Traditional Chinese Medicine Summer Health Care: Daily Routine and Wellness

Summer routines generally suggest going to bed later and waking up earlier, to align with the natural shift from yang dominance to yin deficiency. The Huangdi Neijing states: "In the three months of summer... go to bed late and rise early, without resentment toward the long days," meaning people should wake up early to align with the abundance and strength of yang energy, and go to bed late to accommodate the deficiency of yin energy. With ample sunshine in summer, one should not resent the long, hot days but continue appropriate physical activity to adapt to the summer’s nurturing growth energy.Due to late bedtime and early rising in summer, sleep is relatively insufficient. After a morning of study or work, fatigue may set in, requiring a midday nap to compensate. Especially for the elderly, who often have shallow sleep and wake easily, and rise early, they often feel sleepy at noon and thus need a brief rest. Additionally, due to high daytime temperatures and excessive sweating, physical exertion is significant. Midday, with the sun directly overhead, blood vessels dilate, concentrating blood flow near the body surface, causing uneven blood distribution and reduced cerebral perfusion, leading to feelings of lethargy and drowsiness. A midday nap clears fatigue and revitalizes the spirit, enabling better performance in afternoon work and labor. However, the nap should not last too long—ideally under one hour. Caution: Even though the nap is short, one must still observe sleep hygiene.First, avoid lying down immediately after eating; instead, engage in light activity to aid digestion. Do not nap in areas with drafts or lie on desks, as this compresses the chest and hinders breathing. It is best to remove outerwear during a nap and cover the abdomen with a towel to prevent cold exposure.Summer sleep considerations: Avoid direct exposure to electric fans. Ideally, turn off the fan; if too hot, direct the fan upward toward the ceiling. Avoid sleeping outside at night, as summer heat causes excessive sweating and open pores, making the body highly susceptible to wind, cold, and dampness—severe cases can lead to numbness, paralysis, or facial nerve paralysis. Avoid cooling off too late before bedtime, and do not stay long in water pavilions, under tree shade, passageways, or balconies.The above discusses summer sleep wisdom. Now, let’s talk about summer clothing.Clothing should first prioritize comfort, followed by style, color, and aesthetics. Summer attire should be light, thin, and soft. The better the breathability and heat absorption of the fabric, the more effectively it helps the body cool down, providing comfort and coolness.During hot weather, the body can sweat about 500 ml per hour. Therefore, summer clothing must have good moisture absorption and evaporation capabilities to quickly absorb sweat and evaporate it. Fabrics with poor moisture absorption or overly smooth interiors cannot efficiently remove sweat, leaving one drenched in sweat and feeling stuffy and uncomfortable.Different fabric types have varying moisture absorption capacities. Tests show that at 24°C and 50%-70% relative humidity, rayon absorbs 10%-14%, silk 8%-11%, linen 8.3%-11.7%, cotton 6%-9%. Synthetic fibers have the worst moisture absorption: polyester less than 1%, viscose only 3%. Thus, even wearing loose nylon shirts can feel oppressive due to poor moisture absorption, preventing effective sweat evaporation. Therefore, summer clothing should preferably be made of artificial silk, real silk, linen, or cotton knitwear.Summer clothing should also have good breathability to aid heat dissipation. Fabric breathability depends on thickness and density—thinner fabrics dissipate heat better. Breathability also relates to weaving methods: fabrics with straight-through pores are better than those with diagonal weave patterns. Higher density reduces breathability. For the same material, doubling the density reduces breathability by 50%. Thus, thinner and lower-density summer clothing offers better heat dissipation and greater comfort.The size, fit, and coverage of summer clothing also affect heat dissipation. "Loose and transparent" summer wear aids cooling, but overly tight clothing can hinder it. Generally, smaller coverage means faster heat loss. Experts estimate that in a nude state, radiant heat loss is ten times greater than when wearing ordinary clothing. Therefore, short sleeves, skirts, and shorts are ideal. Among skirts, flared or dress-style skirts create better airflow when moving, making them cooler than tight-fitting ones. Openings in clothing (neck, sleeves, pant legs, waist) should not be too tight; wider openings promote ventilation and cooling. Jeans and tight-fitting clothes are unsuitable for summer. Tight pants restrict the evaporation of heat and moisture from the female genital area, promoting bacterial growth—leading to infections, skin itching, and urinary tract issues. Women should wear loose-fitting clothes. Similarly, men wearing tight pants gain more harm than benefit: they easily cause jock itch, hinder testicular development, and constantly stimulate the reproductive organs.Additionally, clothing color is important. Different colors absorb and reflect heat differently. Darker colors absorb more heat, while lighter colors reflect more and absorb less. Thus, summer clothing should be light-colored to reflect radiant heat.A note on women’s summer attire: While colorful summer dresses look beautiful, small oversights can spoil the elegance.A suit skirt gives an elegant and dignified impression, but some people cross their legs in public, which is unbecoming. The zipper and slit on the back of a suit skirt should align with the body’s centerline; if misaligned, it looks awkward. Rarely, some women fail to fully zip the skirt, which is embarrassing. So, when wearing a zipper skirt, occasionally check it with your hand.In hot weather, some people wear shirts with large collars. If the bra straps show outside, it looks unrefined. So, when wearing a large-collared shirt, opt for a strapless bra.Now, let’s discuss hat-wearing in summer.Intense summer sun can cause various adverse effects. Known components of sunlight are UV-A and UV-B rays. UV-A darkens the skin, while UV-B is harmful radiation causing cataracts, sunburn, and skin cancer. Over the past 20 years, skin cancer cases have surged—over 400,000 annually in the U.S. A U.S. study found that prolonged sun exposure triples the risk of cataracts. Statistics show that over 1 million Americans undergo cataract surgery yearly. In China, age-related cataracts are the leading cause of blindness among the elderly, accounting for 49.77%. How to protect the eyes? When exposed to strong sunlight, wear a hat—this reduces UV damage to the eyes by half. Which hats offer the best protection?Protection mainly refers to blocking solar radiation heat. Higher blocking power means better protection. Scientists tested: black plain cloth hats block only 1.6% of solar radiation heat; straw hats and white plain cloth hats offer the best protection, blocking 48.4% and 50.1% respectively. For women, consider these stylish options:Sun Hat: Provides sun protection and enhances beauty, adjustable for fit—ideal for young women or middle-aged women;Travel Hat: Made of nylon mesh, small crown, wide brim, larger forehead coverage, made of two or three colors. Women should prefer light blue, light yellow, or cream-colored hats;Foldable Hat: A single-color wide-brimmed hat that folds into a small circle, ideal in white, white with small dots, or light blue;Formal Hat: Flat top with rounded edge, moderate brim—gives a sophisticated look to young women;Round Hat: Fair-skinned individuals should wear dark round hats; darker-skinned individuals should wear light-colored round hats.Of course, protecting eyes from sun exposure isn’t just about hats. Wear tinted glasses or sunglasses to reduce UV damage by over 90%. In short, to keep eyes bright, always wear a straw hat and sunglasses when outdoors.Fourth, summer skincare.First, choose suitable cosmetics: Summer heat causes excessive sweating, so select the following cosmetics:Sunscreen: Most people underestimate UV damage compared to cold. UV rays not only tan the skin but also cause keratinization, loss of elasticity, premature aging, and serious conditions like sun rash and melasma. Sunscreen is essential. Common types include creams, lotions, oils, and fats—all reduce UV damage. Using sunscreen in summer is like carrying an umbrella, eliminating concerns about premature skin aging.Lotion: Made from about 3% fragrance and 70% alcohol, with added water. It has mild antibacterial properties. In summer, it can serve as a disinfectant—sprinkle on face wash water, bathwater, bedroom, living room, or on the body. It removes sweat odor, kills bacteria, relieves itching, and refreshes the mind, enhancing activity efficiency.Talcum Powder and Heat Rash Powder: Their functions are similar—cool the skin, absorb sweat, relieve itching. But both must be used on clean, dry skin.Perfume: Similar to lotion but contains no water. Its main purpose is to provide fragrance and aesthetic appeal, usable year-round. Perfume is typically applied to clothing, handkerchiefs, and hair.Second, skillful eye makeup: High summer temperatures mean some dark-skinned individuals cannot rely on makeup to appear fairer, as thick foundation quickly becomes messy. Those with darker skin tones can enhance their appearance by skillfully applying eye makeup. Use eyeshadow matching your skin tone—brown, orange—with corresponding pink and orange lipsticks. These colors blend naturally with the skin.For fair-skinned individuals, use pale blue or purple eyeshadow for a brighter look. Gray or similar shades for eyeliner give a cooler, more refreshing feel.Before applying eye makeup, apply a semi-transparent base to the eyelids and dust with loose powder. Use pale purple eyeshadow from the lash line to the eyebrow, blending evenly with no visible lines. Then, use deep purple eyeshadow from the inner corner, across the center of the upper eyelid, extending to the brow and tail of the eye, fading gently—no harsh transitions.Eyeliner can be brown or black. Apply with a deep purple liner from the inner to outer corner, then gently blur with a fingertip to avoid harsh lines.Finally, for a cool sensation, apply a very light touch of pale purple eyeshadow at the center of the forehead, blending softly. Apply the same light layer to the lower eyelid.Also, don’t forget fruit and vegetable beauty treatments:Cut leftover watermelon into chunks, apply directly to the face, gently rub for five minutes, rinse with water, then apply makeup. Twice weekly, skin stays soft and fair.Cucumber not only tightens and reduces wrinkles but also makes dull skin smooth and refined. Cut cucumber into small pieces, extract juice, dab onto the face with cotton, apply extra on wrinkle-prone areas. Use once daily—results appear quickly.Tomatoes are rich in vitamins, nutritious when eaten, and excellent for skin beauty externally. Chop tomatoes finely, mash into a paste in a bowl, add a little honey, apply to face and arms. Regular application keeps skin fair, reduces wrinkles, and maintains youth.Lemons have bleaching properties. To lighten skin, mix lemon juice with egg yolk, apply with cotton to the face (avoid eyes), leave for 15 minutes, then rinse with warm water. Use twice weekly—results appear quickly.Fifth, summer home decoration.In summer, first remove unnecessary or temporarily unused furniture to create more spacious living space. Families with resources can replace sofas and chairs with rattan or bamboo furniture—much cooler. Open north and south-facing windows daily to allow natural cross-ventilation, making the house feel cool and refreshing.Second, decorate walls, ceilings, curtains, and sofa covers with light green, light blue, gray, or cream colors. Cool tones create a psychological sense of comfort and coolness. Hanging a painting of "ice mountains and snow peaks" on the wall can also evoke a cool sensation in the mind.Also, install awnings above sunny windows to block direct solar heat. Noise is more annoying in hot weather, so creating a quiet, peaceful environment is key to feeling cool. In summer, keep radios and TVs at low volume. Parents should avoid yelling at children, couples should not quarrel or shout, neighbors should get along peacefully. In short, "a calm mind brings coolness"—quietness enhances the feeling of coolness.Sixth, avoid rinsing feet with cold water in summer.During intense summer heat, some people wearing light sandals or slippers enjoy rinsing their feet with cold water, feeling instantly refreshed. However, doing this regularly is harmful to health.Medical research confirms that the feet are the farthest extremities of blood vessel branches; the fat layer is thin, offering poor insulation; the foot skin temperature is the lowest in the body, making it highly susceptible to cold. Frequent cold water rinsing further exposes the feet to cold, which through blood vessels triggers complex pathological reactions throughout the body, eventually leading to various diseases. Additionally, the foot’s sweat glands are highly active; suddenly rinsing with cold water causes pores to close abruptly, blocking sweat ducts. Over time, this leads to sluggish sweat function. More importantly, when the sensory nerve endings on the feet are stimulated by cold water, blood vessels contract violently, leading to long-term dysfunction in dilation, potentially causing peripheral arterial spasm, erythromelalgia, arthritis, and rheumatism.Seventh, the science of using electric fans.In hot summer, turning on an electric fan brings a refreshing breeze, easing fatigue. Yet, doctors in clinics observe that many people fall ill due to improper fan use—mainly due to lack of hygiene knowledge and correct methods.Some people overly pursue coolness, placing the fan very close and blowing continuously. This causes rapid evaporation on the side facing the fan, significantly lowering skin temperature, while the opposite side sweats slowly, keeping skin temperature higher. This imbalance disrupts overall circulation and uneven sweat release, possibly causing headaches, dizziness, general discomfort, and in severe cases, stroke.Others, when overheated and sweaty, suddenly blast the fan, risking heatstroke. Sleeping with the fan on can also cause colds. How to use it correctly?First, avoid excessive fan speed: Modern science suggests indoor wind speed should be controlled at 0.2–0.5 meters/second, not exceeding 3 meters/second. Thus, avoid setting the fan too high, especially in well-ventilated rooms or areas with draft.Second, avoid direct blowing: Direct airflow allows pathogens to enter the body, especially when weak or drenched in sweat. Never blow directly on the body—best to aim the fan toward a corner.Third, avoid continuous fixed-direction blowing on any body part. Alternate between blowing and stopping, use a swinging fan. For children, elderly, and weak individuals, limit fan use—since "where evil gathers, the qi must be weak." Instead, use fans to circulate air indirectly for cooling.Lastly, avoid blowing air immediately after sweating heavily while sitting or lying still. At this moment, skin blood vessels are dilated; sudden cold air exposure causes rapid contraction, stopping sweat immediately, disrupting the balance between heat production and dissipation—excess heat cannot be expelled. Also, local defense weakens, allowing viruses and bacteria to invade, potentially causing upper respiratory infections, muscle and joint pain, or even abdominal pain and diarrhea.In short, using an electric fan requires proper technique—otherwise, what should be beneficial becomes harmful to health.