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happy woman in yellow hoodie, the science of sweat
girl with wavy brown hair and a shocked expression, cold sweats

What is sweat?

 

Sweat helps us to stay cool and regulate our body temperature. Sweat is the body's way of cooling itself down. When we exercise or get too hot, our body temperature rises and we start to sweat. Sweating helps to regulate our body temperature and keep us from getting too hot. The evaporation of sweat also helps to cool us down. So, when you're sweating, you're actually doing your body a favour!

Sweating is also a natural way to cleanse the skin. It helps to remove toxins and impurities from the body, and can even help to clear up acne.

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A collection of laboratory test tubes with colored liquid inside
girl with wavy brown hair and a shocked expression, cold sweats

What are the causes of sweat?

We sweat mainly to cool our bodies down, a process called thermoregulation. Our brain sends signals to perspire, releasing a clear fluid from over 3 million sweat glands (or sudoriferous glands) and as this fluid evaporates from our skin, it lowers our body temperature to ensure that we don’t overheat.

There are many factors that can cause us to perspire:

  • Hot environments,
  • General movement and physical activities,
  • Emotional feelings, including stress,
  • Eating hot or spicy food,
  • Side effects from medication or surgery,
  • Illness, as our bodies fight infections or fevers,
  • Hormonal changes such as menopause, pregnancy, menstruation or puberty.