10 Tips to Survive this Summer

HOT FAT SUMMER PT 3 #EFF 23

Continuing on with the HOT FAT SUMMER series. Again most of this week’s newsletter will be free except for the swimwear recs at the very end. I also link out to a few items throughout this week’s newsletter that might help you power through the summer, but there’s no affiliate links. If you find the below useful, please consider becoming a paid member. To all of those who have subscribed already, thank you for supporting my work.

2023 was the hottest summer on record in Japan. With temperatures regularly over 30 degrees (86 farenheit) closer to 40 degrees some days (104 farenheit), 2024 might just top it. Suffice to say, it’s bloody hot.

My body has changed, I’m older and fatter with more flesh touching flesh. Maybe it’s because the world is burning but I find myself struggling more with the heat. It’s a double whammy, where my tolerance has gone down (I did spend almost five years living in England where summer was often short lived) and the average summer temperature is rising.

And as much as I’d love to just avoid the worst of the heat altogether, for many of us that’s not possible. I often joke about flying back home to Brisbane for 3 months for the winter before coming back to Japan but logistically and financially, it’s a pipedream.

So here I am in the summer heat and like many of you, just trying to survive. I’ve come up with a series of tips that I hope will help!

1. Avoid the sun when it’s the strongest

   UV rays are strongest between 10am to 4pm so where possible, try to avoid being out in these times especially without protection.

2. Cooling down without air-conditioning

   Luckily I have air-conditioning in my current apartment (most apartments that have been built over the last 20 or so years in Japan do) however for most of my life I didn’t.
   
   There were times where I would sit next to the window just hoping for some sign of a breeze. But when I did have a fan and it was really hot, I’d fill a spray bottle with cold water, mist it over me and wait for the fan to pass my body, cooling me instantly.

   
   Another way to cool down is using a cold compress. First dampen a towel and then wrap it around something frozen before applying it on the forehead or neck.

3. Don’t set your air conditioner too low

   My friend delays turning on her air-conditioner every summer. She tells me that it helps her acclimatise to the summer heat.
   
   This year, I did the same. I waited for as long as possible to turn the air-conditioner on. And I tried to set the temperature higher, around 28 degrees/82 Fahrenheit if I’m in the same room.
   
   The Japanese summer feels like a sauna (surprise, surprise, I’m also notoriously weak at actual saunas). Having the air conditioner set slightly higher than I’d like not only saves on energy but there’s also less of a difference when I step out into the heat outside. I don’t know if it’s a placebo effect, but I think it’s made adjusting to the heat slightly easier.

4. Trap the cool air

   When we moved into this apartment several years ago, we just carried over our curtains. It’s now been over three years, and our too-long curtains are still holding in place. However I do eventually plan to replace them and when I do, I’ll definitely be investing in block-out curtains to help shield the room (and me) from the sun.

   
   Of course close room doors that are you aren’t currently using to help trap the cool air.
   

5. UV-cut parasols

   Have you seen or heard of these? They’re super popular in Japan and can ‘cut’ down UV rays by 90 to 99% and might help drop your internal temperature because it creates a veil of shade.
   
   This one below is 55USD from B-corp certified, Solbari and comes in a few different colour-ways.

   

6. EVERY BODY needs sun protection

   If you didn’t know, I used to prescribe to ‘clean’ beauty and one of the more pervasive myths is that we don’t need sunscreen. There is a general scientific consensus that we do need sunscreen but this issue has many layers like environmental concerns, worries about vitamin d absorption and outweighing risks from potential skin cancer to concerns about ingredient safety.
   
   Every body - regardless of how much melanin you have - needs to wear sunscreen, there has even been a term called ‘the sunscreen gap’ because Black people have not been significantly included in dermatology research and so therefore skin issues, like skin cancer in Black people have been overlooked and diagnosed at a later stage.

   
   Personally I wear UV 50+ every time I leave the house on my face and neck and regret skipping sunscreen when I was younger. I use Biore Aqua Lotion, it absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave a white cast. However I’ve also tried Ultra Violette before - both their mineral mattifying sunscreen and their supreme queen which has a glow. And I’ve heard some great things online about Black girl sunscreen.

   
   I’m not so great at topping up sunscreen, so I plan to buy a UV stick like this Beauty of Joseon one. I’ve noticed my lips also tend to get dry and burnt in the sun so I use a lip balm with sunscreen, plus hand cream with SPF too.

7. Anti chafing shorts and anti-chafe stick - YES, both.

   I bought a bunch of bamboo bike shorts on an archive sale via an Australian brand, Hara. I love their stuff but I think their sizing runs a bit small so they’re not on the directory just yet (I’m really trying to prioritise size inclusive and diverse brands).
   
   I know Nettle’s Tale has a pair of swim bottoms that can double over as workout shorts.
   
   Snag Tights also has a huge range of chub rub shorts (according to their website they are ethical, but I asked for more info about their manufacturing and they’ve yet to get back to me).

   

   I know a lot of people do anti-chafe shorts or the stick, but when it’s really hot and very sweaty and swampy, I find doing a combination is better.

   
   I currently use Monistat Chafing relief powder-gel and it’s worked well for me so far, but it’s one of the only things that I can get easily online while living in Japan. However I’ve heard lots of praise for Thigh-Rescue Anti-Chafe stick.
   

8. Wide brim hats

   I think hats are definitely the kind of thing that you could find at a thrift store or secondhand online.
   
   I don’t know if it’s entirely true, but I’ve seen a lot of pictures shared online with golfers taking off their caps and showing the protection was really just limited to the upper part of their face. So a wide-brim hat or bucket hat feels like a safer choice.
   
   If you’re looking to invest in a wide-brim hat, I found an Australian B-corp certified company, Will and Bear, that has a range of designs and materials (straw, wool, cotton) and stocks up to XL in some designs.

   

9. Belly liners
   These hand-sewn belly liners go under the belly to help absorb sweat and moisture. They come individually, are machine washable (on delicate), are 100% cotton and sewn by Sarah in the US.

   

10. Breathable fabrics
    For summer, I reach towards natural fabrics like cotton, linen and tencel. I’m also looking at the weight of the fabric.
    
    Natural fabrics tend to be breathable. I find that polyester - especially those used in activewear might be moisture wicking but I find them stifling to wear.

    
    HOT TIP: if you’re struggling to find summer clothes in your size, try checking out swimwear lines that do beach cover ups. You’ll often find flow-y button downs and shorts.

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Did any of these tips resonate with you? Any others you’d like to share?

The next part of the newsletter includes recs that are on the directory and is available to paid members only. Please support my work if you can.