Summer colds feel so unnatural. Just when we’re catching our stride in the heat of the season, ready to live in a bikini poolside for the foreseeable future, we’re stuffed up, fatigued, coughing, and retreating to our couches.
And on a weird note, summer colds are hitting different this year. In the wake of yet another wave of COVID-19, summer colds have people sheltering in place, wary of their loved ones’ well-being, and curious if they’ve caught a strain. While a summer cold feels like an evil paradox, it’s real, it’s normal, and it’s going around.
First and foremost, make sure to get tested. We want to eliminate the possibility that it is a new variant of COVID-19 so that we can treat ourselves properly and protect others. Next, we want to take care of our immune and respiratory systems immediately and effectively so that we can get back to strappy heels, slinky dresses, and a frosty glass of rosé ASAP.
While a hot bath might not be at the top of your list in the midst of the warm season, the heat will do your body good. Pack the tub with Epsom and magnesium salts and a few drops of peppermint oil. The hot water will encourage blood flow and circulation for speedy healing, the salts will expedite detoxification and ease sore or achy muscles, and the peppermint oil will invigorate your respiratory system and help you breathe easier.
If you have a fever, you can try a cold rinse when getting out, but otherwise stay bundled after and sweat it out. Finish by toweling off and slathering yourself in Surya Calming Body Oil to further soothe and nourish your body.
Kourt recently shared this tip with us: put peppermint oil at the base of your skull for congestion. “It feels so good and tingly and gives the best relief,” she says.
As if sleeping wasn’t already tough as temperatures rise, let’s layer it with a post-nasal drip and subsequent dry open-mouth breathing. Mouth breathing is the only option when we’re congested, but it’s really tough to achieve quality rest when breathing this way. Our throats become dry, we develop a cough, and it’s just straight-up uncomfortable.
Moisten things up in the bedroom with a quality humidifier or diffuser to bring some soothing scents to your space. Add lavender for relaxation and deeper rest, or peppermint to invigorate the nasal passages and add a coolness to the air.
Bonus Hack: If you have a stuffy nose, you can use this at-home trick. Simply press an ice cube to the roof of your mouth for 30 seconds for instant relief.
Vitamin C is a precursor for collagen and a powerful antioxidant, so we love this daily supplement as part of our daily beauty regimen, not just when we’re feeling low.
However, this free-radical scavenger definitely helps strengthen our immune function and should be in rotation year-round in our current viral climate.
This isn’t some new-fangled approach—we’re keeping it classic but calling on homeopathic formulations of vapor balm, like this Badger Balm Aromatic Chest Rub. Rosemary, peppermint, and eucalyptus create a calming medley that helps to break up congestion and bring vibrant heat into the chest. This brings buoyancy back to nighttime respiration so that heavy, dense, impacted feeling doesn’t keep you up through the night.
Get some good rest, and stay inside
Sleep is the answer to, well, everything. Restorative rest is when your body has the time to really work when it comes to healing your body. Block any light so you can get maximum shut-eye with this Slip Silk Rose Gold Leopard Sleep Mask.
The content provided in this article is provided for information purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice and consultation, including professional medical advice and consultation; it is provided with the understanding that Poosh, LLC (“Poosh”) is not engaged in the provision or rendering of medical advice or services. You understand and agree that Poosh shall not be liable for any claim, loss, or damage arising out of the use of, or reliance upon any content or information in the article.
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