Wedding Blog
’Til You Can’t Sweat No More.
Picture courtesy of www.usdreams.com
Okay, here’s the thing. I sweat. I sweat and our wedding is at the end of June outdoors (weather permitting) in the hot summer sun.
My sweat is not a mist, it doesn’t make me glow or look blissed out. I sweat and it leaves marks under my arms and most annoyingly in my cleavage where it collects in a pool between my boobs in a way that makes me look like I was recently attacked by someone wielding a Super Soaker.
While this is annoying on a regular day, thinking about getting a large wet mark on the front of my wedding dress leaves me preemptively mortified, so I turn to some of you other sweaty sisters out there for advice.
Save from walking down the aisle with a roll of Bounty Paper Towels down the front of my dress (it is, after all, the quicker picker upper), what can I do to combat this horrible boob sweat phenomenon? Is there a good brand of antiperspirant out
there to use?
Help a girl out with your sweat smarts. 
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Share this post: Girl, I’m Gonna Make You Sweat
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a m a z i n g
you put it on at night. works all the next day.
Not sure about the cleavage issue, but Certain Dri is great for underarms and you can get it at drugstores. You want to make it a routine, putting it on at night every night for at least a week. If I am using it regularly, I don’t seem to need it every single night and then I scale it back to a couple times a week. You could probably put it under your boobs too!
DON’T put it on if you have freshly shaved armpits, because that stuff stings and itches.
I’m a sweater too and also have an outdoor June wedding, so I feel for ya! My alterations lady said to take a hanky and fill it with corn starch and then tie it off. She said to use that to help absorb sweat and it will make your skin soft and the corn starch doesn’t leave clumps on your skin like powder. I haven’t tried it yet, but it is on my emergnecy kit list! Good luck!
I swear by Kiehls Superbly Efficient Anti Perspirant and deoderant. Its a cream and its A-MA-ZING. AND it doesn’t have a weird perfumey smell.
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2922401?cm_cat=datafeed&cm_pla=skin%2Fbody_treatment:women:hand_%26_body&cm_ite=kiehl’s_superbly_efficient_anti-perspirant_%26_deodorant_cream:177731&cm_ven=Froogle&mr:trackingCode=FB08FFE7-9822-DD11-98CA-001422107090&mr:referralID=NA
I second (or third) the CertainDri. It works wonders. Just make sure to pick up both the night and day versions to maximize the benefits.
Baby powder.
Seriously. I lived in the Phillipines for 2 years and it was live saving. After you towel off (really well, you don’t want a paste), rub it everywhere and hang out for a sec. Let it get absorbed and you won’t see the powder. Then get dressed. Magic. You will feel soft and dry all day.
You can also get prescription anti-perspirant for underarms.
Ive tried certain dri PM and it actually makes me itch leaving my pits red and sore. I’ve been using “Fresh” deodertant and that seems to be working really well. give that a try.
Ok your gonna think im crazy but this product works.
http://shunga.com/pages/en_shunga_products_det.asp?ctry=2&nom=53
Its actually an edible body powder (think sex / honeymoon) but it really stops sweat. I have it at home and it works.
lol. @ Boutny in boobs. i sooo have done this. every. day. in the summer……
thank you for posting this.
i have the same exact problem. this is one of my primary reasons for demanding a Fall wedding. but i also sweat when nervous, so i needed some tips about what to do to keep that at bay.
i’m snagging these tips to try this summer to see which works best for me!
I too sweat like a stuck pig, and while my wedding wasn’t outside, it was in a non-air conditioned church in 100 degree weather. I used Secret’s Perscription Strength. It’s much like Certain Dri in the fact that you have to use it at night, but it was AWESOME! It blocks your sweat glands, so I wouldn’t use it regularly, just because that seems weird, but it totally worked for my day.
Ohh… and I just thought of one more thing. Totally go get your pits waxed. It was one of the best thigns I did. It makes they super smooth… much better for application of any kind of anti-sweat thing and my underarms looked fabulous in all of the pictures of me dancing like a fool. 
errr- this may be a bit controversial- but if you talk to your doctor about it Botox can be used to stop sweating in your arm pits. I have not done it- but I have read that it can be done. This may be a bit to severe to do just for your wedding- but if you are realllllllllly desperate talk to your dermatologist.
I know someone who Botoxed her pits and she swears by it. She said she used to sweat through her business suit jackets before the Botox and now never worries about it.
I don’t know about Botoxing your cleavage though…
I second the Secret Clinical strength (and Degree makes one too, which works well, but Secret usually seems to be a little cheaper). It’s AMAZING. I sweat through everything (I sweat under my arms when I’m cold. THAT’S embarrasing) and it works wonders for me. I haven’t tried it on my boobs, but I have put it behind my knees where I will also sweat (and that’s uncomfortable when you’re wearing pantyhose), so I think it might work for cleavage sweat as well!
Botox. That really is the only way to go, although I agree with Katy that it may not work in the cleavage area. It may be best to go to your dermatologist.
Back in the horrible pre-teen years, I was diagnosed with “hyperhidrosis” aka “Congratulations! You’re a flop sweater!”
I was given a prescription for Certain-Dri and it’s great that it’s now OTC.
While the worst of my ful-body sweating days are behind me, I still have to use “extra strength” products.
Lately, I have been using Secret “Clinical Strength” and have been happy with the results. And I, like Pengy, like to roll stinky style and definitely appreciate its “more than one day” coverage. It’s got a creamy texture and so MIGHT work okay for the decolletage, but I’d do a test run and only use a little to be sure.
Like others above, I also am a big fan of cornstarch-based powder.
CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED!
I’ve tried Certain Dri…. while it keeps you from sweating, it doesn’t stop you from stinking. In fact, it messes with your body chemistry. Some-way, some-how… I developed a form of Super-BO. It was unnatural. Funky. Stank. If you decide to do the Certain Dri, please try it well in advance. You don’t want to be the Rank Bride.
Good luck.
I second the Kiehls, its amazing. I was skeptical because its a cream but that stuff works. I used Certain Dri for awhile in college, but I couldn’t take the burn. And it bleached one of my favorite shirts…so I am, um, mad at Certain Dri?
Seriously consider prescription antiperspirant. My friend used to sweat all the time and then she started using the stuff prescribed by her doctor and it has worked wonders! I think she only has to put it on a couple nights a week and then she has no problems at all with sweating. Also, it can be used on different parts of the body, so you would most likely be able to use it on your chest. Call your doctor and get a prescription!!
I second the baby powder — I use that in my cleavage to bike to school in Mississippi in August, and it does indeed work!
I started using Kiehls recently, and I LOVE it. I plan to wear it on my wedding day. It doesn’t leave a residue, and it actually really works (as in, I’ve worn it to the gym and my pits stay dry) and doesn’t smell bad or feel harsh. It’s well worth the $11 or however much it costs.
I third (or is it fourth?) the Botox comment. I did it and it works wonders. You might want to try using a prescription/ non-prescription antiperspirant on the skin in your cleavage area. If it works for the pores in your underarms it’ll work for that area too. My dermatologist told me about that trick before.
I use certain dri. I love it. I don’t have to use it every day. Usually once every 2 weeks. I put it on before bed. I learned that the hard way. I put it on one morning after I had taken a shower and shaved, and itched like no other! So I tried putting it on at night and didn’t notice it really. Two of my friends use it as well and we all swear by it! I’d try it out before the wedding just to make sure though.
Wow. I sweat. Seriously my husband told me he didn’t think it was possible for anyone to sweat more than him - but I do I also sweat when nervous (Which really doesn’t make me look forward to ‘hot flashes’ one day!). Also when embarrassed - which I guess you can lump together with nervous.
Here’s a fun embarrassing story for you - I was at a country bar - and had been dancing - which meant I was drenched!! I went into the bathroom to blot my face with paper towels and cool off. This girl in the bathroom (young, snotty, thinks highly of herself girl that I would never want to be friends with) makes the comment ‘Oh - have they already had the wet t-shirt contest?’ Man did I want to slap her across the face. I just laughed. Seriously - luckily I have plenty of self-esteem and didn’t really value her comment I’m still not sure if she was a ditz being honest or a bitch being a bitch. But it’s funny
I’ve never used any of these ‘powerful’ deodorants. Currently I’m using ‘the crystal’ because it’s all natural - so far it’s working great for both the hubby and me. Maybe my sweatiness is just the tip of the iceburg and I don’t even have a clue what you girls go through. Or else I’m just a stinky sweaty mess and don’t care I will for sure being using baby powder this summer before spending time outside at picnics and the like.
Girl, i totally feel you. I’ve tried Secret Prescription Strength and in fact use it every day (in the morning, though, not at night like you’re sposeta). It … works, better than most OTC regular style deodorants, but i’m planning to switch it up for the wedding. Because: yuck. Anyways, i’ve used the actual roll-on-at-night prescription stuff, and i am here to tell you two things:
1. It works. Like a DREAM.
2. It burns like the very fires of hell.
Seriously, i put it on at night, and maybe it was the fact that i did it three nights in a row, but a) i didn’t sweat one droplet in my non-AC apartment in DC in June, and b) the third night i had to get out of bed and scrub it off, because OWCH.
In sum: If you can stand it, go for it. Good luck!
Secret Clinical Strength (when used at night) didn’t work for me, but it leaves you smelling pretty good all day when you use it in the morning. Certain Dri is definitely the best, but definitely don’t use it immediately after showering/shaving, think mega red and itchy underarms. If you shower the morning after using it, it will still keep working.
I use the new secret clinical strength and I sweat even after showering and the boob sweat, I know all about that. For that, I use baby powder (even under the boobs..
Good luck!
Botox is the best way to go if you really do not want to sweat on your wedding day. It paralyzes the sweat glands so they simply cannot work. It is only for armpits, though.
I use all natural deodarant from Lush and found that I wanted something to keep me from looking sweaty (it keeps away the smelly, not the sweaty). Lush sells a powder called Powder Puff that smells ever so faintly of roses, no talc, completely natural, antibacterial powder of wonderment. I’ve been using it now that the weather has heated up in SoCal and am loving it. It softens the skin very nicely as well. Rose scented cleavage wouldn’t be bad on your wedding day.
I can’t believe I’m the first to recommend it–Maxim, a product by Corad, did wonders for my excessive sweating. I was always so embarassed by the stains under my arms, and Maxim literally changed my life. I swear by it and would totally recommend it.
I used Certain Dri and it WORKED!! but try it out first - I found that while i wasn’t sweating under my arms anymore - but then i started sweating in other places - like my face and neck…. and stuff…. So - try it out - I may apply it like all over! lol. Anyway, good luck - i totally get you on this issue
degree clinical strength. it’s fab. under your boobs. on the inside of your thighs. super. try it.
Sarah made a good point about other sweat glands taking over for the blocked ones.
I find this to be true also for overly-mosturizing body lotions that “lock in” moisture— ie. no evaporation and somewhere has got to pick up the slack. So make sure you choose a wedding-day lotion that will make you soft, but not sealed! 
I LOVE certaindri- the only thing is that you should really just use it either the day of your wedding or the day before at the earliest- I find that it makes me itch if I use it longer. Good luck!
Does anyone know where Certaindri can be purchased in Canada? We finally got Secret’s clinical strength, but Certaindri sounds like another good bet!
Thanks for all the advice
O.M.G.! I have hyperhidrosis…a condition where I sweat uncontrolably…though I guess I have to count myself lucky in that it affects me most on my hands and feet; however, for some people, it affects them in their underarms, back, chest, face…you sweat there without a hint of it being hot…you’ve got it.
Anyways…I use Odaban. It’s a spray. You can spray it anywhere. ANYWHERE. This thing works wonders. Other things I’ve tried…Certain Dri, Maxim, Sweat Stop, Drysol, etc., etc., etc. Please check Odaban out: http://www.odaban.com/. They ship internationally. Hyperhidrosis is a lifelong struggle for me, and Odaban helps keep me sane.
A lot of deoderants are making stronger medicated versions… dove, degree, secret, etc.
I have not been diagnosed with any kind of medical condition like hyperhidrosis, but I am a face sweater. There, I said it. It is completely embarrassing and happens all. the. time. When I’m hot, when I’m not, when I’m nervous, whenever. It comes from my T-zone and it is impossible to hide. It SUCKS. Reese, odaban sounds like some scary stuff. Are there any side effects? And have you used it on your face? Does anyone else have any recommendations for stopping face sweat?
If certain dri doesn’t rock your socks you can get prescription strength anti-persperants. I use Xerac AC in the summer. Its incredibly strong, but can bleach your clothing–so you have to wear junky t-shirts to bed. It really, really works though.
I’ve gotta tell you, by FAR, the best invention in the world is Crystal. Its an all natural deoderant “crystal” that you wet and rub on. At first, it feels like nothing is coming off onto your skin… you’ve gotta get it really wet. But I promise you, it works miracles! My husband had a long time trying every deoderant on the market. Most left stains on his shirts and didn’t keep him dry. My father suggested this. He’s been using it for more than 10 years. Best part? The fact that its all natural makes it even HEALTHY to use, and won’t lead to any pore clogging, or possibly cancer-causing issues that some people say can be a side effect of anti-persperants.
It used to only be sold in places like Follow Your Heart.. or health stores, but nowadays, you can find it at Rite-Aid and most grocery stores.
It can be a little pricey, running at about $6 each, but it lasts for a VERY long time… we’re talking MONTHS.
Its worth a try.
Oh! And I forgot to tell you.. it comes in a purple-ish hard plastic roll-up container.
All of you Secret girls–does it bleach your clothes? Bad experiences with the certain dri. Cute shirts, RIP.
And it is totally because of sweating that we have a MARCH wedding!! lol seriously!!!
I’m all for Maxim as well! I started using it three years ago and am still using the same bottle-I think overall it was $19 which is pricey but it’s been very worth it. The site made it look like an infomercial which made me skeptical but it’s been amazing. I use it maybe once every two months, and normal deoderant all other times.
@KRB:
KRB, I know it sounds scary, but I was at my wit’s end trying to find something that would help me. It just so happens that I also sweat right above my lip. I can feel the sweat beading when I get really nervous or really hot. I just spray Odaban on a cotton ball very lightly, apply on the skin above my lip before I go to bed. Then I wash it off in the morning. The trick with Odaban is applying the correct amount. Too much is too much. Less is more is key! I think it cost me about $16 total with shipping..I’ve had this over a year now. You only have to apply 1-2 times a week depending on severity of your sweating. Also, this stuff claims to eliminate odor as well.. With the hyperhidrosis, I was lucky enough that it’s just sweat and not odor. Good luck to you.
Also, someone mentioned Crystal…I tried that too, and it didn’t work for me.
I would like to emphasize the wonders of Odaban (for use almost anywhere on body) and Maxim (particularly underarms).
How long does Botox last? I’ve heard it costs $700, do you have to get it done over and over again?
for all you CANADIAN BRIDES: we have something called drysol. not sure if it’s the same as certain dri, but yes, you apply at night, it burns like mad the first couple of applications, but after a week or so, no sweat!
You might have hyperhidrosis.
You’re in Canada, so you can get Drysol without a prescription. You have to ask the pharmacist for it, though.
It’s an alcohol based solution that you dab onto yourself (palms, torso, feet, pits, whatever) before you go to bed. Wear some junky cotton clothing you don’t care about, or if you’re really determined, follow the directions to wrap the area in plastic, though I’ve never done that. You wash it off in the morning.
I use it on my palms for the most part, and I’ve also used it on my pits. My friend has used it on her back. Some people find it stings on palms and pits, though I haven’t heard that complaint for torso. I do find it gives my skin a peculiar texture.
Anyway, this doesn’t necessarily stop sweat right away. If you’re a consistent sweater, you might have to try it several nights in a row before it really starts to work, and often after that, you only need to apply it every couple of weeks.
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Mrs. Hummingbird, Toronto
Age and Occupation: 25, Publishing Coordinator
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Videogame Designer/Cartoonist
Engagement Date: May 4, 2007
Wedding Date: June 28, 2008
Blogging Since: September 18, 2007
Venue: A garden wedding followed by a tented reception on Mr. Hummingbird's father's property.
About Me: I’m a pop culture loving, vintage obsessed foodie living in Canada’s biggest city with my fantastic fiancé and our lovable fluffy cat Bettie. I’m stoked to marry my best friend and to throw what I hope will be
the most fun and colourful party of our lives.
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