“The thing with heat is, no matter how cold you are, no matter how much you neeeed warmth, it always, eventually, becomes too much!” –Victoria Aveyard
It’s official: Summer is here. And with it comes the heat.
With the nation enduring an unrelenting heat wave and certain areas seeing all-time high temperatures, staying cool is vital.
The recent severe storms across our country have caused widespread power outages, leaving many individuals vulnerable to both humidity and heat.
In this blog post, I’ll share how you can beat the Summer heat using Alchemical Wellness holistic strategies and incorporating cooling essential oils in our synergy blend, Cool & Chill Body Spray.
But first, let’s explore heat-related illness.
Summer Temperatures
The beginning of summer has brought increasing heat-momentum. The rising temperatures are causing more intense body heat, leading to a higher risk of heat-related illness.
Enduring the scorching daytime heat, sunburn, hot, sultry nights, and if you are a perimenopausal woman, ‘hot flushes’ can make you more than uncomfortably hot. And not just in your body!
Excess heat also has psychological consequences, ranging from emotional irritability to impulsivity to trouble concentrating.
This is undeniably one of the primary reasons we enjoy summer only while at or near the beach. Encinitas, where I live, experiences mild summer temperatures due to the marine layer that tends to embrace our coastline. However, this will most likely change in the coming weeks.
In any case, whether you are finding shelter at the beach or by the poolside or enduring stifling humidity while wearing your work clothes, we all share the same summer obsession: How to stay COOL!?
Heat Illness
We all experience the same frustration and seek various ways to stay cool and cope with high temperatures as effectively as possible.
Lowering your body temperature is crucial to preventing heat-related illnesses. Heat-related illnesses, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke, can occur during extremely hot weather.
Exposure to high temperatures, mainly when there is also high humidity, can cause heat illness. Heat exhaustion and heatstroke are heat-related illnesses that can occur when the body cannot properly cool itself.
Specific individuals, such as older adults over 65, infants, outdoor workers, those with mental illness, obesity, poor circulation, high blood pressure, and people on specific medications or consuming alcohol, are most vulnerable to heat illness.
Heat Exhaustion
One of the three heat-related illnesses is heat exhaustion. Heat cramps, the mildest, are followed by heat exhaustion, and heatstroke is the most serious.
Heat exhaustion occurs when the body overheats, causing core body temperature to reach 104°F or higher due to excessive sweating and inadequate fluid intake.
Symptoms of Heat exhaustion include:
- Depleted energy
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Irritability
- Nausea
- Weakness
- Unsteady gait
- Muscle cramps
- Heavy sweating
- Cool and clammy skin
- Excessive thirst
- Decreased urine output.
Fortunately, heat exhaustion is preventable and less dangerous than heatstroke. Heat exhaustion can affect anyone of any age.
Cooling the body is essential. If you experience heat exhaustion
- Stop activity
- Get out of the elements and seek shelter
- Sit or lie down in a cool place
- Hydrate slowly with water
- Add electrolytes
- Take a cool or cold water bath or shower
- Rest
- Mist your skin and touch points with essential oils infused in water
- Stay in air-conditioned spaces
- Wear lightweight, loose-fitting, breathable clothing.
However, if left untreated, heat exhaustion can lead to heatstroke, a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate medical attention.
Heatstroke is a Real Danger
The main difference between heat exhaustion and heatstroke is the core body temperature, which is elevated but below 104°F in heat exhaustion and above 104°F in heat stroke.
Heatstroke is a life-threatening condition and is the most serious heat-related illness. It occurs when the body can no longer control its temperature: its temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body cannot cool down.
When heat stroke occurs, the body temperature can rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes.
Heat stroke is a severe medical emergency and can cause permanent disability or death if the person does not receive emergency treatment.
Heatstroke Symptoms
- Throbbing headache
- Confusion
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Hot, flushed, dry, or damp skin
- Decreased sweating
- Rapid heartbeat and strong pulse
- Energy loss
- Fainting
- Seizure
- Coma.
Heatstroke needs immediate medical treatment. If you suspect heatstroke, do the following immediately.
- Sip cool water slowly
- Pack ice packs around your neck, temples, wrists, and soles of your feet
- Wrap yourself in a special cooling blanket
- Call 911 or get the victim to a hospital immediately.
The Scorching Heat of Egypt
Staying hydrated, consuming cooling foods, and limiting sun exposure are the standard methods of combating an episode of heat illness. This is especially true when traveling.
When I visited Egypt last year in September, temperatures reached upwards of 110°F in the shade.
Not only was it scorching hot, dry, and dusty, the heat seemed to suck the breath right out of me. Our local guides informed us that it was the hottest summer on record.
Most of our group had some form of heat-related illness or exhaustion, and a few bordered on heatstroke. I know there were moments when I felt as if I would pass out!
Thankfully, after visiting temples during the heat of the day along the Nile River, we could take shelter in air-conditioned buses. At night, we had air-conditioned rooms on the boat we shared. And we drank a lot of filtered bottled water.
As an aromatherapist, I also brought along Flower Essence Aromatherapy Cool & Chill Body Spray to help me instantly cool down when I couldn’t access the air conditioning.
Holistic Aromatherapy Solutions
Lengthy exposure to excessive heat will deplete your energy levels within minutes.
One way to improve your summer wellbeing is to use aromatherapy blended with organic essential oils. This enhances your entire experience, elevates your mood, invigorates your senses, and helps maintain a cool body temperature.
Essential Oil Benefits
Essential oils have many benefits, and one of those can be helping you feel cool. They can be used on their own or as a blend.
Initially, I formulated Cool & Chill Body Spray for women experiencing heat flushing due to perimenopause or menopause. Our flower essence and aromatherapy cooling spray effectively regulates body temperature and is suitable for everyone, including children, men, and women of all reproductive stages.
Our synergistic alchemical formula has a refreshing scent of peppermint, spearmint, lime, grapefruit, sandalwood, rose otto, clary sage, and vitex (chaste berry).
Peppermint & Spearmint
Essential oils, like peppermint (Mentha piperita) and spearmint (Mentha spicata) oil, have natural cooling properties that are ideal for cooling the body. Spearmint is gentle and is well-suited for children when spritzed on the skin to help cool off in the summertime.
The key to this effect is an organic compound called menthol. Although menthol is not inherently cold, it can deceive the brain into perceiving a cold sensation. When menthol comes into contact with the skin, it triggers a protein called TRPM8, which is present in cold-sensing nerve cells.
Mint also soothes headaches, awakens the mind, and rouses the body when feeling faint.
Lime
Bursting with zesty freshness, lime oil (Citrus aurantifolia) cools the body by reducing body temperature and aids with fluid retention. It is also ideal for weary feet and a tired mind, refreshing sagging energy levels.
Grapefruit
Similar to lime, grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) essential oil has cooling and cleansing properties. It helps to reduce stress and lower elevated blood pressure.
Sandalwood
According to Ayurvedic medicine, sandalwood (Santalum album) is an essential oil that helps regulate the body’s heat, preventing excessive sweating, which can be particularly helpful for beating heatstroke. Its earthy and woody aroma conceals its subtle cooling properties, making it a unique choice for imparting a grounded and soothing sensation during hot weather, attributed to its α-Santalol content.
Rose Otto
Known for its pleasant aroma, rose otto (Rosa damascena) grows well in warm climates. Its cooling effect can soothe sunburn and hydrate and moisturize the skin, leaving you feeling fresh and revitalized. The essential oil can also reduce stress and improve overall wellbeing. Additionally, rose water can act as a cooling agent for the eyes.
Clary Sage
The cooling property of clary sage (Salvia sclarea) essential oil can ease skin inflammation by calming heat-related rashes and reducing redness. One component of clary sage oil helps alleviate menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes.
Vitex
Lastly, vitex (Agnus castus) essential oil eases emotional intolerance to heat and helps relieve heat-related symptoms of irritability, fatigue, and headache.
The synergy blend of these organic essential oils infused in our Cool & Chill Body Spray, along with specific wildflower essences, provides a holistic cooling experience for the body.
Apart from providing a pleasant, refreshing aroma, inhaling their combined essences invites you to take a deep breath, reinvigorating your senses.
Cool & Chill Body Spray Alchemy
What better way to cool off than by spritzing yourself to relieve the discomfort of being too hot?
Here are some tips I use for using Cool & Chill aromatherapy body spray to combat heat-related illness:
- Shake the bottle well before misting around your face and shoulders.
- Please do not spray directly on your face and eyes.
- Mist generously over targeted body areas: the back of your neck, upper chest, wrists, inner arms, and behind the knees.
- Reapply as needed.
Sprayed on swollen, hot summer feet, Cool & Chill Spray is easy to use. It is a soothing natural solution that will instantly cool you down and leave your feet feeling refreshed and tingly!
If a family member gets sunburned, you can help them feel better by spritzing their sunburned skin to cool it down and bring quick relief without causing further pain.
Children especially love the cooling sensation on their skin, the refreshing minty scent, and being spritzed!
Pro Tip: Store in the refrigerator for an extra dose of cool.
Resilience in Unbearable Heat
In conclusion, no matter where you live or what kind of heat you are experiencing, cooling down with Cool & Chill Body Spray has many benefits, including:
- Cooling extremities leads to regulating the internal temperature.
- It can quickly create a cooling sensation in your brain and bloodstream.
- Reduce headache.
- Heart rate and breathing gradually lower.
- Blood pressure returns to normal levels.
- Increased circulation can help deliver oxygen and nutrients to organs and tissues and redistribute blood to body areas that need recovery.
- Reduce your risk of injury, fainting, and flagging energy levels.
- Prevent cramping and stiffness.
- Helping to cool your mood, relax, and promote mental clarity.
- Support your skin’s ability to retain moisture.
- Help open up airways and make breathing easier.
Moreover, taking proactive steps to monitor yourself and limit your exposure to the sun with practical measures can prevent heat illness and help you stay more comfortable.
Lastly, add Resilience Ritual Essence to your drinking water for added fortification to endure challenging heat conditions. This beautiful essence from the sacred Arbutus tree will help you recover from overheating stress and support you in steadfast self-care.
May you stay Cool & Chill this summer!
All my aromatic love,
Vidya
