Herbal Blog

How to Keep Cool in Summer: Best Summer Cooling Herbs and Tea Recipes

Ice-cold summer cool herbal drinks, with strawberries, put on a grass green background, reflecting an article on best summer cooling herbs for refreshment.

Summer is in full swing and all of us here are excited! We love the warm breeze that flows through our windows, the smell of freshly mown grass, and the ice-cool drinks that we enjoy during a hot summer day.

We also know that summer can be hard on the body, though—especially when it’s way too hot outside.

As temperatures rise now that we are in the middle of summer, keeping cool may be harder to do each day.

Did you know some cooling herbs can help with this?

You can cool your body down and fight the burn with these summer cooling teas and herbal remedies in a matter of minutes!

Summer Cooling Herbs – Properties

Cooling herbs, also known as “refrigerant” herbs, tend to make the body contract and restrict energy, rather than stimulate it (which would be a characteristic of heating herbs).

While heating herbs often make energy move outward in a way that speeds up our circulation, cooling herbs are ideal for summer because they do the opposite.

They can cool and constrict the body and have a soothing effect on people with high temperatures, as well as those who may be experiencing anxiety or depression.

Summer cooling herbs can help:

  • Bring your body temperature down
  • Release trapped heat
  • Even provide alternatives to manufactured suntan lotions and afterburn treatments!
A nicely looking green photo listing the beneficial properties of summer cooling herbs.

The taste of these summer herbs is normally bitter, sour, and/or sweet.

They magically work to help cool the body, soothe the burned skin, and gently fight inflammation when the summer sun is inescapable.

What better than these summer medicinal herbs to make amazing summer herbal teas and even cocktails that help you enjoy your summertime?

We’ve put together a list of cooling herbs that can help you stay cool and soothed this summer.

Don’t sweat – we also talk about how exactly you might use these cooling herbs for summer and incorporate them into your wellness routine.

Our Top List of Summer Cooling Herbs

Peppermint Cools the Heat and Inflammation

Think cool? Think minty.

We have to start the list with Peppermint as this is a powerhouse herb that will provide so many cooling benefits in summer.

Peppermint tea flavour is widely famous and loved for its minty, cooling aroma.

It is one of the most popular and important cooling herbs for inflammation.

Peppermint boasts inflammation-reducing, anti-fungal, and even antimicrobial properties that can serve a host of purposes.

Peppermint Summer Herbal Tea Recipes and Uses

Use peppermint to make a cooling summer herbal tea by allowing it to cool to room temperature for calming and soothing sips.

It’s one of the best teas for summer!

Peppermint Summer Tea Recipe

Pour a cup of boiled water over 1 to 2 teaspoons of peppermint tea.

Let it steep for 5-10 minutes. Cool it off and add ice cubes as per your liking.

You can drink it up to 3 times a day.

Or maybe that freshly squeezed pitcher of lemonade needs some mint to add an extra cooling effect to your refreshing drink?

The anti-inflammation properties can help reduce swelling caused by the heat of the summer on your body.

Peppermint is also a wonderful cooling herb for skin.

Remember that cool mint tea from above?

You can apply it to your skin with cotton pads to help reduce the discomfort of a sunburn.

We should mention the tea should be super strength to get the best results possible on your irritated skin, so feel free to add one more peppermint teaspoon to the recipe above.

Buy Peppermint Tea Here

Lavender Eases the Burn

Another one of the amazing cooling herbs, lavender is a powerful one to help you cool down after suffering a sunburn.

Lavender has long been touted as an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic-bearing herb.

Lavender Summer Herbal Tea Recipes and Uses

We would not want to be remiss in mentioning that lovely lavender makes a great cooling summer herbal tea, but also a great soothing ally in helping your de-stress and relax.

Lavender Summer Tea Recipe

Pour a cup of hot (not boiled) water over 1 teaspoon of lavender flowers.

Let it steep for 5-10 minutes. Strain and let it cool off. Drink up to 3 cups on a hot summer day.

During the hot months, brewing a stout version of the tea is best.

Sit back and inhale all those lovely calming aromas as you take this amazing anti-inflammatory and health-boosting liquid to help soothe and heal inside and out this summer.

The soothing lavender scent is known to calm the senses. This allows you to sleep more restfully, even when your skin might be afflicted with a painful sunburn.

Make sure you include this herb in your first aid kit of summer cooling herbs!

Buy Lavender Tea Here

Hibiscus Flower Cleanses and Balances the Body Hydration

Hibiscus Flower can provide cooling support a little differently than peppermint and lavender.

This herb works on cleansing and balances the body hydration, having light diuretic effects on the body.

Blockages in joints and muscles common in hot situations need to move out to align the body and cool down by virtue.

Hibiscus helps ensure your body is working at a premium by getting rid of any blockages that might be occurring internally, so you feel cooler without those heat produced issues.

Additionally, lethargy, loss of appetite, and even fluid retention in serious heat exhaustion situations can be eliminated with this lovely summer cooling herb.

Hibiscus Flower helps to flush that trapped excess fluid and balances hydration, keeping you cool and feeling your best in summer.

Hibiscus Summer Herbal Tea Recipes and Uses

The taste of hibiscus is sour and floral, an excellent summer relief!

Hibiscus Flower can be brewed into a tea and served as a cool drink which packs a powerful healing punch.

Hibiscus Summer Tea Recipe

Put a teaspoon of hibiscus flowers into a 200ml cup of boiled water. Cover it and let it steep for 10 minutes. Strain and cool. Drink a cup up to 3 times a day.

You may want to add honey or lemon to really bring out the flavours.

However, hibiscus flower tea isn’t where the fun ends!

Use cool hibiscus tea base to create amazing summer cocktails, or with a little sweetener and lime – a great drink for your summer gathering.

Need an all-over refresh?

Use hibiscus in your herbal bath to unclog pores, cool, tone and cleanse your skin to make the most of the rich health benefits of this summer cooling herb, also famous for its anti-ageing properties.

Buy Hibiscus Flower Tea Here

Lemon Balm Cools the Hot

Lemon Balm is one of the best herbs for cooling the body.

This is one herb whose scent only can calm, soothe, make you forget the blistering heat and relax.

It has amazing sedative-like properties to help expel excess heat and bring calm during those long summer days.

Lemon Balm Summer Herbal Tea Recipes and Uses

Not only does Lemon Balm herb help ease stress, but it also has an amazing taste for iced tea additives—or on its own as a flavourful tea.

Lemon Balm Summer Tea Recipe

Pour a cup of boiled water over 2 teaspoons of Lemon Balm. Let it steep for 5-10 minutes. Cool it off, add some ice cubes, honey, or lemon as per your liking. Drink 3 times a day.

Many use Lemon Balm to help ease emotional turmoil or tension and restore balance in the body. For example, expelling and working too hard stores the heat in swollen joints or irritated skin.

It should also be mentioned that a liquid extract of Lemon Balm can be a great bug repellent due to its smell. So, to prevent those itchy, burning bug bites, use this extract (tincture) and also apply this herbal tea onto your skin.

A great summer cooling and relief herb!

Buy Lemon Balm Tea Here

Bonus Herbal Summer Drink Recipes

1. Hibiscus and Peppermint Tropical Mix Recipe

Talk about joy in a cup when you see the deep red colour of this summer drink!

The peppermint has a cooling effect, while the hibiscus will give this mix a summer tropical flavour.

Put 1 tablespoon hibiscus, 1 tablespoon peppermint in 1 quart of hot water. Cover it and let It brew for 10 minutes. Strain, cool off, and serve over ice.

Any leftovers?

You can make this in greater quantities and store it in the fridge up to a few days!

A recipe for a tropical summer herbal mix refreshment drink made out of hibiscus and peppermint.

2. The Icy Mint Family Summer Tea Recipe

Combine 1 teaspoon of dried Lemon Balm leaves and 1 teaspoon of dried Peppermint.

Optional: Add 1 tablespoon of dried chamomile flowers.

Pour 4 cups of boiling water over this herbal combination, mixing it in a large pitcher or bowl.

Let it steep for 10 minutes. Strain and then pour into a clean pitcher.

Add 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 to 2 cups of ice cubes.

Drink on a hot day!

3. Hibiscus Summer Aqua de Jamaica

This herbal drink is as refreshing as it is easy to prepare!

Boil 4 cups of water and remove from heat.

Add ½ cup of natural cane sugar and ½ cup of Hibiscus Flowers.

Cover and steep for 15 minutes, then strain well and pour into a pitcher.

Add 3 cups of cold water and orange slices.

Delicious!

Beat the Summer Heat and Let us Know: What is the Coolest Summer Herb?

As anyone stuck outside on a sizzling summer day knows, it’s no fun and it can take a toll on our bodies.

Your swollen joints trap heat and fluid, your skin can become burned, your body may become unbalanced without proper hydration, and you feel as if the heat is simply overwhelming!

These cooling teas and natural remedies for summer are easy, quick, and affordable ways to keep you refreshed in the scorching hot.

So, why not brew some of these summer teas?

Add these great cooling herbs to your favourite summer drinks and you’re prepared to beat the summer heat naturally this year.

From natural summertime skin soothing compress made of Peppermint to a wonderful calming Lemon Balm tea, make this one of your coolest summers ever!

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