Each week, the Huffington Post Canada's Living team will try out something that has sparked our curiosity, and as long as we live to tell the tale, we'll let you know all about it.
Test Drive Subject: Kobayashi's Healthcare's Be Koool Kids
Price: $4.47-$5.99
What It Is: A package of four Disney-themed "cooling gel" sheets, sized ideally for children's foreheads. Made to alleviate children's fevers and cool down body temperature, the product lasts up to six hours. Adult options exist for migraines and hot flashes, but aren't yet in stores.
What's In It: The sheet is water-based, and has a polymer, menthol and some preservatives (assumedly for shelf life purposes). The company claims there are no active ingredients inside.
Putting It To Use: It's simply a matter of opening the package, taking off the paper backing and attaching the sheet to your forehead. It adheres very easily and stays on without a problem for hours. It's also safe to take with fever meds, as the sheets contain no drugs at all.
Our Thoughts: Now, we must be honest -- our testers were a group of adults, none of whom had fevers. So the sheets were slightly small for our foreheads, but no less effective because of it. As soon as we stuck them on, the cool, tingling sensation made an impact, alleviating tiredness and for some, the after effects of excessive holiday partying, including headaches. Taking the "patch" on and off did mean it lost adhesion, but when left alone, the sheet was as cool as when it started, even three hours later. We can imagine in the case of a fever, the sheets would be greatly appreciated, but definitely shouldn't take the place of appropriate medication. We also loved that the sheets were cold upon impact, with no need to stick them into a freezer.
The Warning: If you don't love the sensation of cooling agents like Tiger Balm on your skin, you probably won't enjoy the gel sheets. And you might want to stick to the confines of your home for use -- you'll appear a tad silly walking around with what basically looks like a maxi pad (albeit one illustrated with Donald Duck) on your forehead.
Tips: It's not just for fevers and, uh, dehydrated headaches -- we also found Be Koool sheets could act as a hit of relaxation in the midst of a busy day. Fastening the sheet on, closing your eyes and allowing your mind to drift for ten minutes can help make the rest of a jam-packed schedule seem completely endurable. And in a pinch, it can act as an impromptu lint cleaner.
Have a suggestion for a Test Drive? Tried something you loved or hated? Let us know on Twitter at @HuffPostCaLiv, or in the comments below.