Cooling scarf: The effect of habituation and still staying cool

Research shows that people on holiday often enjoy "the first cocktail" or experience "the first dip in the sea as the coldest moment" the most. Why does that second drink never taste quite as good as the first? And why doesn't the sea feel as cold after a few minutes as when you first stepped in?

This has to do with habituation. Your body and brain adapt very quickly to a new situation. What first feels very striking becomes normal after a while.

This also happens with cooling.

When you first activate the Trickie® cooling scarf in cold water and put it on, it often immediately feels wonderfully fresh. After a while, that fresh feeling may become less intense. Some users then wonder: is the scarf still working?

The short answer: yes. The Trickie® cooling scarf does not work like a cold pack or an air conditioner that continuously emits cold. The scarf works based on natural evaporative cooling. The special Trickie® polymer retains water for a long time. This moisture then gradually evaporates, which dissipates heat. Especially with movement or airflow, for example while walking, cycling or in a breeze, this effect is very pronounced.

This also means that the scarf does not always have to feel cold to provide cooling. Just as sweat does not necessarily feel cold, but it helps your body cool down because it evaporates.

Over time, two things can therefore happen. Your body gets used to the fresh feeling, so you experience the cooling less consciously. And depending on the circumstances, such as temperature, humidity and airflow, the evaporation process can be stronger or weaker. On a dry, warm day with some wind, evaporative cooling works better than when you are sitting still in stuffy, humid air.

Tips & Tricks: how to get the most out of your cooling scarf

Do you want to intensify the fresh feeling again? Then you can do a few simple things:

Hold the scarf briefly under the cold tap again. This reactivates Trickie® and cleans it at the same time. Remove any excess water and put it back around your neck.

You can also turn the scarf over so that another part of the fabric makes contact with your skin. For extra cooling, you can put Trickie® in the refrigerator before or in between uses. Do you want an extra intense cooling effect? Then put it in the freezer for a maximum of 20 minutes.

It also helps to use Trickie® at times when there is movement or airflow. Think of walking, cycling, gardening, traveling, a festival, a warm day at work outside or relaxing with a fan nearby.

In short: if the scarf feels less cold after a while, that does not automatically mean that it no longer works. The cooling is not only in the initial fresh feeling, but especially in the natural evaporation process that helps to dissipate heat.