Many of us love the heat and summer can be a lot of fun, but sometimes it can get a little much during a heatwave! There are also dangers attached when it gets too hot for too long like heatstroke.

That being said, here are some tips on how to stay safe and keep cool in the heat this summer.

Use your SPF

We may sound like a broken record, but SPF is so important! Ideally at least SP30 and broad spectrum protect is also best. Make sure to apply enough and reapply every two hours to protect your skin from UVA and UVB rays. Who wants to get a painful sunburn and increase our chance of skin cancer?

Don’t forget to protect you lips too with an SPF lip balm.

Avoid the hottest part of the day

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If you can, try and avoid going out in the hottest part of the day (between 11am-2pm). If you do have to go out in it, try to stay out of direct sunlight. Wear hat and protective clothing where you can and take regular breaks outside of the sunshine inside or in shady areas to avoid getting heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

You may also find that wearing light coloured, loose fitting clothing will help you keep cool during this heatwave.

Water, water water!

You’re sweating throughout the day in the summer heat, you need to make sure you replace the water lost to avoid dehydration. Water keeps your body temperature from overheating.  Sip fluids throughout the day to avoid getting dehydrated: are you carrying a water bottle when you’re on the go? Avoid caffeine as these will make you a little more dehydrated. Sports drinks and things like coconut water will be helpful as they will help replenish the lost salts, sugars and fluids.

You’ll also find that you can help keep your skin cool with water too. This may involve wearing a wet t-shirt if you’re out in the garden or using a cold compress or wet paper towels, this will help you cool down more quickly. Apply this on your wrists and ankles – these have a lot of pulse points where blood vessels are close to the skin and will help you cool. You could also carry a mister or cooling spray and cold showers will work well! You can even just run your wrists under the cold tap.

Keep your home cool

UK homes are not built for the heat so we must do everything we can to try and keep our homes cool. If you can, keep blinds/curtains closed to keep your home cool when the sun is shining, particularly during a heatwave.

Try to avoid opening the windows during the hottest part of the day: this will help keep the cool air in and hot air out. Opening the windows in the evening once the temperature has dropped can help let cool air circulate.

If you feel like your fan is just circulating warm air, try putting some ice in front to help cool down the room quicker.

Eat lighter meals

When it’s hot you might find that your appetite changes. Stick to light, well balanced meals that make you feel good. Eat food with high fluid content like strawberries. Celery and lettuce can help you keep cool and hydrated too: double benefits!

You could also stock up on iced sweet treats like ice cream and lollies to help keep you cool. Frozen grapes, berries and melon are also delicious!

Watch out for any signs of heat-related illnesses in yourselves and those around you – and enjoy yourself!