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6 surefire ways to beat the summer heat

Tips to get you through another scorching summer!
/ Source: Fruit of the Loom

While you dreamed of summer sunshine during the frigid winter months, now that it’s here, the reality is more of a scorching, sweaty nightmare. But it doesn’t have to be! Here are six ideas to beat the heat this summer—no matter what description of “hot” your weather app is displaying.

Josh Hodge

1. Step Up Your Water Game

Staying hydrated is essential for keeping your cool, but drinking water can be such a bore! Take your H2O from tame tap to legendary liquid with some easy adjustments. Add combinations of your favorite fruits, vegetables, and herbs – such as lemon and basil, cucumber and lime, orange and ginger, or watermelon and mint – to infuse flavor into a pitcher of water. Up the fun factor by adding colorful ice cubes, using frozen berries, or even sipping your water from a silly straw. Why not?

2. Spice Things Up To Cool Down

Have you ever noticed that people who live in some of the hottest climates in the world–India, the Caribbean, Africa, and Mexico just to name a few–eat some of the spiciest food? The reason is simple: Spices induce sweating, which is the body’s way of cooling itself down. So if your taste buds can handle it, crank up the spice level even in sweltering weather with spicy chilaquiles for breakfast and grilled jerk chicken or irresistible Indian food for dinner, and let your body do the cooling for you.

3. Dress To Be Fresh

You’ve probably scored yourself some stylish new summer duds, but don’t forget that your first layer of clothing is the most important for keeping you cool. Men can stay chill by wearing breathable cotton undershirts and women can try the micro-mesh fabric in Fruit of the Loom’s Breathable Boy Shorts or Breathable Bikinis—they allow ventilation and sweat evaporation through the tiny holes of the mesh, helping you stay cool even on the hottest days.

4. Dine – and Cook – Al Fresco

Using the oven will warm up the kitchen and surrounding areas of your home, which is especially unpleasant for the unlucky cook in your family. Instead, prep these no-cook delights, or better yet, fire up your grill every day and enjoy your meals al fresco all summer. Check out Today’s grilled meal menu for a full dinner menu that goes way beyond burgers and ‘dogs, and these healthy grilling tips to keep your grill game summer-friendly.

5. Refrigerate Your Beauty

Sorry, medicine cabinet: you have some competition. Reserve a shelf in your fridge to store lotions, toners, sunscreen, and makeup to make your beauty routine wonderfully chilled. Also keep a spray bottle of cold water in there so you can pull it out and mist your pulse points throughout the day. Focusing on the neck, wrists, and ankles – where blood vessels are closest to the surface of your skin – will cool the body down more efficiently than an all-body soaking.

6. Cool Hair Styles

Summer’s muggy heat can do a number on your hair, but that doesn’t mean you have to put it in the same boring ponytail every day. This DIY French braided low updo will stun at summer weddings, while still keeping you cool on the dance floor. Up for a bigger hairstyle change? Consider one of these celebrity cuts that look and feel great in the heat. And whatever style you choose, check out these summer hair tips from beauty bloggers to keep your hair looking healthy all summer long.