There are plenty of simple, scientifically supported techniques that will help you handle the heat. Here are a few:
1. Cool your hands first, not your face
An effective strategy being to immerse your hands in cold water for 15 to 20 minutes. Your hands have a high surface area to mass area – they have lots of blood flowing in them when you’re hot. If your core temperature is hot, your body will send blood to the extremities to lose heat. Immersing your hands in cold water won’t feel as nice, but it’ll cool you much faster than even an ice bath.
2. Avoid cold showers
Jumping into a cold shower may seem tempting on a scorching summer’s day. However, abruptly immersing your entire body in chilly water is, as strange as it sounds, a very slow way of cooling your body during a heatwave. Putting one area of your body in cold water is fine, but cover too much surface in it, and your body will constrict the amount of blood that reaches your skin. The secret to cooling down is to deliver blood to your skin’s surface and then gently take away the heat. Skip the ice bath and opt for a tepid shower instead. The ideal temperature will depend on your body and the heat outside, but water that feels relatively warm is the best option.
3. Reach for a hot drink
Yes, the old wives' tale is true: sipping a warm drink will cool you down faster than knocking back icy water. It’s not about trying to cool your body directly, but activating the systems – such as sweating, moving blood to your skin – that will. Eating spicy salsa will also chill your body in the same way. There’s one big caveat with this hot drinks’ tactic, however. If you do opt for a steaming beverage, best not to make it a coffee or tea. Caffeine, along with alcohol, can raise your body's metabolic rate, causing it to generate more heat. Remember, caffeine acts as a diuretic, leading to a faster loss of fluids from your body compared to other beverages. Caffeine-free herbal tea is a great option.

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• Complementary Therapies