Keep Your Cool
We all like great weather. What’s not so good, however, is the hot, sticky and uncomfortable feeling that sometimes goes with it. So whether you’re stuck in the city, surviving the summertime commute or basking on a sun lounger somewhere, here are a few ways to ensure you always keep your cool…
Dress To De-stress
Choose your clothes carefully: seasonally-appropriate fabrics such as cotton, linen and seersucker are always more comfortable than man-made fibres because they allow the skin to breathe. L
ikewise, sportswear containing technical fabrics like CoolMax and Dri-FIT is especially good for wicking moisture away from the skin, allowing it to evaporate quickly to keep you fresh. For more information on the types of materials you should consider adding to your wardrobe this season, click here.
Protect Your Pits
What products you use to keep your armpits fresh may be important – L’Oreal Men Expert’s Thermic Protect Deodorant is particularly handy in summer because it kicks in whenever you get hot – but how you apply them is crucial too.
Antiperspirants need to make contact with the skin to be effective so think about trimming back pit hair (or removing it altogether) and hold the spray six to eight inches away from the skin to ensure even coverage.
Tip: Never spray immediately after showering as the steam and hot water will have opened the pores in your skin and your antiperspirant will sting.
Manscaping
The bacteria that cause body odour thrive on body hair so by reducing it you won’t just feel cooler, you’ll smell fresher too.
For all-over long-lasting smoothness there’s nothing like a professional wax, but if just want to trim your fuzz (or don’t fancy the eye-watering pain associated with waxing) try a product like the Philips BodyGroom Series 5000 trimmer or Braun’s CruZer 6 Body, which are easy to use and have been specifically designed to tackle body hair.
Tip: To reduce the risk of ingrown hairs after trimming use a body scrub twice weekly. If you want to know more about the wide range of body hair removal options on offer to the modern man, read our previous guide on the subject.
- Philips Bg2036 Bodygroom Body Groomer
- Braun Cruzer 6 Body 2-in-1 Groomer
- Philips Tt2040/00 Total Bodygrooming System
Cut Back On Caffeine
It might improve your concentration but that flat white won’t help keep you cool. In fact, caffeine increases sweat production so swap tea, coffee and cola for water or fruit juice instead.
Treat Your Feet
Feet have 250,000 sweat glands and can produce up to a cupful of sweat every day, so they are bound to get a little hot and bothered now and again.
Minimise the problem by wearing cotton socks and leather shoes (both of which allow feet to breathe) and wash feet daily in warm water with a few drops of tea tree oil to keep them bacteria free.
If you’ve very sweaty extremities think about using a product like Sweat Guard’s Foot Antiperspirant, which is especially designed for funky feet.
Keep A Cool Head
As much as 80 per cent of the body’s heat is passed on through the head – so if your head feels hot and sticky, you will too.
Keep your hair and scalp cool and fresh by washing with a shampoo like Head & Shoulders Cool Menthol anti-dandruff or Wash & Go’s Solo Menthol Fresh shampoo.
Menthol widens blood vessels, helping your body regulate its temperature and cooling the scalp.
- Head And Shoulders Shampoo Menthol 500ml
- Wash & Go Menthol Fresh Solo Shampoo
- Fudge Daily Mint Shampoo
Snap Up A Citrus Scent
Much fresher than woody or musky fragrances, citrus-based scents like Clinique’s Happy For Men and Geo. F. Trumper’s West Indian Extract of Limes work especially well in warmer weather because citrus notes are molecularly lighter than ones like sandalwood or lavender and literally ‘zing’ off the skin, making you feel energised in the process.
For a guide to the best summer’s scents click here.
Tip: For a truly cooling sensation keep your summer fragrance or body splash chilled in the fridge.
- Clinique Happy For Men Cologne Spray 100ml
- Geo F Trumper Extract Of West Indian Limes Cologne
- Issey Miyake Leau Dissey Pour Homme Eau De Toilette
- Terre D’hermès Eau Très Fraiche Edt 125ml
- Tom Ford Neroli Portofino All Over Body Spray
- Monsieur Balmain Eau De Toilette 100ml
Factor Up
Sunburn doesn’t just double your chances of skin cancer and look deeply uncool, it also reduces the skin’s ability to release excess heat, making you hotter. With this in mind, always apply a sunscreen if you’re heading out into the sun.
To make sure you’re always prepared, keep a travel-sized sunscreen or a dinky 50ml product, like Dermalogica’s Solar Defense Booster SPF 50, in your work bag or jacket pocket.
Take A Cool Shower
Although it might be tempting to have a freezing cold shower as temperatures rise, it’s no more than a quick fix – your body will actually generate heat afterwards in order to compensate for the heat loss.
Instead, a tepid bath or shower (just below body temperature) will rinse off excess sweat and help you maintain a slightly cooler core temperature for longer.
Tip: Looking for a quick fix? Run each of your wrists under a cold tap for five to ten seconds every couple of hours. As the ulnar artery (the main blood vessel) passes through this area, it helps cool you down instantly.
Eat Plenty Of Fruit & Veg
The human body is 75 per cent water and dehydration doesn’t just affect your muscles and joints, it affects the brain too, which is why we often end up irritable and headachy in hot weather.
Carrying a bottle of water with you is a sensible way to avoid dehydration, of course, but a much better way to get the water you need is by eating plenty of fresh fruit and veg.
That’s because they release their water content at a slower and more consistent rate than if you down a litre bottle of water in five minutes flat. You won’t need to go to the toilet so much either.
Final Word
Do you have a useful tip for staying cool in the summer (one that doesn’t involve a handheld fan)? Make sure you share it in the comment box below…
