moosh in indy.

drinking perfume in an attempt to sweat it out has crossed my mind…

July 25, 2011

It’s time to crowd source your brilliance.

The past week temperatures in Indianapolis have been similar to the surface of the sun. For those of you unfamiliar with heat + humidity = heat index, imagine standing in front of a running semi on the hottest day you can imagine while wearing winter clothes.

One of the things I miss most about Utah is the ability to take a shower and still feel and smell as though you cared about your personal hygiene hours later. I’m pretty sure the only reason I shower out here anymore is to scrape off one layer of sweat only to allow another one to adhere to me as soon as I dry off.

I should really like to be a good smelling person. I’ve exhausted my knowledge in the attempt to attain such a lofty goal but have come up only slightly less smelly (and sweaty and sticky.)

Is there something I’m missing? Or are we all doomed to feeling and smelling slimy and miserable in the most humid parts summer?

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It’s been hot and humid here too (heat indexes up to 120!!), though we’ve cooled down a bit now which is so refreshing!

When it’s super hot (and esp when I’m pregnant or have a baby stuck to my body), I tend to turn up the air and stay inside as much as possible. That’s the only trick I know for not sweating as soon as I shower… Going outside = INSTANT SWEAT, and I doubt there’s any way around it! (At least EVERYONE is sweaty, right?)

3 words! Gold Bond Powder:)

I’ve lived in Indiana my whole life and so far I haven’t figured out how to survive the heat and humidity that is July and August here. Other people (women) seem to have no problem with it, but I am always sticky, slimy, smelly, and shiny, and I just wait until the cooler and less humid days of September and October to look like a normal human being again. I’ll be reading these comments with interest to see if there are any tips for me!

Baby powder sometimes helps with the smelly. And the chafing that comes from clothes rubbing repeatedly over sweaty parts. It’s messy and you have to scrape it off in the shower only to apply a new layer, but it’s not drippy or smelly. Be careful how much you apply though or else you can look like Queen Elizabeth the first.

I live in CO and when it’s 40% humidity, I think I’m going to die. I’d rather have constant dry skin than feel like a wet sponge. We were in FL once and I was amazed people could function.

I suppose the consolation is that everyone in humid places is in the same boat, probably worried they are smelly too. I doubt you are.

Oodles of deodorant. I have sticks in my purse, at work, at home, etc… I can’t figure out how to handle this heat. (Though how gorgeous is the weather today!?)

Kansas has been getting very similar weather. I know a mailman that takes a bath in the bathrooms sometimes, when he stops for a potty break (I have picture proof ).

Personally, I make sure I keep a bottle of Dove GoFresh body mist in my purse. I spritz it on, I get a cool spray, and I smell better. Works better than deodorant sometimes, and is cheaper than reapplying perfume

Michigan is the same right now. 1)stay inside with a/c, 2)find a lake or pool you like and spend the day floating (though tough with a new babe)3)the movies–prior to central air we saw a lot of movies in the summer 4)lay naked on a bed under a ceiling fan.

My husband and I are so hot-blooded that we get hot and sweaty on the warm days even in Seattle, if you can believe that! I felt I was melting in Florida this spring and even in Salt Lake. I do not know how people deal with that on a daily basis; especially the women and men who have to wear business attire!
I dry off in front of a fan after a shower on the hot days, and then stand there for a few minutes to get really cool before putting clothes on. My husband uses Gold Bond Powder every day. He has also been known to put his underwear and shorts in the freezer for a while before putting them on!
Good luck. The 60 degree, cloudy weather this summer in Seattle is awful, but it definitely beats the heat and humidity you are dealing with.

I have no help for you, as KY weather has been identical to yours. But I’ve lived here my whole life, so I at least don’t know the difference. I’m excited to hear suggestions, though because I’m tired of feeling like I stink all the time! I’m a clean person!

I’m racking my brain as to what I usually do – I live in Europe (Vienna) where it can get VERY humid and quite hot and we don’t have a/c (well, at least a lot of offices – mine included – don’t, and I don’t know anybody with a/c in their homes).
At work I keep a fan on the floor and regularly spritz my legs with the Vitamin E mist from The Body Shop. Also, I wear only natural fibres and take off my panty hose and suit jacket as often as I can (yep, no a/c but required to dress up).
At home, if worse comes to worse, I draw a luke-warm bath and just lie in it until I get really cold, to the core. Also, no cooking (salads and sandwiches only) and I try not to move too quickly. Nights are the worst, though
Oh, and I dab a bit of peppermint oil under my nose before I use public transport.

I just found the solution. Natural springs. Swim in them. They are cold and when you get out you have several hours (assuming you hang in the shade) of lower body temp, less sweat and refreshed feeling. This effect is multiplied if you swim in the dark. Takes only a few minutes, but has been my reprieve from the 100+ temps in Central TX

I sweat simply at the thought of sweating. I live here in Indy, too — and daily, shake my fist in protest at the dew point / humidity. In terms of smelling better while bitter about the heat, I’ve found that essential oil perfumes seem to make my sweat smell a little less sweaty, almost complimentary. There’s a great local biz called Ambre that makes a small line of yummy-smelling oils. Chilly thoughts!

I’ve given up. Now I do strange things like garden when it’s 108 (then add humidex) It makes the jump into the kiddy pool that much more refreshing.

I whine and cry about it. That really doesn’t help anything other than make everyone around me realize what a blessing we get in the fall weather. Honest to goodness, when I’m old and independently wealthy, I will live in Florida in the winter and Wisconsin in the summer. I’m not built to live in Indy.

As the stage manager, I am in charge of giving the “stinky actor” speech from time to time. My advice is often “If you know you’re going to be sweating a lot, make sure you shower at least 3 hours before you’re participating in a physical activity (like, you know, going to the mailbox) to give your pores time to readjust after you’ve opened them in the shower.” It could be total B.S., who knows. Have you ever seen that liquid baby powder? That stuff’s nice for under-boobage chafing and thigh-rubbing. (Glamour–I haz it.)

Thus the reason the Midwest is adorned with a myriad of above-ground swimming pools. But in a pinch, a garden hose with a rotating sprinkler head will do.

Because I want you to smell good, too.

GA is like that for approximately 254 days a year. I abhor summer.

We’re pretty much the same here in SW VA (Oh how I miss 0 percent humidity Idaho summers). I basically shower alot–some days when it has just been super roasty, I take a shower in the morning and then one again @ night before bed and just pray that the sheets don’t stick too badly once I make it to bed. I will say though that I don’t really notice anyone else smelling particularly worse than usual or looking more sweaty than usual even when the temps/humidity are way up, so hopefully that means it looks the same way to other people?

Good luck–only 6 more weeks until September!!!

Ooh ooh, right as I hit ‘say it’ I remembered what my other go to cool-down has been here lately: one of those reusable squishy (mine’s rectangle shaped) ice packs you keep in the freezer–right across the back of the neck–it does an amazing job of cooling all of the rest of me down. We have smaller sizes for my 5 year old and works really well, especially when it is so hot and he’s trying to get to sleep @ night.

I live in GA, and I’ve taken to taking showers at night so I can at least go to bed feeling clean because there is no point in taking a shower if you have to go outside; it’ll be like you never took a shower in the first place. lol

Down here in Texas I figured out a quick fix for those times you pull up to a store and raise your arms to put up the windshield sun screen only to realize your deodorant has completely given up the ghost. Hand sanitizer (any alcohol really, but that’s what I always have around since it’s on my key chain) will kill the bacteria, and thus the smell until you get back home.

Used to be a big fan of lightly fragranced powder and a dab of perfume but then I got lazy. Now I try to drink lots of water and sweat enough out through exercise (I know, tough with the bebe) to get the really bad funk out. Have heard rumours that deodorant without antiperspirant can be good.

I grew up in Indiana but am now in Utah. I agree with what others have said. Nighttime showers, using powder, and going swimming/playing in water are all good tricks. You can also run water over your pulse points so that you at least FEEL cooler.

We are in heat-bernation. With two small babies I try to keep inside as much as possible. However with two active older brothers (yet too young to be sucked into video game land) I have to do something with them too. It usually just means sweat. UGH.
http://chosenchaos.blogspot.com/

im from canada but currently have been in PHX, AZ sooooo stinking hot for this canadian! We have been pool side. lots and lots of water. I keep extra shirts in a baggy in my purse just incase I get the feeling of smelling too badly. i put cold water on my underarms then new shirt! ummmm baby powder. a/c. amazing mineral powder i have in a smaller size with a smaller brush so if i feel shiny i quick dab and i am good for a few more hrs!

Israelis usually increase their mineral intake (Potassium gluconate, salt) and we have also used the deoderant stones with great success. they don’t keep you from sweating, but they do keep the stink off. Just be grateful your water isn’t prohibitively expensive in America, like it is here.

I try to finish off my shower with water as cold as I can stand it for as long as I can stand it. Also a big fan of keeping some kind of body spray in the fridge for after long dog walks. I’ve also found that drinking water with mint in it is extra refreshing – unless you don’t like mint.

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