You know how when it’s winter all you wish for is summer?
Ahhh the irony of how, when it’s summer, all you can think about is cooler weather.
Summer brings heat everywhere and humidity in many places — and nothing can make camming harder than feeling sticky and hot. Also, sweating on camera in almost any context isn’t a good look.
How can you combat this and enjoy the summer weather whilst still performing? An obvious solution is massive air conditioning, but this can get seriously pricing. (In the U.S, air conditioning costs an average of over $125 per month in some places, a figure that’s certainly rising with the heat!) Also, depending on the age and state of things like window sealing and glass, as well as your home’s overall insulation, it could be that no amount of AC will even be effective. Also, air conditioning can be noisy, which is an additional factor to think about when you’re broadcasting.
Given all this, here are ten easy tips to keep your cool in the summer heat.
Cotton, Cotton, Cotton
If your cam space includes a bed, a must have in the summer is cotton sheets. They will stay much cooler in the heat than synthetic fabrics or silk. Cotton is kind to hot skin too.
If you know you’re going to be going on cam fold your sheet and pop it in the freezer beforehand. If you cam from your sofa drape a chilled flat sheet over it. This will give you a cool space to keep your temperature down (whilst raising your audience’s).
The same cotton rule goes for lingerie. Whilst lingerie is sexy, wearing satin and silk in the heat isn’t. If you’re even slightly sticky, the fabric will slick against your skin making things even worse.
Keep your fabrics loose and light for summer camming. A simple bra and panty set with a loose white cotton shirt over it is a sexy option. If it gets too much, reduce it to the bare minimum. I doubt your audience will complain.
Utilize your fans.
Fans aren’t just for buying clips you know! Keeping air circulating will make a huge difference to your temperature.
If you have a ceiling fan, set it to run counter clockwise so it will lift the hot air away from your performance space. Using a floor fan can add some much-needed upwards air movement without ruining your shot. Placing a dish of ice in front of fans will create a cooler airstream. Open your windows and create a blow through to prevent your work area getting stuffy.
Water, Spritz and Ice
Let’s start with the obvious here. Taking a cold shower before performance can reduce your body temp, but there are so many other cooling tactics for water.
Invest in a bottle mister and fill it with ice water. Keep this in your cam space and use it to freshen up. It can also be sprayed onto your sheets for added cooling. This cam clever take is adapting the “Egyptian Method” of cooling, but enabling you to keep working.
Cool your body temperature quickly by chilling your pulse point. Applying icepacks or cold water to your wrists or the backs of your knees will cool your blood as it circulates. This is a great tip during short breaks to prepare for your next stint. A wet cloth or towel kept in the fridge and placed behind the knees or on the back of the neck feels great and cools that blood.
Try keeping a bowl of icy water in your workspace and submerge your feet in it for quick relief from the heat. The feet are covered in close surface veins and arteries and allow the blood to cool very quickly, while the ice water will refresh you as well.
Hydration
Keep hydrated! This sounds like such obvious advice, but camming is hot, sweaty work. Every time you perform, you’ll be losing vital fluids. Keep a ready supply of cool water in your workspace and remind yourself to drink regularly. Dehydration is the quickest way to put yourself on the bench in the hot weather.
Try to avoid caffeine and alcohol if you can, and don’t wait till you’re thirsty to drink!
Old Skool Wet T-shirt Contest! (Show)
The appeal of the wet shirt should never be underestimated – and this is just one way to utilize water as part of your show!
Soak yourself and treat your audience to a soapy carwash without the car. Using cool water will ensure as their blood heats up yours will still be cool as a cucumber. Or perhaps incorporate ice into your summer cam shows. Be creative and have fun with it.
Pull the Blinds, Skip the Lotion
Keep your blinds closed in your cam room. Whilst the sun streaming through the window may bring super positive vibes, it also creates a greenhouse effect — especially in small spaces. Keep the glare off the glass with a blackout blind or drape.
Avoid wearing body lotion. This will make you feel sticky and can trap the heat next to your skin. Try using an aloe vera aftersun gel instead, keep this in the fridge for adding soothing on hot skin.
Utilizing some of these will keep you fresh and cool on cam in the heat. No need to dread the mercury rising anymore!
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Katy Seymour is a super-sex-positive writer in the U.K. who believes kink is life. Email her at katy@ynotcam.com.
Summer has been cruel since the ’80s! (at least)
Image via Sarah Lee.
