Representational image.

The heat is on in the UAE but it doesn’t have to be as hot because, thanks to retailers, there are countless ways to keep your cool. Markets have changed in the last 10 years. Back in around 2012 I was desperately looking for Peppermint essential oil. I’d read and watched YouTube videos about this oil which had the unique property to cool you down within seconds of spraying it on your face and neck. But I searched everywhere in physical shops and no one had heard of this product or any other essential oil. There were also very few sellers online that handled products for the UAE.

Then as the years went by, the market sort of exploded with online sellers who did ship items to Dubai and even Dubai-based online sellers that sold items shipped from overseas. And even better, many of these local online sellers even accept cash on delivery. That’s my kind of seller.

So I managed to get hold of several bottles of this oil (even being able to find it in normal pharmacies). The idea is to mix into a spray bottle 10 or 20 drops of the oil with about 100ml of rose water and spray it on, liberally, all over your face and neck. The cooling effect is quite instantaneous.

Just like the oil, handheld, battery operated fans were also an elusive, almost unheard of item. I’d be traipsing into one electrical shop after another and no one had even seen or heard of such a thing. They had countless floor fans or desk fans, all of which were plug-in types but nothing battery operated. But now, of course there are fans galore with sizes to suit everyone’s needs. And the best thing is that all are rechargeable. You can carry them in a handbag and even just hold it in your hand.

Of course the air outside is hot so the cooling effect is limited but it’s better than nothing. I’ve even seen people wearing hats with fans attached so that it blows air over your head and face. I think these are designed specifically for outdoor workers who need to disperse the humidity but also need to keep their hands free to do their work. How well they work is a matter of conjecture.

There are even cooling devices for the neck. They’re C-shaped and you wear them a bit like a lanyard, the two front parts of the device apparently giving off cool air. Never used one or seen one in action so I don’t know how effective it is.

But there are other devices that you can use to cool yourself down indoors. How affordable they are, I don’t know. I suspect not everyone on a limited budget can afford such ‘extravagances’.

ACs aside, there are cooling mattresses and cooling bed covers that are designed not to heat up when you’re in bed. There are even pillows that stay cool during the night.

There are also, of course, the usual fans that you can use to supplement a badly performing AC but again, you’d have to find something that says what it’s supposed to do. And not all do. I’ve used a stand-up tower fan that has no blades but the air it expelled is almost non-existent. They have this shelf under them where you can place ice to enhance the cooling process but that’s a bit cumbersome to keep doing periodically during the day, and it doesn’t help the cooling process that much anyway.

When people feel a need for something, gadgets of all kinds flood the market. Some work and some don’t.

Then there are existing gadgets that are marketed more rigorously than at other times of the year. Companies are now advertising slush makers and cold smooth makers to cool you down. I don’t know about you, but when I’m feeling hot, the last thing that will cool me down is eating a sugar laden ice cream, or slush or smoothie. But people fall for such gimmicks. The effects of these beverages are momentary and short-lived but maybe the need to satisfy a sweet tooth overpowers the need to cool down?