These clever, low-cost moves will help you keep your cool when the weather's hot.
Beat the heat: Peppermint tea mist
Brew a pot of peppermint tea, then stick it in the fridge. Once it's nice and cold, wonderhowto.com suggests pouring some into a spray bottle and misting yourself with it. Better than water, the menthol in the tea will give your skin a tingly, cool feeling. Here are other surprising uses for tea you probably haven't tried.
Beat the heat: Chrysanthemum tea
Whether it's hot or cold, chrysanthemum tea is served to lower body temperature, according to China Daily. It's also been said to soothe heat rash, experts told Natural Health.
Beat the heat: DIY air-conditioning
Freeze a couple of water bottles and place them in front of a floor or desk fan, and you'll enjoy a much cooler breeze with your makeshift air-conditioner. Wikihow.com advises adding salt to the water first to beat the heat longer; apartmenttherapy.com skips the bottles altogether in favor of a bowl of ice water.
Beat the heat: Aloe vera
You know aloe vera naturally soothes sunburn, and its cooling properties also work to help you beat the heat. Blogger Crunchy Betty offers different recipes to make spray of it, combining witch hazel and peppermint oil. Here are aloe vera uses you might not know.
Beat the heat: Spicy food
If you're already sweating, why would you want to sweat more? Professor of food science at Penn State University Luke LaBorde offers this answer: eating spicy food increases blood circulation and makes you sweat, so you'll feel cooler as the sweat dries. Dr. Oz explains that the capsaicin in hot peppers encourages your body to sweat more without raising your body temperature.