How can you prevent sweat stains and rings?

The first way to reduce sweat marks is to decrease the production of sweat. To do this, in addition to maintaining good hygiene (daily showering, regularly changing clothes, and so on), the simplest solution is to use a deodorant. Often confused with an antiperspirant, deodorant works by neutralising odours through antimicrobial agents. Antiperspirant, on the other hand, blocks sweating. It often contains aluminium salts. Although effective, these are quite controversial, as they are suspected of being carcinogenic, even though studies on this topic remain inconclusive.

If you prefer gentler alternatives, plant-based powders such as corn starch or diatomaceous earth act like genuine natural blotting papers, absorbing moisture as soon as it is released, before it migrates into textile fibres. These powders are applied like antiperspirants, in the evening, to clean, dry skin, and help to reduce perspiration the following day, and therefore the risk of sweat marks.

Note : These solutions are not exhaustive. Adjusting one’s diet, using iontophoresis, or turning to aesthetic medicine solutions, such as botulinum toxin injections, are all techniques that can reduce sweating.

Other tips help to limit the appearance of underarm stains. Carefully choosing the fabric of your clothing is a particularly effective strategy. Natural fibres, such as cotton, linen or wool, are highly breathable and possess absorption capacities that prevent sweat from immediately beading on the surface of the fabric. In contrast, synthetic materials, such as polyester or polyamide, often act as thermal barriers that trap heat and moisture, leading to the rapid formation of sweat patches.

Another tip : If you are concerned about sweat marks, also opt for loose cuts with wide sleeves.

Beyond the fabric and the cut, colour and patterns can create a trompe-l'œil effect. Certain shades are unforgiving when it comes to underarm sweat marks: heather grey, sky blue or pale pink darken instantly on contact with moisture, making the slightest drop visible. To remain at ease, you can opt for darker shades such as brown or black. Prints and dense patterns, such as stripes, florals or checks, are also valuable allies, as they break up the visual continuity of the fabric and partially conceal areas of moisture.

Finally, for high‑stakes days with important meetings or ceremonies, invisible barrier solutions can be incorporated into your outfit. Underarm pads, whether adhesive and disposable or integrated into a technical cotton undergarment similar to menstrual protection, act as a buffer zone. They absorb excess sweat before it reaches your shirt or dress, ensuring that the outer layer remains perfectly dry. This is a simple yet highly effective strategy for protecting your most delicate garments, such as silk, which tolerate repeated washing cycles poorly.

If, despite all these precautions, marks still appear and remain after washing, it is time to bring out the heavy artillery and adopt more targeted strategies. Stubborn yellow stains, particularly visible on white fabrics, often result from a chemical reaction between the aluminium salts in antiperspirants and the compounds present in sweat. To remove them without damaging your textiles, here are the best practices to adopt:

• Use a pre-wash treatment : Never put a stained garment directly into the washing machine. Apply a paste made from bicarbonate of soda and a little water to the affected area, leave it to act for 30 minutes, then gently rub before rinsing. You can also use white vinegar to treat sweat stains. To do this, simply apply it to the marks, leave for about thirty minutes, then put the garment in the washing machine.

• Forget about ironing : Never iron a garment that still shows a ring mark, even a faint one. The heat from the iron acts as a fixative that “bakes” the stain into the core of the fibre, making it practically impossible to remove.

• Act quickly : The longer you wait, the more the sweat metabolites oxidise. If you cannot start a wash cycle immediately, at least rinse the area with cold water to dilute the salts and proteins.

Rings are not inevitable: certain strategies can prevent them, and others can eliminate them.

• CHA J. & al. The etiology, diagnosis, and management of hyperhidrosis: A comprehensive review. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (2019).

• BAKER L. B. Physiology of sweat gland function: The roles of sweating and sweat composition in human health. Temperature (2019).

• WOLFE A. S. & al. Physiological mechanisms determining eccrine sweat composition. European Journal of Applied Physiology (2020).

• DARBRE P. D. & al. Personal care products and human health. Academic Press (2023).