Keep Your Cool

Whether we’re blessed with a heatwave at home, or you are jetting off to exotic shores, knowing how to keep your cool when the weather gets steamy is going to come in very useful over the coming weeks.

I’ve never been very good at staying cool, which is ironic, as I spend a lot of my time in Dubai where the weather hits 50’C in the summer months (thank goodness for air conditioning!) Over the years, I’ve worked out ways to keep my body temperature down, which I follow to the letter every summer. My top tips are below…

SWITCH TO A BODY LOTION
Thick body butters and creams will lock the heat into your skin, making you feel extra warm and sometimes leading to prickly heat. Your skin still needs to be moisturised, but it makes sense to switch to a thin body lotion during the summer months. I like to use something hypoallergenic, such as Avene Cold Cream Body Lotion, £18.

TIE YOUR HAIR UP
It seems obvious, but wearing your hair long over your shoulders is the equivalent of wearing a winter scarf. Tie it up and allow the breeze to cool your neck. Better still, treat yourself to a cotton headscarf, which will keep your hair off your face and shoulders completely – I couldn’t get through a beach holiday without one.

CARRY A FACE AND BODY SPRAY
Keeping a can of refreshing face and body spray in your handbag is ideal for moments when you feel overheated – after a particularly gruelling journey on the tube, when the air conditioning breaks at work, or when you’re sightseeing on holiday. I love Caudalie Grape Water, £5.10, which comes in an easily portable 75ml can.

COOL DOWN YOUR BATH OR SHOWER
If it looks like a scorcher outside, keep your body temperature down before you head outside by cooling down your morning shower or bath by a few degrees. Pick a shower gel with lightweight formula and a cooling scent, such as Clarins Eau de Jardins Uplifting Shower Gel, £14.40.

USE A TINTED MOISTURISER
Forget heavy, cloying foundations during the summer – your skin needs to breathe. I always switch to a tinted moisturiser at the beginning of the season, which keeps pores open and prevents them getting blocked. Vichy Lumineuse Tinted Moisturiser for Normal/Combination Skin, £10.60 is perfect – not only does it hydrate skin and provide medium coverage, but it also keeps skin looking matte, no matter how hot it gets.

CARRY A BOTTLE OF WATER
Never forget to carry a bottle of water in the summer. Keeping hydration levels is key – both on a health level (dehydration and sun stroke is no joke), but also to keep your skin, hair, and nails hydrated, healthy, and strong throughout the season. Imagine if your bus, car, tube, or train broke down on a warm day… That bottle of water is an essential as your wallet and phone.

COOL DOWN YOUR FEET
If my feet are hot, the rest of me is hot, especially when I’m trying to fall asleep at night. The solution to this is to always keep a cooling foot spray by the bed to cool and soothe feet – I couldn’t get through summer nights without Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Reviving Leg and Foot Mist, £9.60. It’s also great for spraying onto legs and feet when you walk through the door after a hot drive, commute, or walk. It makes me feel cooler in seconds.

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

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