Summer is the season to mix-up beauty products and stock up on ingredients for DIY recipes. You will find the sun shining a bit brighter, the days longer, and sun kissed skin everywhere.
Without proper skincare you could look dry and weathered, which is why, when you venture outside it is important to keep your skin and hair from getting overexposed to the sun.
Now is the time to switch your beauty products to those that will protect and hydrate your skin!
Let’s get started with some natural summer skincare essentials that will help make your skin glow without the harmful effects of those awful sunburns:
Exfoliants:
By exfoliating regularly, your skin will look and feel healthier.
This is especially important during the summer when the heat and humidity – and constant slathering of sunscreen – can cause build-up in your pores. Just limit it to once a week and you should be good.
Natural product recommendation: Youth to the People: Yerba Mate Resurfacing + Exfoliating Energy Facial with Enzymes
Youth to the People is an all-natural company that uses vegan ingredients. The Yerba Mate exfoliant has caffeine, papaya, and pineapple in it that will break down the dead skin cells for a visibly radiant glow.
Natural Recipe: Summer Cleansing Facial
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp. sour cream
- 1 tbsp. oatmeal
This face cleanser is simple to make and will deep clean the skin and remove any dead skin cells on the surface of your face. Sour cream surprisingly deep cleans and softens your skin.
The oats really help to slough off the dead cells that can cause buildup. This Summer beauty essential will give your skin a soft glow and is especially cooling on those hot summer days.
Mix the sour cream and oats until combined. Slather and gently massage mixture onto face, leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water.
Serums:
The type and brand of serum really varies depending on your skin type and way it reacts to the ingredients.
It is important to test serums on a small part of your skin to avoid all over irritation (I cannot stress this enough).
With dry skin and occasional eczema, I need a serum that will stop dry patches and hydrate my skin without clogging my pores.
While I love to experiment making many beauty products this is one that I suggest purchasing.
Natural product recommendation: TATCHA: Violet-C Brightening Serum
This serum by TATCHA combines vitamin C with AHAs (alpha hydroxy acid) to even skin tone and leave your skin feeling radiant.
Sunscreen:
As much as I love the suntan I can get from just being outside it is not worth the long term effects that UVA/UVB rays can do by leaving sunscreen out of your daily beauty routine.
Facial sunscreens are generally formulated differently than those made for your body so if you want something that won’t cause breakouts and quickly absorbs into your skin try to purchase one of each.
Face Moisturizers:
Similar to serums, moisturizers should be purchased – or made – depending on your skin type.
While all moisturizers should hydrate your skin you should look for one that can balance your skin type.
Look for a lighter moisturizer if you have oily skin, creamy moisturizer if you are on the dryer side, and a gel that won’t leave your skin feeling sticky for combination skin.
Just make sure to give the moisturizer some time to work but without causing irritation.
Natural Product Recommendation: Dermalogica: Invisible Physical Defense Sunscreen
Dermalogica’s mineral sunscreen is lightweight and will easily blend into all skin types, even those with sensitive skin.
Natural Recipe: Essential Summer Moisturizer
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp. grapeseed oil
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil
- ½ tbsp. rose water
- ½ tsp. beeswax
- ½ tsp. cocoa butter
- 3 tbsp. distilled water
- 3 tbsp. aloe vera gel
- 10 drops of vitamin E oil
- 4 drops rose essential oil (or frankincense essential oil)
First, use a double boiler to melt grapeseed oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, and beeswax.
Once melted, pour oils into a glass measuring cup until cooled at room temperature. When cooled prep sterilized glass containers on flat surface to pour mixture.
Next, blend the distilled water, essential oils, aloe vera, vitamin E until well combine. When fully combined, pour cooled oil into still on blender for about 1 minute or combine. Finally, pour into jars and enjoy.
Body Cleansers:
Whether you use scrubs, gels, or soap just remember your body needs to stay hydrated.
I try to use a cleanser every other day so by body will still produce natural oils (yes, I still shower every day!).
Bar soaps are my go-to, but I can appreciate other cleansers once in a while – there really isn’t just one type you have to choose, but please, go natural.
The harsh, difficult to pronounce chemicals so many beauty companies put in body cleansers will show there effects later in life, and pre-mature aging is not fun.
Natural Product Recommendation: Beekman 1802: Pure Goat milk Soap
I cannot recommend this soap enough. There is something about the goat milk that leaves even the most sensitive skin nourished and moisturized.
You can avoid the havoc the different seasons can do to your skin by mixing-up your beauty routine throughout the year.
The heat and humidity can be especially harsh, but these 5 Summer skincare essentials should help to prevent those burns and leave your skin glowing, pores clean and hydrated.
Just remember to include those eight glasses or more of water into your daily routine!