{"id":814,"date":"2012-07-18T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-07-18T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/?guid=0470ea7663ce304a4ba2ef27113a5872"},"modified":"2012-07-18T05:00:00","modified_gmt":"2012-07-18T05:00:00","slug":"how-to-stay-naturally-cool-this-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/how-to-stay-naturally-cool-this-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"How to stay naturally cool this summer"},"content":{"rendered":"

(HIB) – 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. <\/p>\n

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:<\/p>\n

* Wear white or light-colored fabrics to reflect radiant heat.
\n* Choose open-weave, loose-fitting cotton or linen clothing to allow airflow and evaporation.
\n* Shade your head, neck and face with a comfortable, wide-brimmed hat.
\n* Take breaks to rest, and avoid prolonged exertion.
\n* Regularly drink plenty of cool, non-alcoholic, caffeine-free beverages, plus the occasional sports drink to maintain electrolyte balance.<\/p>\n

If you do become over-heated and are feeling the ill effects of high temperatures, take quick action to cool the body and rehydrate:
\n* Cease strenuous activity and get out of the sun.
\n* Drink fluids.
\n* Sit in front of a fan or in an air-conditioned room.
\n* Apply a cooling mist to exposed skin.
\n* Immerse yourself in a cool bath, or stand in a cool shower.
\n* Apply a cool compress to your head, face and neck.<\/p>\n

Tom Havran, product specialist with Aura Cacia (www.auracacia.com<\/a>), offers some recipes using essential oils<\/a> to naturally enhance your efforts to keep cool in hot weather: <\/p>\n

Cool and Fresh Eucalyptus Body Mist<\/p>\n

Ingredients:
\n4 ounces water
\n1 teaspoon plain vinegar or herb-infused vinegar (lavender, rose, peppermint, etc.)
\n12 drops eucalyptus essential oil
\n9 drops lavender essential oil
\n3 drops peppermint essential oil<\/p>\n

Directions:
\nCombine all the ingredients in a spray mister bottle. Shake vigorously and mist the skin. <\/p>\n

Always shake well before use. Avoid eyes and sensitive areas. Store the bottle in the fridge or ice chest to heighten the cooling sensation.<\/p>\n

Refreshing Peppermint Bath<\/p>\n

Ingredients:
\n1 tablespoon sea salt
\n1 tablespoon Epsom salt
\n1 tablespoon baking soda
\n5 drops peppermint essential oil
\n4 drops lavender essential oil<\/p>\n

Directions:
\nCombine salts and baking soda in a small bowl. Sprinkle oils on salt mixture, and stir well. Dissolve into lukewarm bath. <\/p>\n

If you don’t have time for a full bath, use this mix for a cool foot soak.<\/p>\n

Cooling Lavender Compress<\/p>\n

Ingredients:
\nBasin of cool water (approximately 4 cups)
\n12 drops lavender essential oil
\n9 drops peppermint essential oil
\n3 drops grapefruit essential oil
\nSoft facial cloth<\/p>\n

Directions:
\nCombine 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.<\/p>\n

Visit www.auracacia.com for more essential oil<\/a> solutions you can make yourself. Remember, essential oils are highly concentrated and should be kept out of reach of children and used only according to directions.<\/p>\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"reddit\"<\/a>\"pinterest\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(ARA) – 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’…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":187,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[127],"class_list":["post-814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-holidays","tag-seasonal-home-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/187"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=814"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/814\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}