Clearing Pores after Anti-perspirant use

Over a year ago I made a mistake. I bought the anti-perspirant version of the Old Spice deodorant that I use.  And then I made another mistake and used that anti-perspirant for a year. I didn't think that it would really work. Unfortunately, it did work. I stopped using it 6 months ago, but my arm pits only get a little bit damp when I am exerting myself. So my body redirects a ton of bloodflow to my face. Instead of streams of sweat rolling down my body, I get overheated quickly.

I don't have symptoms of blocked pores like blackheads or such. I just don't sweat as much as I used to. Does anyone have any ideas for how I could bring it back.

I am about 15 pounds overweight. I've lost 8 pounds since January 1st due to intermittent fasting. I also plan to exert myself more often. I'm looking for herbs or some other way to reopen my sweat glands.

Underarms are a pretty small portion of your skin surface, even if the sweat glands in your underarms stayed blocked, seems like it would not have a huge effect on your whole body cooling system.  Maybe consult with a health care provider.

Antiperspirants don't agree with me at all. I get an angry rash.

But yeah, I agree with Mk Neal that this is odd. After six months the antiperspirants should be long gone. So a chat with a physician strikes me as a good idea.

The  antiperspirants are physically long gone.

But your body adapts. People who are more physically active in general tend to sweat sooner, and more plentifully. Their bodies are adapted to the need to dump heat quickly on a regular basis. Your body may have down regulated, and will take time to readapt to you exercise regimen. Keep at it.

A friend of mine in a marathon runner. He goes for a short "normal" run, and comes back literally soaked all over. My body couldn't produce that much sweat under any conditions.

Michael Cox wrote:But your body adapts. People who are more physically active in general tend to sweat sooner, and more plentifully. Their bodies are adapted to the need to dump heat quickly on a regular basis. Your body may have down regulated, and will take time to readapt to you exercise regimen. Keep at it.

I think you are right, Michael. As I've thought about it more, I've realized that my trend towards poor regulation of body heat started before I used the anti-perspirant. It definitely accelerated after that. But the answer seems to be, "More time on the bike."

I had a problem years ago with the majority of my sweat glands not working. I'm still not sure what caused it, but oil cleansing fixed it.

Mix 3 parts olive or other skin-friendly oil with 1 part castor bean oil. The castor bean oil is usually found in the "laxatives" section of the store. Take that as a hint not to ingest it unless you'll be near a bathroom for a while!

Rube the oil mixture over your skin. Massage it well, then let it sit for about 20 minutes. Shower as usual.

(Some sources say to avoid using soap to wash the excess oil away, but that's usually when dealing with an acne problem, because soap dries out the skin. Personally, I found that if I didn't use soap, the oil left a thick residue over everything in the shower, including enough to clog the drain. Use your own judgement here.)

For clearing clogged pores, you'll probably only need to do this once or twice. Be aware that if the pores have been clogged for a long time, your body may respond by pushing as much stuff as it can through the suddenly opened pores, to the point where you feel like setting up an oil well on your skin. This will ease up after a while, but that first day can be awkward. I recommend timing it so you'll be at home for a day or two after the oil cleansing, and keep some tissues or a cloth handy to mop up whatever comes out of your skin.

Good luck!

A really simple deodorant that is very effect is baking soda.  About a teaspoon per pit.  It can be combined with baby powder, but it isn't necessary.  When I first started using it one pit looked red but didn't feel like anything.  After a week or two it went away.  That was years ago, and I've used baking soda ever since.

Thanks for reminding me about castor oil, Ellendra. My wife uses it to clear mastitis (always being careful to wash up really well before nursing again). So I gave it a try three weeks ago. And it has helped. I don't get the ridiculously flushed face when I am working, and my pits are producing sweat.

At least until I get dehydrated. So my symptoms seem to stem from three factors, poor fitness, clogged pores, and low hydration. Castor oil helped with the clogged pores, and I am working on the other two factors.

Here I am a year later and things are going much better. I've made a point of acclimatizing to the heat, not avoiding it. Yesterday evening I was working on my van as the temperature dropped from the 90s into the 80s. I was soaked in sweat quickly and had very little discomfort. Last year I would have been utterly miserable. So I am glad.

Hi Jeremy,
That is some great news. From your first post, it sounds like you have been working on your health.

An anecdote from myself, is that when I cut out most sugar from my diet, I am not as uncomfortable in the heat or the cold. I have no idea why, but it seemed like my body was able to respond better, like you are describing.