j. Soc. Cosmet. Chem., 28, 91-101 (March 1977) A method for the study of emotional sweating RICHARD P. QUATRALE, KARLA L. STONER, and CARL B. FELGER Gillette Research Instit•tte, Rockville, MD 20850 Received July 23, 1976. Presented Ninth IFSCC Congress, June 1976, Boston, MA. Synopsis METHODOLOGY for the study of EMOTIONALLY INDUCED SWEATING, as well as for the routine •!'3:'!/ : conduct of human antiperspirant test panels, wherein the stress mode is emotional rather than thermal, has !i,i!i :i been developed. To STIMULATE EMOTIONAL SWEATING, virtually on command, the WORD ?: ASSOCIATION LIST is used most successfully on a variety of subjects. Alternative methods such as MENTAL ARITHMETIC and ELECTRIC SHOCK are also useful, but only on certain subjects. To collect • and measure the amount of emotional sweat output from the axillee, absorbent Webril pads, as customarily ?:!i:' used in thermal stress studies, have been found quite suitable when studying groups of subjects si- ':' multaneously It has been determined that the capacity for the average individual to sweat under emotional stress is very high, and the volume of perspiration substantially exceeds that generally produced by subjects under thermal mg/axilla/10 rain at ambient temperature (70øF). By comparison (presumed), emotionally quiescent subjects have an output of about 250-300 mg/axilla/10 rain under thermal stress (100øF). One of the more important •.:• ::'::?. aspects of this new methodology is that the high sweat output is achievable in these subjects for at least as !i•!i:i-i:i: long as 5 consecutive days. Thus emotional sweating test panels using product application and measurement •rotocols established for routine thermal studies are now possible. INTRODUCTION :i.Over a number of years, substantial thought and research have been devoted to the •study of eccrine sweat gland function and its control. These studies have invariably drawn information from results obtained after sweating has been induced by thermal stress. The stimulation of sweating, or the relative lack thereof subsequent to applica- tion of an antiperspirant, is both conveniently achieved and controlled physically via the imposition of thermal stress coupled with elevated humidity. However, the facts have been largely ignored that such comparable hot and humid weather conditions generally exist naturally for only a few months of the year in temperate climates. These Conditions are still further minimized when one considers the increasingly widespread use of climate control in homes, transportation means, and places of work. Neverthe- the use of antiperspirants is a 'year-round' occurrence, and, disturbingly so, the •:::: • 91 ,

92 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS desire for increased efficacy of these agents is not infrequently voiced. The contribu- tion to eccrine sweating by factors whose origin is emotionally generated has to date been both an unknown and ill-defined quantity and a methodologically uninvestigated phenomenon. Upon reflection of the fact that emotionally induced sweating occurs to a 'substantial degree in the axillae, the necessity for a method to induce and to study emo- tionally caused axillary sweating, which has a facility comparable to that used in thermal studies, appears highly desirable. Attempts to estimate axillary sweat output under ambient temperature conditions have been reported (1-3). These studies, which presumably rely on the ambient emotional state of the subject for sweat production, generally require long periods of time to insure that quantities of sweat sufficient for measurement are obtained and, partially because of that requirement, these studies are difficult to control. Similarly, although reports on palmar (emotional) sweating physiology are available, studies dealing with emotional sweating in the axilla are few (3). Even for investigations of palmar sweating, the methods to stimulate the firing of the glands are frequently glossed over with abstract terms such as "mental arithmetic," "pain production using pin pricks," etc., and rarely_ make mention of actual sweat output, method reproducibility, universal ap~ plicability to subjects, or duration of stress. The lack of well-defined methods for the routine stimulation of emotional sweating in human subjects might well rest on the recognition that it is difficult, at best, to emo- tionally stimulate a subject to sweat literally upon command. Intricate psychological factors far more involved than the placing of the individual in an environmental chamber set to 100øF and 35 per cent relative humidity (RH) are frequently in force. Nevertheless, the importance of emotional sweating and its contribution to axillary sweat output requires that appropriate methods for the routine stimulation and measurement of this emotionally derived eccrine sweat be available. METHODS ^. o•.•. •'•,OC•t)t:RAL CONr)mONS 1. Subjects.' The subjects used in these studies were volunteer employees of the Gillette Research Institute, the majority of whom were college educated with technical training in a scientific discipline. The level and background of education is not critically exclusive in subject selection. However, when that information is available to the investigator, it aids substantially in the design of emotionally stimulating protocols wherein maximized sweat response is the singular measure of success. Furthermore, it is important that the subjects have an appreciation for the intended goal of a given emotional challenge session, namels• maximum sweat output of nonthermal origin in minimum time and literally "upon command" of the investigator. They must cooperate fully with the investigator to realize that goal. Cooperation includes not only the sub- jects' self-motivation under the investigator's guidance, but also a clear recognition that they will be occasionally subject to badgering, verbal barrage, and deliberately embar- rassing situations which are inconsistent with their normal life's routine and rela-:: tionships. Without these essential ingredients, successful emotional sweat stimulation cannot be expected. 2. Environment and time.' A small. quiet room, which is free from outside noise and dis- traction and thus permits concentration is an important prerequisite. The major testing