9 Pinterest Hacks That Might Just Make Summer A Little More Bearable

    The real question is, where am I not sweating?

    Emily Shwake
    by Emily Shwake

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Hi, I'm Emily, and I think summer is trash.

    Emily Shwake

    Being hot makes me anxious, the humidity makes my hair frizzy, and there's basically nowhere I don't sweat. But will I let this season bring me down? Heck no. This year, I decided to try and find new ways to love every single minute of summer, so I took to Pinterest in search of hacks that might help me find some dang relief in the heat.

    Here are a few popular Pinterest hacks I tried to help me chill out this summer:

    1. Rub gel deodorant on your feet to prevent blisters.

    Emily Shwake

    HOW IT WORKS: Sweat + rubbing = blisters. The gel deodorant keeps your feet dry and lubricates your skin to reduce friction.

    DID IT WORK? YES!!!

    THE RESULTS: These sandals have been taunting me from the back of my closet for months now, after they gave me some serious blisters the first time I wore them. However, I never back away from a challenge, so I covered my feet with some $3 gel deodorant, laced up my sandals, and hit the pavement once more.

    And guys...it worked! In addition to keeping my feet from sweating (and causing friction), the deodorant created an invisible-yet-protective film around my skin. I made it the whole day without a single blister, and that's saying a lot because I am always on my feet. My one tip if you plan on trying it out: Apply the deodorant a few minutes before you actually put on your shoes to give it time to dry.

    2. Line the underarms of your white tees with pads or pantyliners to keep them dry and free of ugly sweat stains.

    Emily Shwake

    HOW IT WORKS: The pantyliner is thin enough to not be noticed under a white shirt, and soaks up any sweat that would otherwise create very noticeable stains.

    DID IT WORK? Totally!

    THE RESULTS: OK, so, it's kind of hard to tell in the photo, but there is a *literal* pool of sweat in the liner-free right pit of my tee, while the left one remained dry, thanks to the liner. Still, I have mixed feelings about this hack. On the one hand, it's relatively subtle, I am so much drier, and I don't have to spend 20 minutes pre-treating all of my sweat stains. On the other hand, it's a little wasteful (so many liners!) and a tad uncomfortable. I think a smaller pad would be less obtrusive, but I probably won't try it unless it's an unbearably hot day and I'm set on wearing a white tee.

    3. And stick pantyliners to the inside of a bra to soak up boob sweat.

    Emily Shwake

    HOW IT WORKS: Your boob prison is a sauna and the pantyliners soak up the sweat that's creepin' towards your underwire. It's basically the DIY version of a store-bought bra liner. Like the t-shirt hack, I only tried this on one side of my bra for the sake of comparison.

    DID IT WORK? Eh...a little bit?

    THE RESULTS: This was pretty underwhelming compared to other hacks. I didn't feel the pantyliner on my bra, which was a plus, but I also didn't experience a significant amount of relief. My right boob felt mildly dryer than my left boob. So it helped, but probably not enough that I'll do it again.

    I invite all of my big-boobed babes to give this a try though, because you have nothing to lose and everything to gain! I'm just gonna stick to wearing bralettes on extra hot days. It's not like they're supportive by any means, but hey, gotta do whatcha gotta do when it's a bajillion degrees outside and you're starting to sweat.

    4. Freeze a clean, wet sponge to make an ice pack for your lunch.

    Emily Shwake

    HOW IT WORKS: The sponge freezes in the bag, and soaks up the water when it melts so you can reuse it over and over again without replacing the water or worrying (much) about a spill.

    DID IT WORK? Yup!

    THE RESULTS: I didn't really get the point of this hack at first, but I actually think it's awesome! It's not as heavy as regular ice packs, and the sponge kept my lunch cold. The water didn't totally melt until around noon — perfect timing! Once it did, there was almost no water in the bag because the sponge had soaked it up. This hack is gonna come in handy when I forget to put my lunch in the fridge and risk getting food poisoning for the 800th time.

    5. Place a pint of ice cream in a Yeti tumbler with ice in the bottom so it doesn't melt into soup.

    Emily Shwake

    HOW IT WORKS: Take the cap off a pint of ice cream and put the carton inside a 30-ounce Yeti tumbler, which is supposed to keep beverages cold for over twelve hours. A few ice cubes in the bottom should keep the ice cream even colder.

    DID IT WORK? Nah.

    THE RESULTS: This was a huge bummer because I thought this hack made total sense and ice cream is all I wanna eat when I'm hanging out outside. First of all, it fits, but you have to squish the carton to actually put the cap on which is a lil messy. Second, it was only outside for three hours before the top layer turned soupy. Further down, the ice cream was still a good consistency, but idk, a Yeti is heavy so if I'm gonna carry around, I better have a good reason.

    6. Rub petroleum jelly on your thighs to reduce chafing.

    Emily Shwake

    HOW IT WORKS: The petroleum jelly lubricates your thighs so they slide past each other instead of rubbing and pulling the skin.

    DID IT WORK? Yeah, but ugh.

    THE RESULTS: I've always used baby powder to prevent chafing, but I wanted to give this petroleum jelly trick a try because so many people — including runners and bikers — swear by it. After walking around with freakin' goo on my legs all day, I simply do not understand why. Like, sure there's no chafing, but it feels so gross. I'm definitely going to stick to baby powder, which absorbs the moisture instead of lubricating.

    7. Spray yourself with diluted peppermint oil to cool down if there's no AC around.

    Emily Shwake

    HOW IT WORKS: You know how water feels extra cold when you drink it after chewing minty gum? This kind of works the same way. Peppermint oil has properties that create a cooling sensation whether you ingest it or put it on your skin.*

    DID IT WORK? Ahhh, yes.

    THE RESULTS: This spray was surprisingly refreshing. Story time: I went dancing with some pals at 6 p.m. on a Friday, which meant I had plenty of time to get all face-sweaty before my 9 p.m. dinner plans. (No, I cannot explain my life choices so please don't ask.)

    I thought the spray would just make me look and feel even damper, but it was a very fine mist — it kinda feels like putting on a makeup setting spray. It definitely could've been a placebo effect situation, but I swear, I felt a cool relief. I put five drops of peppermint oil in this three-ounce bottle, topped it off with water, and it seemed just potent enough. Whether it's legit or not, my face was cool by the time I made it to the restaurant. And I smelled like peppermint!

    *Note: Do a patch test before using on your face, by applying the spray to the inside of your elbow and wait 24 hours for a reaction to appear. If there's no adverse reaction, you're good to go! While I felt totally fine, the oil may be a bit too intense for people with sensitive skin. Just be very sure to avoid the eye area!

    Fin more information like this in Essential Oils: All-natural remedies and recipes for your mind, body and home. Get it from Amazon for $13.56, from Barnes & Noble for $15.96, or find it at your local bookstore on IndieBound.

    8. And put a cup of ice water in front of a fan to hack an AC.

    Emily Shwake

    HOW IT WORKS: The warm air heats the ice water, while the ice water cools the air.

    DID IT WORK? Sort of?

    THE RESULTS: Full disclaimer, it's not really powerful enough for me to call this little baby fan an air conditioner, but the ice water does chill the air, which really surprised me because I thought this trick was total baloney. It created a refreshing breeze instead of just blowing hot air in my face. If I want to cook at all this summer in my hot-ass kitchen, I'll take what I can get. If you've got a bigger fan than this one, the trick will probably work a whole lot better. You can also freeze large water bottles and stick them in front of the fan. They'll make the air cooler and stay cold for a lot longer.

    In conclusion, even though not all of the hacks worked, I feel so much more prepared for the rest of the summer.

    I'm absolutely thrilled I can wear sandals now that I have a great blister prevention hack. And on those particularly hot days, I'll definitely be lining my white shirts with pantyliners — a little sweat is not gonna stop me from putting together a great outfit. 😎 I'll also definitely be carrying my trusty peppermint spray in my purse every day for the rest of this heckin' season. Good luck out there, kiddos!