Essential Oils to Keep You Cool All Summer Long

The summer can get hot. Really hot. As you sit there, sweating and wishing you had purchased an AC – or maybe you’re out and about for the day with no time to relax in your temperature controlled home – it can feel like there’s no relief to be had, no hiding from the extreme heat that promises to remain for another few months. Well, with the right essential oils and a great strategy, you can keep cool all summer.

The Right Essential Oils

There are a multitude of great essential oils out there, but the family of oils that really help beat the heat are those with menthol. Menthol is known for it’s cooling sensation – it’s used in teas, candies, medicines, ointments and more to help with whatever ails us. You can use these cooling properties to keep you cool, too!

Peppermint

Peppermint has a ton of menthol. Peppermint essential oils are known for relaxing and easing tension headaches, muscles aches and general pain. It is also a stimulant, keeping you away if you’re feeling drowsy from the heat.

Spearmint

This softer-scented, fruity essential oil often makes it the preferred choice over the extremely minty peppermint. It has many of the same properties as peppermint, just on a lesser scale, since it has less menthol. It is also an antioxidant. Use it in a blend with peppermint to tone down the mint smell.

If you’re not a fan of mint, try these alternatives.

Eucalyptus

A gentler alternative to the mint-family essential oils, Eucalyptus essential oils are non-irritating, cooling, anti-inflammatory and decongestants. In fact, this is the best essential oil to use if you have a family or around children throughout the day.

Blend of Spearmint & Lemongrass

The soft menthol of spearmint is complemented by the sharp tang of lemongrass. The result is a blend that will refresh and cool you while the combined benefits of both essential oils work to keep you invigorated, free of pain and healthy.

All of the essential oils listed above will also help keep your sweaty skin free of the bacteria and germs.

A Great Strategy

Now that you know which essential oils are the best at keeping you cool, it’s time to develop a strategy for their use. There are four ways that we found would work best:

Directly to the skin

BUT FIRST – we must dilute:

For the menthol-based essential oils, it is important that you dilute them first. In a small bottle, mix 12 drops of your essential oil with 30ml/1oz of carrier oil, lotion, vegetable butter or other moisturizer. Make sure that you combine the two ingredients well!

For Eucalyptus and the summer blend listed above, try adding to coconut oil (there’s a reason coconut is a popular summer product scent!) – combine 1 drop of essential oil to 3 teaspoons of coconut oil.

Temple & Wrists

Once you have your bottle of essential oil mixture, you’re ready to walk around with a cool breeze in your pocket. When you feel overheated, put a bit of the mixture on your fingertips and apply directly to the insides of your wrists and to either temple.

Spray Bottle

Carrying water in a spray bottle is a common solution in the summer, but the water heats up and its effects don’t last. Adding essential oils to the water will make the cool feeling last longer, since the essential oils will be absorbed into your skin. For every 8oz of water, add 2 drops of essential oils.

Take your spray bottle up a notch by adding Aloe Vera as well – this will keep your skin hydrated and help combat any sunburns before they happen!

Cold Compress

If you’re stuck at home with no heat relief in sight, make yourself a cold compress:

Mix 4 drops essential oil with 1 tsp of salt in a bowl. Fill bowl with ice water. Soak a towel with the water mixture; wring it out. Wrap it around your neck. Sit back and feel the chill.

Diffuser

Yes, simply diffusing the essential oils into the air will help you feel cooler! If you’re on the go, try our Mini diffuser and take the relief with you.

Experimentation is your friend! Research and develop a strategy of your own, then share it with us in the comments. Just remember to mind the warnings on the labels – some essential oils shouldn’t be applied to the skin and some should only be used in small doses. Also, never use citrus-based essential oils before going out into the sun – they increase your risk of sunburn.