Top 10 tips to help you beat the heat this summer!

Summer is here and the mercury is soaring! Whether you’re working full time or stay-at-home kid-wrangling all day, it can be difficult to face the day’s tasks with the blistering Singapore heat beating down on you. Here’s our top 10 tips to cooling down so you can focus on what you love most about the warmer months — school holidays, lazy days by the pool and weekend trips to the beach with the family in tow!

1. Stay hydrated
I know you’ve heard it a thousand times already, but no post on summer is complete without the mention of “water”. Summers in Singapore can be relentless, and it’s the season when your body needs the utmost care. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times during the day and keep hydrating yourself and your little ones. Staying hydrated will give you the energy boost you need to get through the day’s activities and prevent dehydration.

2. Choose your clothing and footwear wisely
Opt for lighter and pastel shades, such as whites and creams. Try and choose fabrics that breathe (no polyester) as they’ll help you feel more comfortable throughout the day. Also choose your footwear with care — there should be space to breathe in them as well. Go straight for sandals and flip flops if you’re running around town all day and don’t have worry too much about “formal office attire”.

3. Use those shades and hats
Now is the time to hunt down those sunglasses and hats you bought on your last Boracay vacation. We’re all about flaunting colourful, floppy-brimmed hats, especially if you’re planning a weekend beach outing. They not only cool you down but also guard your skin against the sun’s harmful UV rays. Don’t forget to protect your children either! In addition to keeping their skin from getting sunburnt, it’s the perfect chance to take goofy hat photos. Oversized umbrellas also work well if you accidentally leave the hat at home!

4. Go easy on the make-up
As the mercury rises, your make-up routine also needs some adjusting. There’s nothing worse than the look of foundation melting off your face! Follow the basic rule of “less is more” during summer. That heavy foundation should give way to a tinted moisturiser with some SPF (check out our picks here), and darker shade lipsticks should be replaced with more neutral colours. Lighter make-up means less sweat, helping you look fresher throughout the day.

5. Soothe your skin
Summers can be really harsh on your skin, so make sure you apply high quality sunscreen during the day. At nighttime, be sure to exfoliate and consider using some aloe-vera rich products to soothe, nourish and cool the skin.

6. Go for lighter meals
There’s such delicious produce available around that making the choice to eat a light and nutritious meal is pretty easy! Lighter food is easier on the body, which is already working hard to combat the heat. Cold soups and salads go a long way to helping you cool down, so think twice before ordering that spicy burrito or hefty meat dish! Fresh fruits like berries and melons can also help you rehydrate (helps that they taste so good). Check out our summer recipe inspiration here for some light bites.

7. Plan ahead
If you have meetings to attend or errands to run, plan them well in advance and aim to step out during the cooler times of the day (early morning or late afternoon) to avoid direct contact with the sun. Also take advantage of all the air-conditioned malls available in Singapore — although it might add a few minutes to your journey, it’s much easier to walk through them than to tread the hot and humid footpaths.

8. Stay away from caffeine
Caffeine heats up the body, so it should be avoided during the summer (we know!). It also dehydrates you! So what better excuse for trying out new green tea flavours or those iced teas and Frappuccinos that have been calling out to you at your favourite cafe? Make it a coffee date with the kids (you can also entice them with a froyo!) and feel refreshed and energised after an icy cold drink.

9. Shut down your laptop
Whatever you might have heard, modern laptops do not get hardware redundant if you switch them off at the end of the day! Don’t use laptops on your laps during summer (as they’ll just make you hotter!) and remember to power them off when you’re done to cool down the device, as well as your surroundings. If you’re too used to working with something on your lap, try switching to a tablet or a notepad instead.

10. Take a swim and a cool shower
Nothing beats the heat more after a long day than a dip in the pool or a cold shower. It not only helps cool you down on a humid day but it also helps you relax and rejuvenate. One lap in the pool can soothe that heated skin and a couple of splashes with the kids is perfect for enjoying the summer sun without overheating.