Beat the heat with frozen shower gel and chilled-out lip balm

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Alice Smellie road-tests eight beauty brands that promise to keep you cool
Cosmetic dermatologist Dr Hilary Allan gives her expert opinion on each
Soothe your scalp with mint shampoo, and refresh your body with sorbet

Published: 17:07 EST, 8 July 2015 | Updated: 03:03 EST, 9 July 2015

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Sweltering days and sweat-soaked nights are expected on sunshine holidays, but recently we’ve felt the heat in the UK, too.

To help you keep cool, beauty brands have created top-to-toe treats to chill you out.

Alice Smellie road-tested eight of them, while cosmetic dermatologist Dr Hilary Allan, from Woodford Medical, gives her expert opinion on their cooling credentials.

Sweltering days and sweat-soaked nights are expected on sunshine holidays, but recently we’ve felt the heat in the UK, too. To help you keep cool, beauty brands have created top-to-toe treats to chill you out

SOOTHE YOUR SCALP WITH MINT SHAMPOO

Scalpsync Cooling Mint Shampoo, Matrix Biolage, £11.99, amazon.co.uk

CLAIM: This shampoo harnesses the anti-bacterial and calming properties of mint leaves. It removes excess oil from the scalp, conditions hair and targets dandruff.

DR ALLAN SAYS: Mint contains menthol. When this is applied to skin, the temperature receptors in the body readjust so it feels cold, even though there isn’t actually an external temperature change. That cold sensation will certainly help wake you up, too.

ALICE SAYS: The light scent has just a hint of mint, like a sort of perfume top note. I rub it vigorously on my scalp and feel a satisfying tingling. My hair fluctuates between oily and dry as a bone, but after using this shampoo my locks are soft and grease-free. It costs twice what I pay for my normal shampoo, but is a surprisingly refreshing and effective treat.

7/10

Scalpsync Cooling Mint Shampoo harnesses the anti-bacterial and calming properties of mint leaves. It removes excess oil from the scalp, conditions hair and targets dandruff

FREEZING-COLD RELIEF FOR PUFFY EYES

Simple Kind To Eyes Revitalising Eye Roll-On, £4.99, superdrug.com

CLAIM: This contains cucumber extract and anti-irritants to help wake up and revitalise tired eyes. Roll around the eye area in light circular movements to gently massage and cool the skin.

DR ALLAN SAYS: There’s great science behind this. Coldness restricts blood vessels, so there’s less heat in the skin. The massaging action is also effective as it will drain fluid away from the area.

ALICE SAYS: As a hay fever sufferer, I’ve been in terrible trouble this year - my early-morning eyes look swollen and puffy. But running the freezing cold metal ball gently underneath my eyes immediately cools down and soothes the whole area. It feels blissful. There is little relief from the agony at this time of year, but this at least makes me look half‑human.

9/10

Refresh tired eyes with Simple Revitalising Eye Roll-On

BALM FOR WHEN THE WEATHER’S BALMY

ReVive Intensite Moisturizing Lip Balm, £36, harrods.com

The glorious sensation of freezing, smooth cream on my dry lips is so delightful that I close my eyes and savour the moment

CLAIM: ReVive products contain Renewal Epidermal Science technology, which stimulates cell renewal. Lips are smoothed and plumped using rich conditioners and emollients.

DR ALLAN SAYS: I’m not sure why you’d want to cool lips down and restrict blood flow, as most women want a more plumped look. The technology says it stimulates the epidermis to produce new cells, but I’m not sure how. Mostly it sounds like a good, moisturising emollient.

ALICE SAYS: I strongly disapprove of paying almost £40 for a lip balm. However, the glorious sensation of freezing, smooth cream on my dry lips is so delightful that I close my eyes and savour the moment. I only use it once a day (as you would at that price), but it is so effective that I am dipping into my usual pot of Vaseline much less.

6/10

JELLY TO MAKE YOU SHIVER IN THE SHOWER

Lush Whoosh Shower Jelly, £3.50, lush.co.uk

CLAIM: Chill, freeze or just use this bright blue jelly straight from the pot. Contains seaweed, lemon, lime, rosemary and grapefruit to refresh skin.

DR ALLAN SAYS: There is, of course, a cooling effect if you use it from the fridge, but I’m not sure there’s going to be much further drop in temperature from the citrus ingredients. They do have antioxidant benefits, however, which will help rejuvenate skin.

ALICE SAYS: I put the jelly in the fridge and scoop out a handful while taking a tepid shower. The heavenly sensation of rubbing ice‑cold jelly across my skin is as satisfying as the lather I work up. Also brilliant as a shivering cool‑down at the end of a hot shower.

8/10

Aveda Outer Peace Cooling Masque Instantly calms skin and reduces redness

MIRACLE MASQUE THAT UNCLOGS PORES

Aveda Outer Peace Cooling Masque, £31, johnlewis.com

CLAIM: Instantly calms skin and reduces redness with a blend of pure plant extracts, such as boswellia (used for its anti-inflammatory properties) saw palmetto and amla (for oily skin). Wintergreen oil helps to reduce sebum production and unclog pores.

DR ALLAN SAYS: This product contains a little alcohol, which takes heat from the skin as it evaporates. It will work well on oily and other skin types, but be careful if you have a tendency to dryness.

ALICE SAYS: My beauty routine includes weekly microdermabrasion - I blast off the top layer of skin with a hand-held gadget - which always leaves my face feeling very warm and looking red. I apply this creamy, green (like smooth guacamole) mask to my face afterwards. It instantly feels cold. After ten minutes, I wash it away; the redness has calmed down and my skin feels soft and plump.

8/10

GIVE DEAD SKIN A COOL BRUSH-OFF

Activbod Pick Me Up Scrub, £8, and Cooling Finish Lotion, £12, boots.com

CLAIM: The body scrub strips away dead skin with green tea extract, salicylic acid and micro-scrubbing particles, which exfoliate and refresh. Follow up with the Cooling Finish Lotion, which contains menthol and vitamin E acetate - a natural deodorising ingredient.

DR ALLAN SAYS: The alcohol and menthol will cool skin and the green tea is an antioxidant. But be aware that alcohol can irritate skin, so don’t use these on wounds or on sensitive or spotty skin.

ALICE SAYS: The scrub doesn’t so much cool as leave skin feeling invigorated and tinglingly smooth, but the astringent-smelling lotion actually feels icy on my limbs, an effect that lasts a few minutes.

7/10

SORBET THAT’S FOR YOUR BODY

Fuji Green Tea Body Sorbet, £8, thebodyshop.co.uk

CLAIM: This refreshing cool body sorbet contains antioxidant green tea from Japan. It provides a cooling sensation thanks to tiny balls called aqua spheres, which hold water. This water is released across the skin to cool it down.

DR ALLAN SAYS: This is interesting technology - a cold sorbet which releases moisture when it comes into contact with the skin. The effects will be temporary but refreshing; eventually your body heat will warm it up.

ALICE SAYS: After a 12-hour stint in the fridge the tube is so cold that it’s bliss just to hold it against my forehead after a jog, never mind the bracing sensation of the icy gel on my arms and legs. Keeping a product in the fridge is a bit of an obvious idea but really, when it’s scorching, why not?

As I smooth it on to my skin I swear you can feel the cold water being released from the aqua spheres. It absorbs quickly and the cooling sensation lasts a few minutes.

8/10

Clarins Energizing Emulsion For Tired Legs relieves fatigue and heaviness in legs with lemon and basil essential oils, as well as horse chestnut oil, arnica and witch hazel, which help to tone skin

GET HEAVY LEGS TO CHILLAX

Clarins Energizing Emulsion For Tired Legs, £26, boots.com

CLAIM: This lotion relieves fatigue and heaviness in legs with lemon and basil essential oils, as well as horse chestnut oil, arnica and witch hazel, which help to tone skin. Lightly massage upwards from your feet to mid-thigh.

DR ALLAN SAYS: If you apply a cool product to tired and hot legs it will give an instant effect. Massaging upwards drains the lymphatic system and helps with water retention, and stimulating circulation will help with the feeling of heaviness and heat. Menthol cools, witch hazel has healing properties and arnica is great for bruised or damaged tissue.

ALICE SAYS: The smell alone - fresh and herbal with an edge of menthol - is refreshing. As I massage it in, it feels as though icy fingers are working up my legs.

9/10