• Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
My Women Stuff
  • About Me »
    • Contact Me
      • For PR
  • Budget Beauty »
    • Save & Splurge
  • Makeup »
    • Eyes »
      • Brow pencil
      • Mascara
      • Eyeshadow
      • Eyeliner
    • Face »
      • BB Cream
      • Blush
      • Bronzer
      • CC Cream
      • Concealer
      • Foundation »
        • Cream Foundation
        • Liquid Foundation
        • Cushion Foundation
      • Highlighter
      • Loose Powder
    • Lips »
      • Lip Gloss
      • Lipstick
      • Lipbalm
    • Makeup Brushes
  • Skincare »
    • Cleanser »
      • Cleansing Balm
      • Cleansing Cream
      • Cleansing Gel
      • Cleansing Milk
      • Cleansing Oil
      • Cleansing Water
      • Makeup Remover
    • Mask
    • Moisturiser
    • Scrubs
    • Serum »
      • Vitamin C
      • Retinol
    • Sunscreen
    • Toner/Lotion
    • Treatment »
      • Acne
      • Anti-Aging
      • Brightening/Whitening
      • Hydrating
    • Bath & Body »
      • Body Lotion
      • Body oil
      • Hair
      • Shower Gel
    • Facial Oils
  • Tips »
    • Tips & Discussions
    • Blogging Tips
  • Lifestyle »
    • Cooking at Chez PB
    • Beauty Services »
      • Hair Salon
      • Facial
      • Spa
    • Fashion »
      • Bags
      • Jewellery
      • Shoes
    • Home
  • Brands
  • Product Reviews
    • Beauty hor d’oeuvres
  • Blog
Home » Health » 8 Tips for staying cool in a heatwave

8 Tips for staying cool in a heatwave

May 12, 2009 Paris B 15 Comments

Heatwave
  • Save

I don’t know about elsewhere in the region but here in Kuala Lumpur, the weather has been crazy hot! Temperatures are hitting 35.6 C in the daytime, and we are told to expect this heatwave to continue until September. Its now May – goodness gracious! Not only is it super hot, its also been very dry which is a lethal combination for me. I’ve been breaking out like popcorn popping – ew! 🙁

So with this heatwave that’s hitting us now and which is expected to continue for a few more months, here are 8 things I’ve put into place to keep cool and stay cool.

Wear Cotton or natural fibre clothes and white or light coloured clothing

Clothes made from cotton or natural fibre breathe better and help keep your body cool in the heat because they absorb moisture well and keep it away from your skin thereby cooling you down. Manmade fibres like nylon and rayon or polyester trap heat and can make you feel hotter. Its rather like being suffocated slowly in a plastic bag 😛

White and light colours reflect heat while black and dark colours absorb heat like a sponge and retain it. So, when its hot, wear light coloured clothing. I’ve never been so glad that I do not have a strict dress code at work so I can keep cool with light colours and light clothing as opposed to dark formal stuffy corporate suits – lucky me! 😛

Drink lots of water

In a heatwave more than ever, you need water… and lots of it! The body dehydrates faster when its hot so keep moisture levels up by regular glasses of plain water. Resist the urge to have cold sweet drinks, carbonated drinks or coffee or tea. Not only are these fattening due to the amount of sugar in them, anything with caffeine in it is a diuretic, drawing water out of your cells and dehydrating you faster. If you must have something cold, try ice water or ice herbal teas or freshly squeezed juice (not from packs or concentrate). I prefer NOT to drink cold drinks when its too hot because I find that it sometimes makes me feel warmer. Instead I just take water at room temperature. It feels easier on my tummy and I don’t get brain freeze. Ice cream actually does not help in sweltering heat because the action of burning up the fat in the cream heats you up more after eating it. So, a better option is frozen fruit juices or sorbets.

Take cold showers

Nothing refreshes the body like a cold shower when its hot! So instead of taking that hot shower, try taking a cold one instead or what I do is to turn off the hot water towards the end of my shower. It cools down the body and refreshes body and mind enough so its comfortable to sleep and you don’t end up sweating a bucket once you exit the shower as you would a hot shower.

Slap on a cool hydrating mask

Lancome mask
  • Save

When its hot, more than ever I relish having a cool mask on my face. I find it cools my skin and causes less pimples to appear. So, what I do is pop a sheet mask in the fridge when I get home, then I take a hot and cold shower and when I get ready for bed, I just pop on the mask that was in the fridge. The cooling effect is calming and also helps to calm heat irritated skin. Since I’m doing it so often, I use cheaper sheet masks like the Garnier Lightening mask instead of splashing out on the Lancome Bio-Cellulose mask 😛

Avoid going out in the sun where possible

If you can help it, stay away from the outside. Pack light simple lunches and stay in the office or indoors during the peak hours between 11am-4pm when the sun is at its hottest. Its better for your skin too. If you cannot avoid it, carry an umbrella or wear a hat and never forget your sunscreen. When running errands at this time, keep sun exposure as short as possible. This might be the only time I recommend hitting up a mall that has facilities like banking, post office etc so you stay cool indoors while avoiding running around in the sun.

Eat light small meals

When its hot, I find my appetite dissipates. I also feel lethargic and don’t quite relish slaving over the stove to prepare a meal. I don’t even want to look at my oven! So, what I do is have simple cool meals like cold tangy tuna pasta salads or green salads or pre-prepared meals I have stuffed into my freezer that I can just heat up without too much hassle. Eating small light meals also mean that there’s less energy to burn and keeps you from overheating from the inside.

Open doors and windows in the evenings to release hot air

When I get home, the first thing I do is open up all available doors and windows so the heat trapped in the house the whole day is released. There may not be much wind, but the exchange of hot trapped air and cooler outside evening air can cool the house or room down dramatically and quickly (without having to use electricity!). I only turn on my room air-conditioner after a couple of hours of airing and about half an hor before I go to bed. The air conditioner does not have to work as hard to cool down the room and you get a relatively comfortable environment to catch your beauty sleep.

Mist your face during the day

When its hot, one quick easy way to cool down is to mist your face with water. You can use an Evian spray or Avene thermal water spray, or you can just as easily fill up a little spritzer bottle with mineral water and spritz your face as you go. Water will pull the heat away from your skin as it evaporates and helps cool you down. Spritzing does not disturb your makeup as much as beats dunking your head under the sink!

Come share – what have you been doing to stay cool in this heatwave? I’d love to pick up a tip or two to keep me cool!

Stay beautiful… and cool!

Paris B

Was this helpful? Tell your friends!

0 Shares
  • Facebook 0
  • Twitter
15 Insightful comments ... Read or JOIN THE DISCUSSION

YOU MAY FIND THESE THESE POSTS HELPFUL TOO!

About Paris B

Paris B is a 40-something beauty and skincare enthusiast with a practical and very critical view of beauty products and the world of beauty. Her mission on My Women Stuff is to deliver clear, honest reviews and facilitate discussions about beauty trends and life, tempered with a healthy dose of humour. Let the buyer's remorse be ours not yours! When not testing the newest skincare creams and lotions, or playing with makeup, find her testing her culinary skills in the kitchen at Chez PB. Read more about us here or leave a comment below or connect with us on social media at Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

PREVIOUS POST: Yet another Vibrating Mascara – Maybelline Pulse Perfection
NEXT POST: Bobbi Brown Platinum Pink Shimmerbrick is way too shimmery!

15 comments ... Read or JOIN THE DISCUSSION

  1. Connie says

    May 12, 2009 at 10:58 am

    great tips! I haven’t been using the water heater for a week! I’m still waiting for my masks to arrive :-/ Small meals eh? And I’m usually the big meal kinda girl. Lol

    Reply
    • ParisB says

      May 12, 2009 at 4:30 pm

      Hey Connie

      Its way too hot to shower with hot water unless I shower late at night then these ol’ bones need some warming up hehe… Big meals? Ah.. to have the metabolism of the young!

      Reply
      • Connie says

        May 12, 2009 at 4:32 pm

        Metabolism? I wish! I usually don’t have breakfast. Lol.

        Reply
        • ParisB says

          May 12, 2009 at 4:38 pm

          Well, neither do I!

          Reply
  2. prettybeautiful says

    May 12, 2009 at 11:27 am

    uh. the heat is definitely affecting my brains too. it is so so hot at night i cant sleep without air con. but my nose is giving me prob at the same time. SIGH. im kinda torn between my body and my nose

    Reply
    • ParisB says

      May 12, 2009 at 4:36 pm

      Hey prettybeautiful

      Oh you poor thing. Either way something’s going to keep you up! Have you tried having eucalyptus oil in an electric burner? Don’t use candles or you can burn your house down.

      Reply
  3. Renee says

    May 12, 2009 at 1:00 pm

    Thanks for the post!

    Last week I remembered that it was so hot when I touched my window still it was BURNING. It’s raining now, thank goodness. Definitely keep yourself hydrated, ladies. I had heat stroke earlier this year – fainting is not fun!

    (That meal looks mighty yummy by the way. Anything with pasta and I’m in!) 😛

    Reply
    • ParisB says

      May 12, 2009 at 4:37 pm

      Hey Renee

      Send us some rain please? I’m burning up IN my office! 😛 Sorry to hear about your heatstroke. I’m also a pasta sorta gal damn the carbohydrates LOL

      Reply
  4. rinnah says

    May 12, 2009 at 6:07 pm

    I use the face spritz method… I find that Avene is much kinder to my sensitive skin than Evian, strangely. =)

    Reply
  5. yuki says

    May 12, 2009 at 10:30 pm

    Ah… The heat is really causing me to sweat and I’m getting more and volcanoes on my face… one heals, another 2 or 3 pop up somewhr else… Really frustrating…

    I tend to drink cold water and yea, spritz my face with Avene… It’s my new best friend =)

    Reply
  6. prettybeautiful says

    May 13, 2009 at 9:16 am

    i got the lamp berger set with eucalyptus oil. initially it worked, but slowly i got used to it n nothing just works for me anymore *SIGH*

    Reply
  7. Sylvia says

    May 13, 2009 at 10:16 am

    I’m lucky that I usually stay in the air-conditioned office during the day time, but when I got home in the evening, oh boy oh boy, the heat really got to me. After work, I take shower without turning on the heater but the water is always very hot as if scalding my skin. I think the sun heat up the water in the water tank. I do spritz on my face and neck with Avene before I go to sleep too.

    Reply
  8. SC says

    May 13, 2009 at 12:59 pm

    Love the tips! Plus, that food looks pretty good…hehehe.

    Reply
  9. Tine says

    May 14, 2009 at 6:30 am

    I’m not sure if this would help, as the humidity is different in Melb compared to M’sia. I’ve gone through what I’d call to be the worst and hottest summers I’ve ever experienced (up to a week of over 40C). Other than what you’ve already suggested, if you have wooden/tiled floors, mop them. The evaporation from the floors can cool the place down. You can also keep a bottle spray with you to spray the house to keep cool.
    Also, I closed all the windows and curtains during the day to keep the heat out, only to open them in the evening.
    Hope it helps 🙂

    Reply
    • ParisB says

      May 14, 2009 at 1:02 pm

      Hi Tine

      Thanks for the tips! I’m too lazy to mop the floor LOL but I do keep my windows and curtains closed in the day.

      Reply

Comment Policy:At MWS we love reading your comments. However, if you are new to leaving comments you may benefit from reading the comment policy first.

What's your view? Share it! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

My Women Stuff by Paris B

Welcome to My Women Stuff, a beauty blog based in Malaysia, written by veteran blogger, Paris B. What you can expect is honesty, critical views & a healthy dose of shared life lessons sprinkled amongst beauty product reviews. What you shouldn't expect is a page filled with unnecessary narcissistic photos. MWS is a blog for those who love to read, because we love to write! Read More about MWS and Paris B

Subscribe for weekly updates of all published content

BEAUTY & LIFE TIPS

beagle looking at a biscuit with 2023 on the bottom

2023 – Be Focused, Be Disciplined and Be Kind

2022 recap

Looking back to see if there was more laughter than tears this past year

skincare empty bottles

The Empties Edition: Discovering a really nice hydrating serum amidst the empty bottles

I tell stories on Instagram @parisbmws

For my anti-aging skincare routine, I’ve worked For my anti-aging skincare routine, I’ve worked out my 3 pillars - the foundation of my skincare routine. Read on the blog mywomenstuff.com It isn’t about what product I use. It’s what in it 😉

#parisbmws #skincareblogger #skincareblog #antiagingskincare #over40blogger #over40skincare
Done with your vote? Not sure what to do the rest Done with your vote? Not sure what to do the rest of the day? Go read my post about #sundayriley A+ High Dose Retinoid Serum 😜 mywomenstuff.com

#parisbmws #sundayrileyretinoidserum #sundayrileyaplus #retinoidserum #retinol #sephora #sephoramy #sundayrileymalaysia #antiaging #antiagingskincare
The best thing I’ve bought in recent times! Chec The best thing I’ve bought in recent times! Check out the #uniqlo Mini Round Shoulder Bag! mywomenstuff.com 😍

#uniqlomalaysia #parisbmws #uniqloroundminishoulderbag #uniqlodumplingbag #uniqlolifewear
Had more than a few people ask me about this @mura Had more than a few people ask me about this @muradskincaremy Vitamin C product so that’s what I wrote about this week! Go to mywomenstuff.com for your weekend read 😊

#parisbmws #muradskincare #muradvitaminc #vitamincserum #murad #muradmalaysia #muradskincaremy
Just got a new preloved bag? Want to clean your le Just got a new preloved bag? Want to clean your leather bags at home? Here’s how I do it! 😊 check the blog mywomenstuff.com 

#parisbmws #vintagebags #leathercleaner #vintagefashion #vintagelouisvuitton
Chatting about preloved designer bags and where I Chatting about preloved designer bags and where I go for the deals on the blog mywomenstuff.com ☺️

#prelovedmalaysia #prelovedbranded #prelovedluxury #prelovedluxurybags #vintagelouisvuitton #vintagedesigner #vintagebags #parisbmws
Join over 10500 followers on Instagram

ABOUT ME · CONTACT ME · DISCLAIMER & COPYRIGHT · PRIVACY · ARCHIVES

© Copyright MY WOMEN STUFF 2007 - 2022 · All Rights Reserved