath.

Wheat flour

Wheat flour is a wonderful skin softener. For dry skin, use 2 tablespoons each whole wheat flour and powdered milk. For oily or blemished skin, use 2 tablespoons each whole wheat flour, camomile, and lemon balm.

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Benefits of Using Dried herbs Mixtures in Your Bath

Benefits of Using Dried herbs Mixtures in Your Bath

Specific combinations of dried herbs are especially effective for:

Deep cleansing

Steep 2 or 3 tablespoons each hibiscus, lemon grass, peppermint, rosemary, and witch hazel leaves or bark in boiling water. Add the liquid to your bath; wrap the solids in a washcloth to use as a scrubber.

Dry and itchy skin

Prepare equal amounts of camomile, fennel, lovage, peppermint, rosemary, sage, and yarrow by any one of the herbal-bath methods.

Or, mix l/4 cup each almond meal, cornmeal, oatmeal, and orris root. Secure the mixture in a cloth bag or washcloth; squeeze out the milkiness while you are soaking, then rub your skin with the bag.

Rejuvenating and energizing

Mix equal parts of comfrey, orange peel, and parsley; or of basil, bay leaves, fennel, and mint (a masculine favorite); or of lavender, orange blossoms, and rose petals; or of juniper, lavender or rosemary, and rose geranium. Or, combine 3/4 cup jasmine with l/4 cup orange blossoms.

Relaxing

Mix equal amounts of camomile, horsetail, rosemary, pine needles, and valerian; or of camomile, peppermint, and rosemary; or of comfrey, lavender, mint, and rosemary (with thyme added if desired); or of comfrey, marigold, and yarrow.

Relieving sore muscles

For best results, massage the sore muscles while you are soaking with strawberry leaves and sage, mixed half-and-half; or equal amounts of agrimony, chamomile.

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Bathing Tips

Bathing Tips

Never use extremely hot water. Rather than offer therapeutic benefits, a steaming bath drains every ounce of energy from your body. Lukewarm water is the best temperature for therapeutic value; because the water is close to your body's temperature it produces a relaxing and soothing action.

Add the essential oil to the bath while the water is running. Before you get into the tub swish the water around so the essential oils mix well with the water. Don't let too much time elapse between the time you add the oils and the time you enter the tub because the oils evaporate quickly and you don't want to lose their benefits. If your skin is dry, mix the essential oils with 1 ounce of a base/carrier oil such as pure sweet almond oil, jojoba, wheat-germ oil, or macadamia nut oil. Then add this mixture to the bath. And don't forget to swish the water before entering the tub so the oils mix with the water. Close your eyes while you bathe. This is a very important part of your bath experience. When your eyes are closed you can shut out the world and really relax. It’s very important to care for your skin after your bath if you want your skin to hold onto the newly gained moisture and essential oils. Never get out of the bath and grab a towel and rub yourself dry because this defeats the purpose of the "water therapy" bath. While your skin is still wet from the bath apply a rich body lotion, body milk, body oil (you could add a drop or two of your favorite essential oil to a portion of your body product) and massage it into your moist skin.

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Body Baths

Body Baths

In many cultures throughout history, the bath has been important ritual for purification of body and mind. Body baths to be a vital part of daily life. Of course, the pace of modern life leaves most people with barely enough time to take a quick shower once a day. Nevertheless, taking half an hour to yourself. Once a week for a cleansing and nourishing body bath is really the least you can do for your health and peace of mind. Adding herbs, oils, or other enhancers turns bathing into a blissful interlude whether the purpose is to unwind tense nerves, relieve sore muscles, soften and smooth rough or irritated skin, or simply refresh and invigorate.

Step1: Make a body mask using a thin paste of ground of almonds, wheat flour and water. Rub this paste all over body and let dry. Then brush off with dry towel to exfoliate.

Step 2: Massage body with sesame oil and 1 pinch of turmeric powder to stimulate circulation, and reduce skin problems.

Step 3: Take a warm bath for 15-20 minutes, adding to the bath water: For dry skin : 1 tsp honey + 7-8 drops rose essential oil. For sensitive skin : 1 handful dry milk powder. For oily skin : 5-6 drops lavender, rosemary, or lemon oil.

Step 4: After bath, pat dry and use body oil to nourish and moisturize skin.

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