Stop using talc powders for your prickly heat rash (asemo) and do this instead

 

Our bodies use sweat as a natural survival mechanism against the heat and to regulate our body temperature.

To make sure our bodies don’t overheat, it secretes sweat from sweat glands that are located below our skin. When the secreted sweat reaches the surface of the skin, it evaporates and cools down our bodies.

But what happens when you sweat excessively?

If you’ve ever experienced small bumps, redness, and/or itchiness around the areas that you sweat the most, you have something known as asemo, or heat rash. 

For many, the go-to solution for asemo has been to apply talc powders like baby powder or prickly heat powder to dry and cool down the skin.

But this is completely counterproductive - it will only make your asemo much, much worse.

What you actually should be doing is moisturizing your skin and restoring its barrier function.

Table of Contents 1. What is asemo or heat rash? 2. Causes of asemo (heat rash) 3. What is talc powder? Why aren't they any good? 4. In order to make your asemo (heat rash) better, you need to moisturize your skin and restore its barrier function

 

1. What is asemo or heat rash?

Asemo (ah-seh-mo) is the Japanese term for heat rash. It is extremely common, especially during the summer or in tropical climates.

According to Daiichi Sankyo, asemo occurs when our bodies sweat profusely, interfering with the regular cycle of sweat secretion and evaporation.

In environments with high temperatures and high humidity, our sweat cannot evaporate fast enough and the excess sweat clogs our pores. In other words, our sweat, which is supposed to be released from our bodies, becomes trapped underneath the skin. The trapped sweat forms small, red, and itchy bumps on the skin surface - AKA asemo.

2. Causes of asemo (heat rash)

Apart from, excessive sweating, here are other causes that aggravate asemo:

• Clogged pores due to dead skin cells, dirt, or cosmetic products
• Exercising outdoors in the heat
• Body folds
• Wearing clothes made of synthetic and/or non-breathable materials that trap sweat
• Wearing casts and other tight-fitting protective gear that stick to the skin
• Wearing belts or ill-fitting undergarments
• Having bangs or a fringe

Asemo or heat rash can develop on any part of your skin that comes into contact with external stimuli - forehead, neck, armpits, arms, back, chest, inner thighs, back of the knees.

Sweating is inevitable - it’s not something we can control. But one common solution that many people confide in is talc powders.

These products have been marketed as solutions to heat rash because of their cooling and drying properties that absorb excess moisture on the skin.

But the reality is that these drying properties make your asemo worse.

3. What is talc powder? Why aren't they any good?

Contrary to popular belief, talc powders like baby powder and prickly heat powder do not soothe, relieve, or prevent asemo.

Let's start with what talc is. 

Talc is a natural mineral substance used in many cosmetics and hygiene products for its silky and dry texture.

If you read the causes of asemo (heat rash) carefully, you now know that clogged pores make you more susceptible to asemo. And talc is one of the biggest culprits of blocked pores.

The reason why talc provides a drying and silky texture is because it fills in your pores to give your skin an even surface. It prevents sebum, sweat, and other natural bodily secretions from rising to the skin's surface.

However, this is extremely counterproductive - especially if you have asemo and your pores are already clogged with sweat that couldn't evaporate. Although it may feel good initially, applying talc powder on top of your clogged sweat creates further buildup.

Thus, in order to properly take care of your heat rash, it is important to avoid these drying talc powders or anything that will prevent sweat evaporation.

One easy way to do this is by moisturizing your skin.

4. In order to make your asemo (heat rash) better, you need to moisturize your skin and restore its barrier function

You might be thinking, "My skin is already moisturized from sweat... Moisturizing will only make my heat rash worse!"

But sweating does not mean your skin is moisturized. In fact, when sweat evaporates, it also evaporates the natural moisture within your skin, causing a phenomenon called overdry. 

In other words, dry skin is more prone to asemo or heat rash. 

When your skin is dry, the cell arrangement of your skin's outermost layer (stratum corneum) is disturbed and weakened. 

Because the outermost layer of your skin (stratum corneum) is responsible for protecting the rest of your skin, this disturbance destroys your skin's barrier function as well. This makes it much easier for sweat to seep into the skin and clog pores, making your heat rash worse. 

Drying out your heat rash with talc powders destroys your skin's barrier function even more because it creates a sudden imbalance in your skin's hydration by forcefully making it dry.

The best way to restore and strengthen your skin's barrier function is to keep your skin in a hydrated state. 

To do this, it is important to effectively moisturize by replenishing your skin with 2 key components:

1. Water to hydrate your skin
2. Oil to seal the hydration in your skin and prevent it from evaporating

"But where can I find a product that will effectively moisturize my skin?"

Earthcare Asia is here to help. 

Aquatect Gel is an effective moisturizer that is formulated with a golden water-to-oil ratio of 8:2. 

This golden ratio not only provides ample hydration to your skin but also locks the moisture within your skin for a long period of time. With carefully selected moisturizing ingredients, Aquatect Gel is an all-in-one product that has 7 functions:

1. Lotion
2. Milky products
3. Cream
4. Serum
5. Body cream
6. Face mask
7. Makeup base

It can be used on your face, as well as your hands and body. It's a simple yet powerful and effective moisturizing product. 

It has also passed 3 skincare safety tests, as well as a non-comedogenic test.

• Patch test: Aquatect Gel does not cause irritation of the human skin
• Allergy test: Aquatect Gel is hypoallergenic
• Stinging test: Aquatect Gel can be used on sensitive skin
• Non-comedogenic test: Aquatect Gel can be used on acne and acne-prone skin

By maintaining your skin's moisturized state for a long period of time, your skin becomes stronger against external stimuli and sweat-clogged pores.

Talc powders are incredibly counterintuitive for heat rashes. Although its drying properties may absorb the excess sweat on your skin and cool it down, these sensations are only achieved because talc clogs your pores. And clogged pores are one of the causes of asemo, since sweat is further trapped within these pores. 

By drying out your heat rash skin with talc powders, your skin's barrier function is also weakened, putting you at greater risk for clogged sweat. 

Although it may seem strange to moisturize your heat rash, it is necessary to strengthen your skin's surface to prevent your asemo (heat rash) from getting worse. The key is not just to moisturize, but to effectively moisturize by replenishing both water and oil to your skin. 

Ready to effectively moisturize your skin with Earthcare Asia?

Click here to purchase the value trial kit - limited for first-time customers only!

 

 

References

Abe, M., n.d. 'Asemo (asemo).' Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare. [online] Available at: https://www.daiichisankyo-hc.co.jp/site_hifuken/symptom/asemo/. (Accessed 17 October 2022).