If you love a high-intensity workout, live in a warm climate, or tend to overheat regularly, it might be a smart idea to have a cooling towel (or two) on hand! These are some of the most powerful tools for maintaining comfort and keeping your cool even in the hottest and most uncomfortable situations.
Okay, but why not just use a regular towel or washcloth? Cooling towels — especially our signature Cool Links® towels — are some of the most valuable pieces of equipment that you can use when you can’t stand the heat. More than any ice pack or damp cloth, a high-tier cooling towel can help to stimulate heat loss and improve your quality of life.
If you're interested in what cooling towels can do for you, you've come to the right place! Here is everything you need to know about cooling down with cooling towels.
What Is a Cooling Towel?
A cooling towel is a thin, absorbent cloth infused with water. Wrapping it around your neck or head cools your body temperature and helps you stay hydrated.
The best cooling towels contain water and are made of a material that doesn't absorb the liquid — like cotton or microfiber — so they stay wet longer and provide a cool feeling throughout the day. They should feel relaxed at first touch but not cold to the touch (that comes later).
A cooling towel works by drawing heat away from the body and into the towel. The water in the towel evaporates when exposed to air, creating a cooling effect on your skin and helping your body regulate its temperature more effectively.
A cooling towel can allow you to cool down quickly and avoid further issues if you're feeling overheated. Usually, all you have to do is wet your towel, and its cooling properties are activated. They’ll stay cold until your body heat naturally warms them back up.
Why Is High Body Temperature Bad for You?
High body temperature is bad for you because it can lead to heatstroke, a life-threatening condition.
Body temperatures fluctuate typically between 98.6 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. When your body is exposed to excessive amounts of heat, the hypothalamus reacts by sending signals to your sweat glands, which produce sweat that evaporates from your skin.
As this process continues, the blood vessels in your skin dilate (open wider), allowing more blood to flow near the surface of your body. This helps cool down your body by taking advantage of the evaporation process and transferring heat to the air around you.
Older adults are especially vulnerable to high body temperatures. When you're older, your body's ability to regulate its temperature is compromised because of changes in the hypothalamus, which controls your body's core temperature. This can lead to overheating, dehydration, and other health problems.
However, when these processes are overwhelmed by excessive heat, they stop working correctly. You can end up with an elevated core temperature (the temperature at which your internal organs function). This can result in heatstroke — a dangerous condition that can cause organ damage or death if left untreated.
You can lower your body temperature by drinking plenty of water and wearing loose-fitting clothes in light colors when outside in the heat, especially during physical activity or exercise. While cooling towels can’t prevent heatstroke outright, they can definitely help cool your body down when it needs it.
How Do Cooling Towels Cool Your Body Down?
Cooling towels are made from fabric that wicks moisture away from the skin. This makes them a wise choice for athletes, who can use them during intense physical activity to stay hydrated.
The human body has several ways of keeping its core temperature at a healthy level. One is through sweating, which helps to release heat through evaporation. Another is by increasing blood flow to the skin and muscles, allowing more blood cells to carry away excess heat from these organs.
When we use cooling towels, the fabric absorbs water from our sweat and releases it into the air as vapor. The evaporation process causes a drop in temperature in the area where you applied the towel — this is what makes it feel cool on your skin! This process also helps keep your body cool by removing some of its excess heat before it builds up too high inside your core.
This helps enhance the body's ability to naturally dispel body heat and return to average body temperature. It's almost like supercharging your body's natural air conditioning system. The water content in these cooling towels helps the body be more comfortable in extreme heat since the cool water helps dispel adverse effects.
Of course, focusing on other medical or at-home remedies, such as drinking cold water, and lowering your heart rate is essential. Remember to always drink water and focus on hydration when in higher-temperature environments. If you're looking for a way to enhance your body’s other natural cooling, cooling towels can work wonders!
How To Help a Cooling Towel Doing its Work
If you're looking to increase the effectiveness of a cooling towel and enhance the body's natural mechanisms for cooling down, here are some tips and tricks for cooling your body off!
- Drink coconut water or buttermilk:Coconut water and buttermilk have a high electrolyte content, so they can help keep your heart rate up and blood pressure regularly as your body tries to cool itself down by releasing sweat.
- Eat a watermelon:Watermelons are cooling foods containing high amounts of water and sugar, which means they will help keep you hydrated while also providing your body with energy when it needs it most.
- Apply aloe vera to your skin: Aloe vera is known for its ability to lower body temperature because of its cooling effect on the skin.
- Avoid spicy foods:Spicy foods can make you feel hotter, so skip the jalapenos if you're feeling too warm!
- Reach out to a health care professional:If you are getting to the point that you are uncomfortable and losing coherence, the best decision for your wellness may involve seeking medical advice. In dire situations, this is critical and can potentially even be lifesaving!
Why Cool Links® Are Better Than Other Cooling Towels
If you're looking for the best in terms of cooling towel technology, Cool Links® is here to help. While other cooling towels offer a basic system that will lose effectiveness in just a couple of minutes, Cool Links® works hard to ensure that its high-level cooling lasts for hours!
The primary way that we do this is by incorporating reusable frozen cubes into each of our towels. This combines the effects of cooling towels with a deeper freeze that penetrates deep into your muscle tissue, making our towels a two-in-one product that lasts much longer than typical cooling towels.
No matter where you're going, you’re going to want Cool Links® with you!
Conclusion
Whether you’re watching your favorite sports team, visiting a theme park, or hitting a personal best at the gym, you don’t want your body heat to ruin the fun. A cooling towel like Cool Links® is the fastest way to cool down no matter what’s bringing the heat.
One of the best parts about Cool Links® is that being comfortable and safe doesn't have to be all about function — at Cool Links®, we've got tons of color and design options to help you look cool while you keep cool. Check out our selection of different cooling towel colors on our website today, and start getting cooler in your day-to-day life!
Sources:
Top 5 WARMEST Places In the US To Visit This Winter | Travel Off Path
