Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Breeze through the heat

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As the Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA)’s Met Office has announced, the Sultanate is experiencing heat wave conditions with temperatures soaring way beyond 40 in the coming days. Last Saturday, Muscat recorded temperatures in the high 40s and it is said to stay the same for the following week. As an expert from the MET office warned, the high temperature is due to westerly winds and is expected to increase and play between 41 to 42 C in Muscat. With this harsh temperature, numerous advisories were already sent out to ensure everyone’s safety. For car owners, they are advised to clear out flammable substances from their vehicles and to keep windows slightly opened to let out trapped hot air.


Even battery-operated gadgets and other flammable items are instructed to be removed from direct sunlight to avoid overheating. The heat is not only unbearable to humans but pets as well. While domesticated animals like dogs, cats among others are advised to be sheltered, people have also been requested to put out bowls or troughs of water so that animals can cool down and drink water. The sun is most potent between the hours of 10am and 3pm and it is best to stay indoors, or at least distance one from the sun as much as possible during these hours. It’s hot and humid and although the news of the heatwave was an unwelcome addition to the summer heat of the Middle East, here are a few things you can whip up at home, helping you give yourself a break from the burning sun and sweaty atmosphere!


Sunburn Relief Cream

Red hot skin or dry cracking skin after spending hours in the unavoidable sun can leave you in discomfort and in a prickly situation. Although it is best to avoid sunburns with regularly applying sunscreen and staying in the shade whenever possible, it is best to have some of this homemade relief cream ready for those days that the sun does catch up to you. Whip together a quarter cup of aloe vera gel with half a cup of raw organic coconut oil along with a few drops of lavender and peppermint essential oils and keep ready in mason jars in the fridge. Using a spoon or popsicle stick, apply the cream directly to the sunburnt area or just on your skin after a long day of exposure and without a doubt, you will immediately feel and cooling and calming effects of this amazing home-made cream.


A Cooling Spray


A refresher on the go is a must for those who are on their feet and out on the road all day long. Whether you need a quick spritz of coolness for your almost burning face or arms from the direct contact whilst driving, be sure to make yourself your very own cooling spray that you can chuck in your bag or have ready in your fridge at home. In a small spray bottle, mix together a quarter cup of rose water, five to eight drops of lavender essential oil (or peppermint oil for the extra fresh feeling), be sure to shake before every use and treat yourself to an aromatic refresher!


Activate The Cool Spots


The “pulse” points of your body are not only good to feel one’s heartbeat but also great pressure points to add a little coolness back into your system. “Pulse points” in our body are spots where our skin is thinner and closer to the blood vessels, these include the wrists, necks, insides of the elbows, ankles and knees, also included in the list are the tops of your feet and the forehead. If you’re feeling a bit uncomfortably hot, a quick way to cool the body down is rub ice or pour cold water on these areas and before you know it, you will be sure to feel the coolness spread through you, giving you back a little bit of that cool comfort.


Skin Soother


Sunscreen is important, especially when out in the daytime to keep your skin protected from the harsh UV rays but even so, the heat and humidity leaves your skin feeling irritated and clammy. Resolve? Make your own ice balms by freezing Aloe Vera, Lavender essential oil and glycerine. It not only soothes your skin and helps help from immediate skin damage, but it also calms the skin down as the glycerine puts back the much-needed moisture, the Aloe Vera heals and protects the skin and the lavender essential oil helps you relax.


 


TITASH CHAKRABORTY


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