Top tips for surviving the London tube this summer

Erg, is there anywhere worse than the London Underground in a heatwave? It's like an entirely different world down there: a hostile micro-climate full of semi-naked Londoners stress-sweating onto one another. The air isn't only thick with pollutants and chemicals, there's barely any of it left for you to breathe thanks to the many fleshy bodies squashed onto the carriage and / or platform.

Sadly, it doesn't matter how chic, cool and collected you were sat in the beer garden with your glass of wine. When the time comes to travel anywhere at all, you'll immediately look and smell as though you've spent three days crawling to your destination with a ham on your back. It is the worst thing about living in London. But we have the secrets to coping: these are the things you need whenever you attempt to travel across London this summer.

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Sunglasses so you can avoid eye contact with 'the stare-ers'


Clockwise from left: £70, Guess by Marcolin; £270, Bottega Veneta; £170, Swarovski by Marcolin; £259 Courègges

Growing up, it seemed that every London mother's mantra was: 'it's rude to stare'. And yet, take yourself on a quick trip on the Northern line, and you'll discover a whole subsection of Londoners who either don't know – or don't care – that it's frankly unnerving to have a stranger eye-balling you for an entire journey. Deal with the oglers with a pair of stylish dark sunglasses. Click here to for the shades we're currently coveting.

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Take an aromatherapy balm

Our beauty editor always travels with Coco Shambhala's Invigorate Balm, which comes in a handy on-the-go roller applicator that releases an intense hit of reviving eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, and geranium, that clears the mind and uplifts the senses when you're stuck in the sweaty and often smelly tube.

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Keep calm with Rescue Remedy Melting Pastilles

In 2017, TfL released a map for people suffering from claustrophobia and anxiety, helping them to avoid long stretches of underground tunnel. But everyone will have had a moment of panicky discomfort, when a carriage full of people comes to a sudden halt (bodies being thrown around every which way) and languishes in the dark and heat forever. For moments like this, when it can be hard to breath calmly, we like to pop a Rescue Remedy Melting Pastille. Try holding it in your mouth for a few minutes, and letting the four drops of rescue essences dissolve on your tongue.

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Cool yourself with a stylish fan

These beautiful Muji fans were everywhere last summer and on hot, sticky days, it's easy to see why. Channel your inner eighteenth-century lady of leisure and flutter yourself cool as you hurtle through the underground. If the idea of manually fanning yourself sounds like too much energy to be exerting, you could buy one of these 'silent' handheld electric fans.

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Take yourself away with a mindfulness podcast

If you're really struggling with the heat and the crowds, spend just three minutes listening to this mindfulness breathing space episode from mentalhealth.org (you can also find it wherever you normally download podcasts). You can listen standing up, and with your eyes open – but bear in mind that the podcast will ask you to consider your surroundings and feelings, so beware of that if you think it will be triggering. If you want something to accompany you for more of the journey, The Mindful Podcast is great, and has as exercises either ten or five minutes long. Alternatively, check out The Tapping Solution, which you can listen to on Stitcher, and learn all about the holistic healing technique that involves tapping your fingertips on specific points of the body to calm the nervous system.

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Pack a short story

What you need to take your mind off your travels is a light short story that you can get into for those few minutes you're whipping between stations. Penguin have released a collection of classic short stories in an attractive light blue, and we recommend picking up a few of those so they can be slipped into your purse / pocket when you leave home.

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Cool yourself down with a facial mist

Our absolute favourite facial mist is the Queen of Hungary spray by Omorovicza. Rose scented, and both purifying and hydrating, the toner was apparently inspired by the Queen of Hungary Water; the world's first known perfume made for Queen Elisabeth of Hungary in the 14th century. Refreshing and absolutely non-greasy, spritz a bit of this sweet-smelling, cooling face mist and you'll be able to keep it together on the central line at 8am. We're also in love with this aloe and rosewater facial spray from Beauty Bay – which does a similar thing, and it's only £11.

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Bring water

So obvious, so easily forgotten – but do try to bring water with you when you travel underground. Avoid buying a plastic bottle of water from Boots on your way (they're so bad for the environment) and instead invest in a beautiful bottle you'll be proud to be seen with. We love this £15 hip bottle from Harvey Nichols which comes in loads of colours so, you can match it to your outfit.

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Don't forget the hand wash

Try not to think about how many germs you're encountering on the tube every morning, instead just kill the lot of them. Try this rinse-free, non-alcoholic hand wash from Aesop, with its 'purifying and hydrating' properties, we think it's the best.

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Keep the hair off your face in style

It's far too hot to have your hair down, you need as much air blowing against your face and neck as you can get. Tie your hair up with one of 2019's trendiest hair accessories: clips, slides, bows and headbands.

OK now, are you ready? Into the tube we go.