Damp socks by mid-morning, a pair of shoes you no longer dare leave in the front hall, the embarrassment of taking your shoes off at a friend's place: sweaty feet affect far more people than you'd think, and they can be managed very well. The secret is to work on three fronts at once: the skin, the shoes and your daily hygiene.
Why it happens
Your two feet together have about 250,000 sweat glands, one of the highest concentrations in the body. They serve a purpose: they keep the skin supple and regulate temperature. But shut inside a sock and a closed shoe for ten hours, that moisture can't evaporate. It sits there, softens the skin and creates a warm, damp environment in which the skin's natural flora breaks down the sweat. It's that breakdown, not the sweat itself, that produces the odour.
Some factors make it worse: synthetic shoes, socks that don't absorb, stress, summer heat, physical activity and, quite simply, heredity. Teenagers and people who wear safety boots or closed shoes all day are especially affected.
The 3-step routine
1. Wash and dry thoroughly, morning and evening. Wash your feet in lukewarm water, then dry them carefully, especially between the toes: skin that stays damp is where odour starts. Once or twice a week, give yourself a ten-minute foot bath with an effervescent tablet, which deep-cleans and deodorizes, then dry your feet without rinsing.
2. Care for the skin to absorb and deodorize. On clean, dry feet, apply a deodorant product every morning that absorbs moisture and neutralizes odour for the day. Pick the texture that suits your habits: a cream if you like to massage it in, a powder spray if you prefer speed, or a mist if you wear sandals. In the evening, an odour-capturing spray extends the action on the sole and between the toes.
3. Look after your shoes. A shoe holds the day's moisture long after you've taken it off. Alternate two pairs so each one dries for 24 hours, pull out the insoles at night and spray a shoe deodorant before putting them away. Choose cotton or technical-fibre socks that absorb, and change them during the day if you need to.
The right Akileine products
The Akileine green line is entirely devoted to sweaty feet. Double Action Deodorant Foot Cream absorbs moisture and neutralizes odour from day one, with a formula containing 95.6% ingredients of natural origin that is suitable for children from age 3. Foot Powder Spray forms a light film that keeps feet dry, even in sandals, and the Deodorant Foot Spray, an odour-capturing formula, deodorizes instantly thanks to a complex of horsetail and sage essential oil.
For your shoes, Deodorant Shoe Spray freshens and deodorizes shoes, boots and sandals overnight. Effervescent Foot Bath Tablets deep-clean and deodorize, and Foot Powder goes right into socks and work boots. If you want a single step, Black Spray 3-in-1 cools, deodorizes and absorbs dampness, and it can even be applied over socks.
When to see a professional
If perspiration stays heavy despite a regular routine, or if it comes with redness, persistent itching, peeling skin between the toes or a change in the appearance of your nails, make an appointment with your foot care professional. Sweating that starts suddenly or affects the whole body also deserves a doctor's opinion.