When there's a heatwave, it's hard to stay cool and comfortable, so i'm always looking for ways to keep cool and enjoy the weather rather than being bothered by the blazing sun; and let's face it, the last week or so has been hot hot hot. Some day's it's just been to hot for me to go outside and I've just wanted to stay in my underwear or just sit in a cold bath, but that's not really a practical way of staying cool, especially when you've got summer plans and you have to do out into the scorching sunshine and carry on with your life. I've come up with a list of practical and sensible ways to keeping yourself cool when the weather is not.
Stay hydrated (duh)
This one is pretty obvious but it's very important; you need to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water and cool drinks if you want to beat the heat. Make sure you have water with you at all times, especially if you're going to places like the beach where you're going to be in the sun all day. I like to freeze bottles of water the night before I know i'm going somewhere all day and take it out with me in the morning so I have a cold drink with me all day; the heat usually melts it enough for you to get a decent amount to drink.
Cool clothing
If you wanna stay cool you've gotta dress cool. Thin and loose materials are best during a heatwave, as tight shorts or tank tops can become uncomfortable and sweaty if you're wearing them for a few hours, and opting for light colours like white, light grey or pastels is much better than wearing black, as it absorbs the heat and that's the last thing you want in a heatwave. If you're not trying to tan your skin then it's helpful to cover up as much as your skin as possible to stop from getting sunburnt; a long and loose dress is the easiest and most comfortable thing to wear. Don't forget to wear sunglasses and even a sunhat if you're gonna be out in the blazing sun all day.
Wear sunscreen
If you want to stay protected from the sun then you HAVE to wear sunscreen; your skin needs protecting from the harmful rays, as well as to help decrease your chance of getting skin cancer, and a high SPF helps protect you from sunburn, which literally no one wants. I really like using the Malibu Sun Lotion Spray SPF 50 as it's a very high SPF, plus it smells really coconutty which to me just smells like summer; I prefer the spray as it's just easier to apply. For my face I've recently discovered the Cetaphil Daily Defence Moisturiser SPF 50, which unlike the sunscreens for your body, absorbs really quickly and doesn't make you feel greasy, which is great if you want to wear makeup over it.
Eat ice cream and ice lollies
When there's a heatwave is means it's the perfect opportunity to eat as much ice cream as you want. This summer I've been loving the ice lolly called Zzapp (which is basically bubblegum flavoured deliciousness on a stick), but I usually buy ASDAs own make for £1. I've also been kind of obsessed with the new Mini Mcflurrys... that's right, MINI MCFLURRYS; I love a Mcflurry anyway but these new adorable ones for only 59p are literally the best thing in my life right now. If you wanna stay cool and you want to get a bit of a sugar kick, then get yourself a frozen treat because there's literally no better time than a heatwave, just make sure to eat it quickly before it melts all down your hand.
Have fun with water
Having some watery fun can be a really fun way of cooling down if you have friends or family over, for instance, a paddling pool, a water balloon fight or even spraying each other with a hose would work. Take advantage of the heat and host a fun little party, have a BBQ and get the kiddie pool out to splash around in, I mean it is rare we have weather like this so you may as well make the most of it before the sun goes back into hibernation.
Stay in the shade/Air conditioned buildings
If you're not a fan of being in the sun, you can always find yourself a shady spot to sit and enjoy the weather, rather than burning up. If you find being outside all together too sweaty and uncomfortable, then you can always find yourself a cool, air conditioned buildings to hide out in. I always find that supermarkets are usually very air conditioned, and it's especially cool in the fridge isles, also McDonalds are rather cool in the summer too, so you can always grab a drink or a Mini Mcflurry and cool down in a Maccies.
Get a fan
It can get very hot at night when there's a heatwave which means it can be difficult to fall asleep (it is for me anyway) and when it's still 20 degrees at 10pm it's near impossible to get comfortable and cool when you're in bed. The solution is, wait for it, a fan. A desk fan or a standing fan are the best things you can use to cool yourself off at night, just stick one in your bedroom and have it pointing towards your bed so you can have cool air blown at you all night long.
Cold shower or bath
Sometimes the heat can just be too much and all you want to do is sit in an ice cold bath, so why not just do that. Run yourself a cool bath or turn the shower onto a low temperature and enjoy a few minutes in the cold bliss; cold showers also help close pores, improves your immune system and helps with sore muscles. Sitting in the cold water for a few minutes wil help cool you off and leave you feeling refreshed, clean and sweat free.
So there you go, some of my tips to help you survive a sweaty heatwave; I hope you all find it useful or learnt something new. Thanks for giving it a rad, and stay cool.
India X