It's Hot and Humid - Time for a Simple, Natural Beauty Routine

The hot, humid days of summer are finally here! Do you feel like everything you put on your skin is suffocating you? Your hair goes haywire no matter what you do? (Sadly, my stick straight hair gets more stick-straightier - if that is even possible!) I cannot stand anything heavy on my skin or body at this time of year! But - we still need to take care of our skin and hair - time to lighten-up and simplify!

Summer is the perfect time for a new (or renewed) natural beauty routine. Simple pleasures is what summer is all about!

Your healthy self-care routine should include using natural ingredients as much as possible, paying more attention to how you care for your skin and hair, and sticking to the routine on a daily basis. Here are some ideas for starting a simple, natural routine for the summer season - and a great basis for the rest of the year.

Exfoliate Your Entire Body

Everybody worries about the skin on their face – it’s what everybody sees and concentrates on! Face to face is how we connect with others.

But instead of just exfoliating to get smooth skin on your face, why not scrub your entire body? This is great to do at any time of year, but especially during the summer. It leaves all of you looking smooth and refreshed, as well as feeling touchably soft.

The easiest way to exfoliate is to make a body scrub with natural ingredients. Combine any type of sugar or salt with an oil like olive or coconut (and add some essential oils for scent, if you have any at home). Alicia and I recently wrote two blog posts (5 Easy DIY Body Scrubs for Touchable Skin and 8 DIY Recipes to Banish Ingrown Hairs) complete with instructions and recipes. We also published an article last summer, 5 Good Things Exfoliating Can Do for Your Skin, highlighting the benefits of regular exfoliation.

You can also use a dry brush and buff your skin with it. Dry brushing has tons of health benefits – see a medically reviewed article here. (Note: Dry brushes are specifically designed to use on the skin without causing damage to the skin’s outer layers.)

Rinse Your Hair With Apple Cider Vinegar

You know – or probably heard – that Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is great for your insides – but it’s also great for you on the outside!

For your hair care routine, now is the perfect time to try ACV. Use it as a simple rinse that cleans your hair and helps to remove buildup or dandruff from your scalp. It can also add some shine to your hair. Dilute the vinegar with equal parts water, then pour it over your freshly washed hair, rinsing well in the shower. The scent isn’t great, but it does fade once your hair is dry.

Several years ago, I used a line of hair care products that used ACV as a primary ingredient – its made by dp HUE – I absolutely loved these products! Not sure why I stopped using them. Hmmm. (PS – I have NO CONNECTION to this company – just my opinion about the products I used.)

Make a Yogurt and Oatmeal Mask

During the summer, it is particularly important to care for your face – it sees the most sun and is exposed to the most environmental damage – therefore, it needs more TLC, particularly if you spend extra time outdoors (and who doesn’t?).

This is a great time to use a soothing mask about once a week (or more often on heavy sun days) – and you can make your own with just oatmeal and plain yogurt. The combination is simple and moisturizing, plus the oatmeal is also a gentle exfoliator.

Mix the oatmeal and yogurt to form a paste and rub the mask on your face, letting it sit for about 10 minutes. (This is not a walk-around mask - you’ll leave a trail of mushy oatmeal everywhere you go.) Rinse it off with cool water.

If you prefer to purchase rather than make your masks, either the Honey, Pink or Yellow masks from Essentially Haitos will do the trick – but if I had to pick just one? Honey. You can never go wrong with Honey!

Hope you have an awesome summer – and you treat your skin gently and naturally! As always, make sure you use sunscreen EVERY DAY! Not only does it protect your skin from sun damage, it helps to prevents premature fine lines and wrinkles from forming.

Have a great day!

Karen