Life Life Strategies A Reusable Ear Swab—and More Clever Items to Simplify Your Life We love the summer sun—until we get a little too much of it. For the pesky hair-part sunburn, there’s a mineral powder sunscreen that’ll do just the trick. No one likes an overheated phone at the pool or park, but an insulated phone bag will keep it out of the heat all day. And for the furry friends that like to sunbathe just as much as we do, a cooling mat will make sure they don’t get too toasty. By Claire Burch Claire Burch Claire Burch is an editorial intern at Real Simple. She is a journalism student currently in her fourth year at the University of Chapel Hill, with a minor in nonfiction creative writing. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on July 28, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: packagefreeshop.com 01 of 06 Cooling Dog Mat target.com Some pups aren't the best at doggy-paddling (no judgment!). This cooling dog mat still lets them feel refreshed and cool in the summer heat, even if they're land-locked. The magic is in the removable gel insert, which just needs a few minutes in the fridge or freezer to get going. Your dog will thank you later. 02 of 06 Reusable Q-Tip packagefreeshop.com $12; packagefreeshop.com This may sound a little gross, but hear us out (sorry, couldn't help it). Ditch the 100 pack in your medicine cabinet and replace it with one, easily washable swab you can use over, and over, and over again. Seriously—it will serve you up to 1,000 uses and comes with a travel case. Sayonara, single use swabs! 03 of 06 Sunscreen Part Powder amazon.com $34; amazon.com You know the feeling—you get home from the beach, jump in the shower and OUCH. Why is it that we always forget the scalp? Even when you don't forget, there's something that just feels wrong about drenching our hair in sunscreen. This powder allows you to protect that sensitive skin while keeping your roots free from lotion. Sprinkle some of Supergoop's powder in the hair, blend with your fingers, and enjoy a burn-free scalp. 04 of 06 Inflatable Pool Cornhole target.com $16; target.com Cornhole is a summer staple, and tons of fun until it gets too hot and the sweat from your brow starts dripping down and obstructing your view of the target. There's now an easy solve for this, a pool version. The set comes with two "boards" and eight bags for tossing. Just inflate them up and get ready to make a splash. 05 of 06 Infinity Neck Pillow store.moma.org $40; store.moma.org Mold this infinity neck pillow to fit you perfectly for any activity, not just napping. It's made of nylon and bamboo, which means it can be twisted or folded into whatever you need - a cushion for your face on the airplane tray table, propping your neck up for reading or even stretching to cover your eyes for prime relaxation. Think infinity scarf, but 10 times cozier. 06 of 06 Insulated Phone Bag phoozy.com $40; phoozy.com The dim screen. The slower response time. The draining battery… all frustrating symptoms of an overheated phone. Instead of putting it in the fridge (wait… you haven't tried that?), avoid the situation altogether with an insulated phone bag and get ahead of the heat. It's also germ proof (thank you, antimicrobial tech!), so your phone won't just be cool, but clean too. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit