Summer hasn’t even really started yet, and I’m already a hot mess. And I mean in the literal sense—which is to say I’m really sweaty.
To be clear, we’re not talking normal person sweaty here. We’re talking about someone who is so sweaty that when the Botox she got in her armpits didn’t work, she tried a $3,000 “Miradry” treatment that more or less involved microwaving the sweat glands out of her armpits (you can read more about that here). It’s not cute, at all, but being embarrassed about it has gotten me nowhere thus far so I’m here to shake the stigma.
If these last few weeks—in New York, at least—are any indication, it’s shaping up to be a scorcher of a summer. While staying inside and sitting as close as humanly possible to the air conditioner is certainly one way to deal, I’d far prefer to spend as many 80-degree days as possible basking in the sunshine… and I need the right beauty products to get me through them unscathed (or, really, un-sweatstained).
Thankfully, my years of dripping on Subway platforms have taught me more than a few tricks for not looking (or smelling, or feeling) like garbage when I show up to fancy things. What’s more, the unsexy products that have traditionally helped with these things—like deodorants and chafe sticks—have gotten a major glow-up lately, which means that it’s high time to stop feeling sheepish displaying them on your shelves and whipping them out of your purse on an 80-degree July afternoon.
To all my fellow hot (read: sweaty) girls out there: There’s no shame in the sweat prevention game. Keep reading for what you need to know—and buy—for the sweltering season ahead.
The best sweat-proof beauty products at a glance
Shop the best sweat-proof beauty products for summer 2024
1. Degree Unlimited Antiperspirant Deodorant Dry Spray (2-Pack), $20
As I mentioned, I had my armpits microwaved, which was great…. Until it wasn’t. Though my sweating in the area is still slightly less intense than it was in the before times, it’s still very much an issue—I laugh in the face of natural deodorant. So last year, when Degree unveiled its “SmartAdapt” technology that responds to sweat, heat, and movement—meaning that it works harder when you need it to—I rushed to apply it to my pits.
I’m a spray D.O. fan (stick and roll-on formulations make my armpits feel claustrophobic because I’m convinced they’re clogging my pores), and love that this one goes on invisible and lasts soooo long. As I’m writing this, I just got back from an hour-long run and—despite being extremely sweaty—smell just as good as I did before I left (at least, under my arms). Speaking of scent, I’ve tried all four of ‘em, and can confirm that each and every one smells like a fancy fragrance (I’m currently using Marine, but Bold is my favorite of the bunch).
2. First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads (28-Pack), $18
In case you thought I’m one of those rare angels who gets super sweaty without smelling, nope! Even though my Degree D.O. works overtime to keep me fresh, there are still days when I come home smelling like hot garbage—and I know this because I walked by an actual pile of garbage 20 minutes ago (I heart NY!). That’s where my secret weapons come in.
My anti-stink routine begins with swiping my pits with glycolic acid pads, a tip I learned from a former boss who was doing it long before all the kids on TikTok were. A little-known fact is that sweat, on its own, is odorless—it only starts to smell when it mixes with the bacteria on your skin.
With that in mind, using an exfoliating acid in the area (I like glycolic, but lactic is slightly gentler and can also do the trick) allows you to swipe away all that bacteria—plus any other dirt, grime, or dead cells that are hanging out on the surface of your skin—so that no matter how sweaty you get, there’s no B.O. Pretty cool, right?
I like these pads from First Aid Beauty, mostly because they’re not that expensive and are strong enough to get the job done, but honestly whatever you’ve already got in your arsenal will do (pro tip: you can use your usual glycolic toner/serum on a cotton pad instead of investing in an entirely new product).
3. Kaia Naturals The Sweat Powder Sakura Blossom, $35
The second step of my stink-prevention process comes by way of Kaia Naturals’ Sweat Powder, which was developed by someone whose Internet persona is “Madame Sweat,” so you know it’s gotta be good. After I exfoliate my armpits post-shower, I dust on some of this stuff, which offers a triple-threat of magical powers. It’s got finely-ground minerals to soak up sweat and minimize chafing, plus apple cider vinegar to help with the stink situation.
4. Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets (2-Pack), $13
Shoutout to the girl who introduced me to the concept of blotting pads in a bar bathroom back in college—I am grateful for your wisdom every time my face starts to sweat (which, right now, is every minute of every day). Truth be told, I’m not totally convinced that there is any difference between the $28 blotting pads you’d get at Sephora and the $3 you can get at the drugstore, but I’ve kept one of these trusty Clean+Clear packs on me since that fateful day in 2009 and they’ve yet to fail me. But don’t just take my word for it: They’re the best-selling option on Amazon, and thousands of five-star reviewers have sung their praises. Keep them in your purse to hand out to strangers and you, too, will have someone like me continuing to think of you 15 years later.
5. AKT The Deodorant Balm, $27
Ahead of summer 2024, full-body deodorants have very much become a thing, with launches in the category from brands including Dove, Secret, Shea Moisture, and Native. The best of the bunch, IMO, is this one from AKT London, which is wholly unlike any other product I’ve ever seen in my decade-plus as a beauty editor. It was developed by two actors who needed a product that would keep their makeup from melting off of their faces under the hot stage lights, and though it’s a natural deodorant—which you now well know is typically not my thing—it really does work on even my most drenched days.
It comes in a cream format (sort of like a lotion) which allows you to apply it anywhere you need. Under your arms, sure, but also on your forehead to soak up sweat along your hairline, under your tush to prevent what can only really be called “swamp ass,” or on your feet (since you use your hands to apply it, you don’t have to worry about the same sort of bacteria-transfer you would if you were using a stick). Plus, the scents it comes in—like “Orange Grove” (a blend of petitgrain, mandarin, and neroli), and “After Thunder” (a cedar, eucalyptus, and orange combo)—are nothing short of pure luxury. I put it to the true test in all my sweatiest spots during hot yoga a few months ago, and was shocked to discover I didn’t smell one single bit when the 99-degree class was over. If it can handle that, you better believe it’s good enough for a summer in the city.
6. Dyson Airstrait, $499
It feels a little weird to include a blow dryer on this list, but hear me out. I typically don’t bother doing anything at all to my hair in this type of weather—I let it air dry into a frizzy, tangled mess and call it “beach waves.” But, for the rare occasion that I need to look put together and ensure that my hair doesn’t frizz to high heaven, this thing has been a game changer. It’s different than your typical straightening iron—which is what I used to use—in the way that it works. I’ll spare you the complicated science (though if you’re actually interested, you can learn about it here), but to put it simply: The bonds within your hair break when its wet, and the Airstrait puts them back together so that your hair is straightened on a structural level. This means that it stays straight, no matter how much humidity is in the air. Check out the visual proof:
Plus, it gets my hair from wet to sleek in 7 minutes flat. I know it’s $500, but I swear I wouldn’t tell you to buy it unless it was absolutttteeeeely worth it.
7. Arm & Hammer Invisible Spray Foot Powder (2-Pack), $25
Just when you thought things couldn’t get any less sexy (… you saw the photos of my *actual* sweat stains, right?), allow me to wax poetic about foot deodorant. Just like the rest of me, my feet sweat and start to stink—especially when they’re trapped in closed-toe shoes in summertime temps. This stuff soaks up the sweat and odor from your feet, leaving them (and your shoes) smelling fresh and feeling dry. It works like a charm, 10/10 recommend.
8. Maybelline Super Stay 24 Hour Skin Tint, $14
It feels like a joke to expect any foundation to stand up to the type of sweat that comes with this weather, but this one actually does. And it’s only $14!!! I’ve been wearing it nonstop for almost a year, and can confirm that it does not budge—almost in a way that makes me suspicious. Here’s what it looked like on a 96-degree Wednesday last fall, after 12 hours of running around:
It doesn’t need primer or setting powder to stay in place (we love a one-step routine!!), and gives great coverage and a nice radiant finish.
9. Megababe Thigh Rescue Anti-Chafe Stick, $14
No hot (read: sweaty) girl beauty roundup would be complete without an anti-chafe stick, and this one is the best of the best—I know this, because I tested nearly every single one on the market when I was training for the New York City Marathon last year. I’ve used it on my thighs, under my arms, and around my bra line, and it makes skin slick but not greasy and for staves off chafing. Plus, it is mindlessly easy to apply and great to throw in your purse when you need a re-up in the bar bathroom. I will never run—or leave the house in a mini skirt—without it ever again.
Zoë Weiner is a writer and editor who loves to explore beauty, wellness, mental health, and all the way these things intersect. Her work has appeared in Women’s Health, Bustle, Byrdie, Cosmopolitan, Popsugar, GQ, Well+Good, Glamour, Marie Claire, Allure, SELF, Brides, and Teen Vogue, among others. She has an undergraduate degree in English from Georgetown and a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia (where she won an award for magazine writing!). Currently, she lives in New York City with a toy poodle, a fiancé, and a famous pink couch—all of which she writes about, among other things, right here on Yahoo.
