Happy Summer!!! It’s here. It’s definitely my favorite time of the year. It’s also the time of year when I kick up my beauty routine a bit. Want firm glowing skin and light bouncy hair this summer? Check out some of these natural DIY summer-time beauty hacks.
10 Natural Summer Beauty Tips to Help You Look and Feel Your Best this Season
1. Dry brush your skin
Dry brushing is an awesome ritual to add to your morning routine for so many reasons. Just what is dry brushing? It’s exactly what it sounds like – brushing your skin with a dry natural bristle brush.
Why is it so awesome? For starters, it improves blood circulation and assists in the removal of toxins, which means it could help to reduce cellulite – and that of-course is maaaaajor when we’re talking about summer-time beauty hacks here. It also helps shed dead skin cells and encourages cell renewal, leaving skin smoother and brighter.
Try dry brushing in the mornings just prior to taking a shower. Always brush in swift movements in the direction toward your heart, as that’s the place we do want our blood to travel to. You can find a great dry brush here*.
2. Use a coffee ground scrub
Don’t just through those used coffee grounds away! There’s so much you can do with them, including adding them to your beauty routine as a body scrub. Like dry brushing, the caffeine in the scrub will help to increase circulation and exfoliate, to help you combat cellulite and have smoother, brighter skin. Added bonus: the aroma in the shower will definitely help wake you up in the morning.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup coffee grounds
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 2-3 drops of your favorite essential oil (optional)
Directions:
- Mix all ingredients together and store in a jar or container.
- Use as an exfoliant scrub prior to getting out of the shower.
3. Use coconut oil on skin and hair
The summer sun will give you a nice tan… it’ll also dry out your skin. Hold on to your tan longer by keeping your skin well hydrated with coconut oil. Apply coconut oil alone to your skin, or add in a few drops of your favorite essential oil. It’s 100x better than using chemical ridden body lotions or butters, which can end up drying skin out even more. I apply coconut oil mixed with Young Living grapefruit oil to my skin after every shower. It’s amazing. Hydrated skin is beautiful skin 😉
Hair feeling dried out and damaged from the sun, salt water, or chlorine? Slather it up with coconut oil and let it sit for 30 minutes as a natural hair mask (wrapped in a towel, shower cap or plastic wrap). After that time is up, wash your hair as you normally would.
4. Get whiter teeth with baking soda
Because pearly white teeth are awesome! Apply toothpaste to your toothbrush like you normally would, and just sprinkle baking soda over top.
5. Brighten your skin with an avocado face mask
Avocados are so good for your skin! They have anti-aging properties, help protect skin from damaging UV rays, relieve sunburn, work as a natural moisturizer, and give skin a glowing complexion. A gentle avocado mask will leave your skin much softer and radiant.
There are quite a few different variations of avocado face masks, all with great benefits to any skin type – You can use just plain mashed avocado, or add in honey, oatmeal, or yogurt. Here is a recipe for an avocado honey face mask:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 of a fully ripe avocado
- 1 tsp honey
Directions:
- Mash the avocado well and mix the honey in to form a smooth paste.
- Apply paste to clean face and leave on for 10-15 minutes.
- Wash the mask off with warm water and a cloth.
6. Get natural sun kissed highlights with a lemon spritz
I love how much lighter my hair gets in the summer with just a little lemon juice! Sure, I’ve had salon highlights in the past, but they’re expensive, and I am not one to keep going back for root touch-ups. Plus, the chemicals are bad for hair anyway. Lemon juice isn’t going to make your hair go from brunette to beach blonde, but if you’re looking for a more subtle effect, this spritz with some time in the sun should do the trick!
Ingredients:
- Juice from 2-3 lemons
- Equal part water
- Spray bottle
Directions:
- Shake the lemon juice and water well in the spray bottle.
- Spray all over hair just prior to going in the sun.
- Repeat until you see your desired changes.
7. Rinse your hair with apple cider vinegar to remove product buildup
Staying on the topic of hair, you could have quite the buildup of chemical residue on yours and not even know it. This residue comes from shampoo, conditioner, styling products, and even the environment. Refresh your hair and relieve it from the buildup with an easy apple cider vinegar rinse.
Ingredients:
- 3-4 tbsp raw, organic and unfiltered apple cider vinegar (it should have the word “mother” somewhere on the bottle, as this contains the most valuable enzymes)
- 16 oz Water
Directions:
- Combine the apple idea vinegar with the water in a jar or bottle.
- In the shower, after shampooing, pour the vinegar/water mix over your scalp and let it run all the way down your locks.
- Let it sit on your hair for 30-60 seconds before rinsing.
- Apple cider vinegar is conditioning itself, so you may not have to use conditioner after the rinse, but you definitely can if you want to!
8. Use Citronella oil to avoid unsightly bug bites
I don’t know what it is, but when I get bug bites, I welt up like it’s nobody’s business… and the nasty red welts last for days. Keep the bugs at bay the summer with natural Citronella essential oil. I carry it with me everywhere I go, and whenever I need it I just mix a few drops in my hands and rub over my exposed skin and clothes. It works like magic I tell ya! I use Citronella oil by Young Living.
9. Apply lemon juice to sweat stained clothing
With the hot summer heat comes sweating, and with sweating comes those nasty armpit sweat stains! If you find that your favorite shirts are getting that pungent odor and dark coloring from sweat, apply lemon juice and water to the areas before throwing in the laundry. The trick can definitely help prolong your favorite attire and save your summer wardrobe.
10. Stay hydrated
Last but certainly not least – you need to stay hydrated! Sure coconut oil can hydrate your skin and hair, but it can only go so far if you’re not getting the water intake that your body needs. A good rule of thumb is to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of water… so, if you weigh 140 pounds, drink at least 70 ounces of water a day. It’ll keep your skin beautiful, your metabolism fueled, and you’ll just feel more energized every day.
Find it hard to take in all of the water you should be drinking? Try investing in a great water bottle, or try infusing water for added flavor and health benefits.
Do you have any summer beauty tips not listed here? I’d love to hear them! Please fell free to comment and share below.
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