tips for nurturing summer skin

With June-uary behind us, here comes the sun, the heat, and some empowering lifestyle changes!

How do your bodycare practices adapt with the transition into summer?

As we embrace the joys of the season, these are our top tips for nurturing body, skin, and hair:

1. find a cleanser suited to your skin’s seasonal needs

With the high temperatures and humidity, many experience an increase in sebum production. While sebum helps protect our skin by preventing moisture loss, seasonal excess can lead to frustrating oiliness and breakouts. To help regulate sebum, try cleansing with Clear Skin, Gentle Aloe, or Neroli Micellar Cleanser.

2. exfoliate

Exfoliation helps us reveal the radiant skin hiding beneath dull, dead skin cells. For body, choose between Super Blue body mask or a classic Body Polish. For face, Fresh Start, AHA/BHA Re-Surfacer, and/or Pumpkin Peel will help reveal your true, radiant complexion.

3. add an antioxidant

Antioxidants are essential for year-round skin fortification. When faced with summertime’s environmental stressors (think heat, sun, smog, etc.), an antioxidant serum is a blessing! Vitamin C Serum and Glow Antioxidant Seed Serum are two of our best-selling favorites that help protect our faces from oxidative stress and impart a healthy, even, luminous glow.

4. fend off summer bugs

We are grateful for all the bugs that support our coastal ecosystem… but mosquitos and ticks can bug off! Geranium + Catnip Mist is crafted with the herbaceous notes that deter skeeters and ticks, sans the toxins of DEET and the overwhelming scent of citronella. Find Geranium + Catnip among our Aroma Mists!

“Several years ago while visiting Whidbey Island I purchased Geranium + Catnip Aroma Mist from you which I loved. It really keeps the bugs off!”
– Jerri P.

5. support resilient hair

To balance the effects of exposure to heat and chlorine, a quick and restorative hair treatment is a summer essential. A pH re-balancing rinse supports a happy scalp, a dropper of hair-healthy oils eases dryness, and leave-in conditioning treatment soothes split-ends and provides natural heat protection.

6. boost bodycare with skin foods

You can basically eat ANY whole-plant food and your skin will thank you! The power of plants is nothing short of miraculous in transforming our health and our lives. Processed foods (anything not in its original state beyond chopping, blending, and light cooking) take more energy for your body to break down and may even be treated as a toxin that your body works hard to flush out, often through your skin (think spots, uneven tone, rough, dull, dry, or congested skin). Fruits, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, berries, sweet potatoes, avocados, and beans are some whole-foods that help facilitate radiant skin. Processed foods are common summer fare; crowd them out with the good stuff and you’ll feel (and see) the difference!

7. practice “sun-sense”

“Sun-sense” is how we mitigate risky sun exposure without relying too heavily on any single type of sun protection. Like “common-sense”, “sun-sense” means enjoying sunshine in the early morning and later afternoon to boost vitamin D levels, seeking (or creating) shade during peak hours, wearing protective clothing (long sleeves, hats, etc.), applying a healthy sunscreen in the proper dose when warranted, and using the local UV index to take well-informed protective measures! Remember, burning is never good. It won’t “dry out” acne or develop into a summery tan — that’s non-sense! If you’re wondering what we mean by “healthy sunscreen”, take a look at EWG’s “The trouble with ingredients in sunscreens” before making your pick and go for non-nano zinc!

8. hydrate

Hydration is key to healthy, happy skin, and now is the perfect time to build a healthy hydration habit. Find a resuable water bottle and set a reminder that will keep you sipping all summer long. Add a squeeze of lemon, mint leaves, or a handful of frozen berries for an enticing dose of color and flavor.

To aid hydration, moisturizers like Calendula Silk and Emollience Peptide use hyaluronic acid to help our skin draw in environmental moisture. By applying a face mist throughout the day, you’re giving hyaluronic acid the moisture it needs to do its best work, especially if you live in a dry climate. Try Balance, Firm, or Rosewater for an extra dose of hydration.

We hope you’ve found some inspiration in these ideas. If you have a favorite summertime self-care ritual to share, let us know in the comments section below!

Wishing you a beauty-full summer ahead,

Karen, Rohanna, and Maya