By Andi Douglas, nwaMotherlode.com Beauty Buzz editor
I keep hearing this phrase “extreme heat” on the news anytime the temperature gets in the mid-90s and it makes me laugh.
Having just returned from a trip to Texas, where it feels like you are vacationing on the surface of the sun, I couldn’t wait to return to the cool mountain breezes of Northwest Arkansas. In fact, I drove everyone crazy talking about how it is usually 10 degrees cooler and longing for the beautiful shade trees in Arkansas.
Regardless of how good we’ve got it up here, the heat and blazing sun have made for a few uncomfortable trips to the park lately and I think we are all in need of some tips for staying cool.
If you are like me and apply your makeup on the go (at stop-lights and in parking lots, of course) your overheated makeup bag can make for some goopy mishaps. Enter the Cool-it Caddy ($40, cool-itcaddy.com). This insulated travel size bag has built in reusable coolant inside the case that, once frozen, will keep your cosmetics (or annoying must-refrigerate antibiotics) cool for up to five hours. Don’t want to splurge, use your kid’s icepack from their idle lunchbox in your regular makeup bag.
For a cool pick-me-up in the morning or a moisturizing splash when you come in from the pool, keep your skin care products in the fridge. This works great for eye creams and pads, because the de-puffing will be that much more effective. Also, stash your sunscreen in the cooler at the lake and prevent that runny mess that comes from overheated lotion.
As a naturally dry person, I really have to lather on the face lotion during these dry days to keep from looking like a flaky mess, but I get sick of the heavy feel of my normal moisturizer. Garnier Nutritioniste Moisture Rescue gel-cream ($8, Walgreens) moisturizes like a cream but feels as light as a summertime sundress. Okay, that was a little cheesy, but you feel cooler already, don’t you?
Have a question for Andi, beauty blogger and fellow mama (that’s her in the picture at right)? E-mail it to mamas@nwaMotherlode.com.
“Beauty Buzz” is sponsored by Hull Dermatology, with offices in Rogers, Bella Vista and at the Eureka Springs Hospital. Dr. Hull has published several scientific papers and has received numerous awards and honors for her work in dermatology. For more info, click here to visit the Hull Dermatology website.
