Chill from the top down: forehead cooling pads

Too hot, can’t sleep. Too hot, can’t sleep. Repeat all summer – unless you’ve got an ice cold trick up your sleeve. Or on your head.

Ice pack under each arm? Hey, if it works…

Just like you can get kairo heat packs to use in winter, summer brings all the cool goods to the shelves.

Cooling sheets and other cool products often have the ‘reikyaku’ (冷却) kanji in their name. We’ve seen body wipes, hand towels, super cooling deodorant, hats and neckwear, bed sheets and pillowcases, and pet mats. And armpit cooling bags, for both adults and toddlers. That one was a surprise.

Forehead sheets are a winner for us. They’re convenient, simple to use, and feel effective from the start. Before you start sewing ice cubes into your clothes, maybe you’ll wanna give these a go.

No drugs, no scent, no noise, and no prep

If we’re being honest, forehead cooling pads are mainly for calming a fever. They’re not ‘medicinal’, just helpful. You don’t have to worry about it affecting any meds you’re already taking.

You can also slap a sheet on if it’s a warm night, if you’re feeling hot after exercise, or if you’re hungover.

Each sheet’s filled with gel, and that’s where the cool effect comes from.

The gel’s mostly water – around 70%. When it touches warm skin, the water heats up and starts to evaporate. That creates the cooling sensation on the skin. In turn, it helps lower your overall body temperature.

Simple science, but it works really well.

Cold as ice, without the brain freeze

Most cooling forehead sheets come in multipacks. Get the kids’ size if your head’s kinda small. You can also buy bright pink gel pads, for women and kids. Thanks for covering all the bases, Japan.

It’s okay to put a sheet in the fridge for a bit, so it’s even colder. Some are okay to be chilled in the freezer, too – but not all of them! Some brands say freezing their sheets affects the gel inside. So play it safe.

You should also be sure your forehead’s clean and sweat-free before sticking these on. Give your face a good wash – makeup wearers, that’s super important for you.

The effects last for 8 hours, on average. Pads aren’t reusable – peel off and bin. Doesn’t leave anything on your face, either.

Results straight from our own heads

Do cool pads really work? Only one way to find out. We tried out those foot detox sheets already, so…

When it’s hot in Japan, it’s harder to sleep. Sure, you can use the aircon, or a fan. But what if the sound of that keeps you awake instead? On a warm Osaka night in May, we put silent forehead cooling gel to the test.

Our pick was the ‘Netsu Sama-sheet’ brand. Found it at the conbini on the way home from work.

It’s wordplay time again! ‘Netsu’ (熱) is a fever, or heat. The ‘sama’ is from ‘samasu’ (冷ます) – ‘to cool down’. Samashi (cooling) = samasheet. Doesn’t work in English at all.

The conbini options were adult size and kids’ size. We went with the small ones, as a sampler. Turned out a little big for Kei-chan’s tiny chibi weeb forehead. Might even look for the baby versions next time.

They’re easy enough to use – peel off the back, move your hair out the way, and stick it on. Give it a good press, let it hug your wrinkles. You’ll feel the chill straight away. It’s stronger if you don’t have a fever, like having an ice tray on your head.

Along with the cooling time, 8 hours is roughly how long the sticky-ness lasts. That morning alarm clock goes off, you sit up… and the pad drops straight off your face.

Well, that’s what happened to us, so it must’ve worked. The pad was still cool when we tried pressing it. But it wouldn’t stick to anything any more. Took a couple seconds to bin it, then got on with our day.

Stay cool for the summer

If sticking gel to your head isn’t ‘a thing’ in your country, try Japan instead. DEJAPAN’s got enough forehead cooling sheets to keep you sleeping well all summer.