Which glands produce water and salt sweat for temperature control?

Prepare for the VTCT Level 2 Facial and Skincare Test. Revise with flashcards and multiple choice questions, accompanied by insightful explanations. Ace your assessment with confidence!

Water and salt sweat that helps cool the body comes from eccrine glands. These glands are spread all over the skin and release a clear, watery secretion directly onto the surface. As this sweat evaporates, it cools the body, and it contains mainly water and dissolved salts like sodium chloride, with small amounts of minerals and waste products. This contrasts with apocrine glands, which produce a thicker sweat in areas such as the underarms and groin and are less about cooling. Hair follicles aren’t glands at all, and sebaceous glands produce oil (sebum) to lubricate the skin, not sweat for temperature control.