Balancing Modesty with Health in Subtropics

[mommamaree]

We lived in North Carolina for 10 years. Moved back North in 1990.

My suggestion is air conditioning and fans, all the time. Best thing you can do for heat rash.

I can remember when we lived in North Carolina, that everyone, even the poor people, had air conditioning. Even if people didn’t have indoor toilets, they had air conditioning! And computers (Research Triangle Park made everyone, even the poor, high-tech.)

If this is possible or appropriate for the OP, it is very helpful to lose weight. Fat tends to make heat-related skin problems even worse. It’s easier for thin people to find modest yet comfortable and cool clothing. (I speak from experience, BTW.)

Your last point…weight is currently a problem, as I just had a baby. My weight has been higher in the last several years, as I have had 4 children in 8 years. So yes, I do hope my postpartum weight loss plan will help with this problem. And with regards to the modesty issue and postpartum body, one particular challenge is finding tops that make it possible to nurse without showing cleavage. I do not want to wear shapeless men’s tshirts, which combined with nursing bosom make me look 50 lbs heavier, but I also don’t want to show off nursing bosom to the whole world. And then there is the issue of skin problems around the nursing bosom.
I love being a mama, so don’t get me wrong, but these health and modesty challenges and the body changes can be very difficult to figure out how to deal with!

 

[LilyM]

I feel your pain. I live in a humid part of the Southern Hemisphere and summer used to be an absolute misery.

The best thing you can do immediately is stop bathing with scented products and soaps except under the arms. Even your deodorant should ideally be unscented.

Look for lotion that has Sorbolene and use it as a cream cleanser instead of soap - but make sure it is free from mineral oil. I buy the stuff by the gallon, it is very cheap. It is brilliantly soothing for the skin and does effectively clean the skin without drying and irritating it.

Another thing I do - which may sound strange but helps heaps - is keep a big bottle of diluted (maybe half and half) white vinegar in the shower. When you get in, before turning on the water, splash it liberally on the bits that are prone to irritation. Leave it on for at least a good few seconds, then turn on the shower and rinse it off. Bacteria and funguses tend not to like an acidic environment, and vinegar is an acid. Soap is the opposite, an alkali, which is why the Sorbolene is good.

These things do not eliminate the problem but they do reduce it to a bearable level. Additionally, your doctor or a dermatologist may be able to suggest ointments - I had to try a few different types until I found one that works almost without fail.

 

[28562]

I visited there once…once! I don’t know how anyone lives there!! Ugh.

God just made us tougher down here, and that’s really all there is to it…

 

[Aggies08]

Linen and cotton. I’m in S. Texas. Long cotton skirts are nice, or the 3/4 length ones, cotton v-necks with a cami under, etc.

Work outside in the early morning/late evening. Watch for mesquitos, snakes, etc too.

Take a shower whenever you finish working outside.

During the day, take advantage of AC. In the car, at stores, whatever- this will help.

I’ve honestly never heard of anyone with skin that badly reacting simply to the heat/moisture- mine loves it, although I have bad acne. Have you seen a Dr to see if there are any factors being missed?

 

[RedSoxWife]

No, it is a result of the dampness. I have also tried applying various powders (most of them unscented) under clothing. That helps, but the reality is that so many fabrics are unbreathable and so many styles and cuts of clothing are too close-fitting under the arm and at the top of the thigh and at the waist.
I keep wondering what Southern ladies wore in past generations before air conditioning? How were their dresses designed? What kind of undergarments did they wear? And I wonder is it even possible to find such clothing today, without spending a fortune on retro designer frocks?

I don’t know if anyone has suggested this yet, but seersucker is a cool fabric that’s great for that sort of climate. Before we moved to Florida I bought a bunch of seersucker dresses that were on clearance for my oldest and she definitely had the best southern wardrobe out of anyone in the family.

 

[Zooey]

Hi!

I’m in school for fashion design and grew up in the south before moving north, so here’s my advice (take from it what you will).

You’re going to want cotton and linen, as much as possible. Yes, Linen wrinkles very easily, but it also breathes very well. keep your layers as minimal as possible. You shouldn’t be wearing more than undies+shirt+bottoms on the hottest days.

If you’re already doing this, and getting rashes under skin folds, I would take the next step, which is to pick up some of the dove clinical strength deodorant (others work, I just prefer dove, but it needs to be an unscented or low scent ladies deodorant) and rub it on the problem areas. I use it and I don’t get any moisture-related rashes. Just put it on when you put it on your underarms every day, and you will have significantly less rash and discomfort.

The issue is you’re sweating a lot, and said areas are not releasing the moisture into the air like they’re supposed to, so it gets trapped, and often leads to infection and irritation since it’s sweat with a high salt content and not just water. Anything that removes moisture is good. When I lived in the south I would use the deodorant trick, and bring a small pack of tissues in my purse and wipe said areas if i felt any moisture building up.

I feel your pain. I live in a humid part of the Southern Hemisphere and summer used to be an absolute misery.

The best thing you can do immediately is stop bathing with scented products and soaps except under the arms. Even your deodorant should ideally be unscented.

Look for lotion that has Sorbolene and use it as a cream cleanser instead of soap - but make sure it is free from mineral oil. I buy the stuff by the gallon, it is very cheap. It is brilliantly soothing for the skin and does effectively clean the skin without drying and irritating it.

Another thing I do - which may sound strange but helps heaps - is keep a big bottle of diluted (maybe half and half) white vinegar in the shower. When you get in, before turning on the water, splash it liberally on the bits that are prone to irritation. Leave it on for at least a good few seconds, then turn on the shower and rinse it off. Bacteria and funguses tend not to like an acidic environment, and vinegar is an acid. Soap is the opposite, an alkali, which is why the Sorbolene is good.

These things do not eliminate the problem but they do reduce it to a bearable level. Additionally, your doctor or a dermatologist may be able to suggest ointments - I had to try a few different types until I found one that works almost without fail.

These are awfully good advice! (I live in a part of NY, where we get Canadian winters & Southern summers; I could not survive w/o an airconditioner, any more than I could go without heat in the winter).

A nurse taught me about the deodorant trick; it works only with a super-strong antipersperent in it–but it does help.
I would add that, if you have a yeast outbreak (which is, as another poster said, the root of the problem), that any antifungal creams can be the least expensive one the store carries; the active ingredinets are the same rergardless of price. I saved a LOT by buying something labelled for athlete’s foot instead of the “prettier” package with “girly” wrappings, etc.
HTH!!

 

[LilyM]

These are awfully good advice! (I live in a part of NY, where we get Canadian winters & Southern summers; I could not survive w/o an airconditioner, any more than I could go without heat in the winter).

A nurse taught me about the deodorant trick; it works only with a super-strong antipersperent in it–but it does help.
I would add that, if you have a yeast outbreak (which is, as another poster said, the root of the problem), that any antifungal creams can be the least expensive one the store carries; the active ingredinets are the same rergardless of price. I saved a LOT by buying something labelled for athlete’s foot instead of the “prettier” package with “girly” wrappings, etc.
HTH!!

True that last bit - although I did accidentally get a cheaper cream once that had only a quarter of the concentration of the active ingredient and so wasn’t effective. Check the fine print!

 

[mommamaree]

Just wanted to respond to let y’all know that I really appreciate all your help. I have been following this thread, even though I didn’t have any more questions to ask. Thanks a bunch!

 

[Cat]

Your last point…weight is currently a problem, as I just had a baby. My weight has been higher in the last several years, as I have had 4 children in 8 years. So yes, I do hope my postpartum weight loss plan will help with this problem. And with regards to the modesty issue and postpartum body, one particular challenge is finding tops that make it possible to nurse without showing cleavage. I do not want to wear shapeless men’s tshirts, which combined with nursing bosom make me look 50 lbs heavier, but I also don’t want to show off nursing bosom to the whole world. And then there is the issue of skin problems around the nursing bosom.
I love being a mama, so don’t get me wrong, but these health and modesty challenges and the body changes can be very difficult to figure out how to deal with!

You know, this sounds like an opportunity for a woman who is looking for a business. I’m guessing that there are a lot of women in the same situation as you, a little heavier due to pregnancy weight, who are trying to nurse and be modest. I’m not a seamstress, so this is not for me, but surely there are other women out there who are good with fashion design who could tackle this and possibly turn their designs into a business.