903 Sophie’s Heatwave Tips

I just wanted to give a disclaimer first; I am not a SUN EXPERT! I live in England so typically we see a bit of sun for 3 or 4 weeks a year, sit in it for five minutes and burn so red we look like tomatoes. I do think this is partly down to our lack of knowledge when it comes to the sun, sun safety isn’t drilled into us from a young age which is why we get burnt. On the other hand, we could ourselves decide we should google it, I mean we are capable of reading sun safety online so no excuse. Please do keep in mind I do not live in a sun-filled country, so you are most likely going to have bigger and better tips if you are outside of England.

I have already been burnt this year. I spent the day in the sun last week, I didn’t realise how hot it was going to be, so I was unprepared. I was not brought up with constantly being slathered in sun cream or badgered about using it, which is good if you ask me. It taught me to be responsible and identify/choose when I need sun cream myself. Products were always available for me to use; it was just left to me. If I wanted to be lazy chances were, I would get burnt and that would be my fault.

Lastly, before we get into my tips, please seek medical or professional help should you find yourself burnt. It can be very painful and dangerous if you are dehydrated as well.

My tips…

1. Have supplies in

2. Drink a lot

3. Do not rush

4. Breathe easy

5. Find shade

6. Have fun

7. Moisturise

8. Cubed Ice

Have supplies in

I mean get your sun creams, lotions, drinks, ice cream, after-sun, hats, and everything possible before the sun hits. If you get it in early, you are not stuck spending the price on the day you need it (which could end up paying a lot more than if you grab it while it is on sale). That is where the summer will hurt your purse or wallet. A good time to get things is the end of the season, the sales will be going strong. You might worry about it being out of date by the next year, incorrect in some cases. If you look at the label on the back, you will see a picture of a pot either open or closed with numbers. If the pot in the picture is open it will only go off once you have opened it, so keep it shut and you are fine. If the pot is closed, then maybe pick a different one.

Drink a lot

This goes without saying and I hope I do not have to remind you, but I am going to say it anyway. Drink as much as you can, I am bad with drinking water. I don’t like water, if I can avoid it, I do and that is bad. You may find you need the toilet more, but it is safer to be fully hydrated, especially when the heat reaches the 30s. The last thing you want is to find yourself suffering with is heat stroke, it’s not fun because I got it once. Sucks the fun right out of those sunny days. If you are going out, take a bottle of water with you, saves you from buying drinks here there and everywhere.

Do not rush

When it is hot, keep things calm. Don’t make yourself hot and bothered by making the heat unbearable. If you keep things calm, slow, and simple you will find yourself coping with the heat. No rushing, just walk leisurely, give yourself more time if you are travelling to work, enjoy the sun with a stroll instead of a brisk walk you would do in the winter. Running around for me is never fun but I don’t usually take things at a snail’s pace. England doesn’t often get to the high 20s but when it does, we do struggle a little, most places don’t have air-con, swimming pools, or fans in rooms etc so everyone quickly gets uncomfortable and goes to wearing less clothing. I don’t like to show too much, so I just try to keep my mind slow and calm that way your heart isn’t pumping over time heating your body while the sun is cooking the outside.

Breathe easy

This ties into the not rushing, to be honest, try not to huff and puff when you find yourself getting uncomfortable in the heat. Overall, it will make you feel the heat more which is the opposite of what you want. Your body then is working overtime to get your blood around to all those important organs. So, keep your body calm and slow but also it helps to keep your breathing steady. Trust me, you won’t regret it. Like, do not rush you want to keep your breathing calm, don’t get worked up you know. Just keep it calm.

Find shade

Again, this should be common sense. If you are spending a lot of time outside, find a bit of shade to spend most of your time in then pop out into the sun for short bursts. It is the safest way to be in the sun (as far as I know, please seek help from professionals if you are worried about anything after being in the sun).

Have fun

I don’t know about you but when the sun is out all you want to do is something fun. Not being near a beach can make it expensive, as you must travel if that be in your car or on public transport that will cost something than some places you pay to get in. The other option is sitting in the local beer garden, going to a lake, spending time in a park etc. There is something you can do, even if it needs to be after work even if it is simply getting yourself in the garden. Do something, anything you can that isn’t in your normal routine. You never want to miss a bit of sun in England as it is so limited.

Moisturiser

Now, if you are sensible, you will find yourself getting a nice-looking tan (if you are me then you will just find yourself burning). I have learnt this year that when you do get burnt, you need to drown the burn in after sun or Aloe Vera gel and then moisturise a lot. Once this is done, fingers cross by keeping it cool and hydrated the burnt skin may head towards the tanned side. Getting yourself some good body butter is a great idea too. You will feel a bit greasy, but your skin will thank you a lot in time. I find burns to be itchy so the moisturiser should help with this too as well.

Cubed Ice

A must-have, nothing is nicer to have for a nice cool drink. The ice keeps drinks cool for you for longer as well which is hard to do when the sun is out. An icy cold drink is perfect and refreshing when you are feeling hot and bothered. I don’t usually like ice in my drinks I find them too cold, also, I get cold easily, so I avoid cold things when possible. You can get plastic items which have water inside, they go in the freezer, and you can reuse them multiple times to save a bit of space in the freezer for bags full of ice. A long time ago we had cute elephant ones, I am not sure what happened to them.