As the Southern ladies say, it’s not the heat that’ll get you — it’s the humidity. Honestly, it’s a combination of both that makes summer in the Deep South nearly unbearable. You could avoid venturing outside between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. from June through September, but between afternoon commutes, swim meets, and social engagements, you’ll likely need to rely on other tactics to stay cool. Living in Alabama for nearly 25 years, where temps can reach up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (along with 100 percent humidity), I’ve learned a thing or two about beating the heat. I’m sharing my wisdom and the products I swear by for making scorching hot summers more manageable starting at just $7. 6 Must-Have Cooling Gadgets at Amazon Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad Cooling Towel, $10 (orig. $15) 48% Off: Econour Car Winshield Sun Shade, $13 with Prime (orig. $25) Tunise Portable Handheld Fan, $17 Dreo Tower Fan, $70 (orig. $80) Energy-Saver: Miulee Thermal Insulated Blackout Curtains, $30 Huefull Facial Ice Roller, $7 with Prime (orig. $8) Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad Cooling Towel I thought everyone was in on the secret of these ingenious cooling towels until I recently discovered the brand hails from North Alabama. I’ve relied on them for years, from soccer games in my childhood to hot hiking and running days as an adult. The towel absorbs up to eight times its weight in water. As the water evaporates, users experience a cooling effect of up to 30 degrees. When it no longer feels cooling, simply wet it again to enjoy hours more of relief. More than 5,000 Amazon shoppers have snapped up this clever cooling product in the past month alone, and you can snag yours on sale for just $10 right now. Econour Car Windshield Sun Shade, $13 with Prime I park my black car with black seats on a black asphalt street. So on hot, sunny days, it feels like I’m driving in an oven. This summer, I’m taking precautions to prevent myself from burning my legs on a hot car seat or my wrist on the metal seatbelt buckle. I’m in good company with this sun shade, as more than 10,000 Amazon shoppers snapped it up in the past month. “Besides cooling the car, it also protects the dashboard and seats from UV damage, which means fewer cracks and fading over time,” one shopper noted. Tunise Portable Handheld Fan Having a compact fan you can throw in your purse, pool bag, or car can prove to be a lifesaver. This fan has six speed options and offers up to 18 hours of continuous runtime, requiring just an hour and a half to recharge fully. It includes a lanyard you can wear around your neck, and a head that rotates 180 degrees. It even doubles as a power bank to charge your phone. Dreo Tower Fan Don’t underestimate the wind chill effect a tower fan can provide. My first post-grad apartment had just one aging window air conditioner unit in Birmingham, Alabama, and a tower fan single handedly prevented me from melting. Like my own trusty fan, this Dreo pick oscillates to direct cool air throughout a room, but it also has smart bonus features like a remote control and a temperature-monitoring sensor that adjusts airflow accordingly. It’s whisper-quiet, too, emitting just 28 decibels of sound in sleep mode. Miulee Thermal Insulated Blackout Curtains Investing in blackout curtains can drastically cut down on your cooling costs. They provide a layer of thermal insulation to help prevent cold air from escaping while blocking out the sun and hot air outside. This pack of two blackout curtains is available in 23 colors and a variety of lengths to best fit your windows. Huefull Facial Ice Roller, $7 with Prime Although its cooling effects are temporary, incorporating a facial ice roller into your skincare routine feels amazing in the hot summer months. I’ve found it even helps to rapidly depuff my face, bringing down heat-associated redness.