How to keep your cool this summer, the natural way
.It's easy to overexert yourself during the inevitable summertime heat wave. Any common outdoor activity – such as gardening, sports, entertaining or vacationing – can quickly turn you into a sweaty mess when temperatures soar. Keeping cool isn't simply a matter of comfort, either; it's also a matter of safety.Simple precautions can help you deal with heat and humidity. The key is to not interfere with the body's natural ability to keep cool:
* Wear white or light-colored fabrics to reflect radiant heat.
* Choose open-weave, loose-fitting cotton or linen clothing to allow airflow and evaporation.
* Shade your head, neck and face with a comfortable, wide-brimmed hat.
* Take breaks to rest, and avoid prolonged exertion.
* Regularly drink plenty of cool, non-alcoholic, caffeine-free beverages, plus the occasional sports drink to maintain electrolyte balance.
If you do become over-heated and are feeling the ill effects of high temperatures, take quick action to cool the body and rehydrate:
* Cease strenuous activity and get out of the sun.
* Drink fluids.
* Sit in front of a fan or in an air-conditioned room.
* Apply a cooling mist to exposed skin.
* Immerse yourself in a cool bath, or stand in a cool shower.
* Apply a cool compress to your head, face and neck.
Tom Havran, product specialist with Aura Cacia (www.auracacia.com), offers some recipes using essential oils to naturally enhance your efforts to keep cool in hot weather:
Combine all the ingredients in a spray mister bottle. Shake vigorously and mist the skin.
Always shake well before use. Avoid eyes and sensitive areas. Store the bottle in the fridge or ice chest to heighten the cooling sensation.
Refreshing Peppermint Bath
Ingredients:1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon Epsom salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
5 drops peppermint essential oil
4 drops lavender essential oil
Directions:
Combine salts and baking soda in a small bowl. Sprinkle oils on salt mixture, and stir well. Dissolve into lukewarm bath.
If you don't have time for a full bath, use this mix for a cool foot soak.
Cooling Lavender Compress
Ingredients:
Basin of cool water (approximately 4 cups)
12 drops lavender essential oil
9 drops peppermint essential oil
3 drops grapefruit essential oil
Soft facial cloth
Directions:
Combine water and oils in a basin or bowl. Swish with cloth, wring out excess, and alternate placement on neck and forehead. Refresh the cloth often, and add a few ice cubes to the water to boost the cooling effect. Avoid getting in your eyes.
Our Latest Web-Stories
Never miss an episode of our real estate podcast.
Install our FREE Podcast App available on iOS and Android.
For your Apple Devices, click here to install our iOS App.
For your Android Devices, click here to install our Android App.
Check my videos on Youtube
To provide the best experiences, we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by using the toggles on the Cookie Policy, or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.