Summer is here and the living is easy, or at least it should be!
If you want to take a relaxed healthy approach to your summer beauty rituals, maybe take a little inventory of your body products.
Are you sure that they are safe, effective and non-toxic? For me, my summer kit comes down to this: body scrub, soothing après sun balm and sea salt spray for my hair. Note: I do purchase natural sunscreen (safer for your body and also better for reefs and the environment) or simply take cover when the sun is strongest. But the rest of the stuff, you can easily whip up in your kitchen with just a few ingredients.
Here’s how:
Body scrub and polish: You can make a simple exfoliating and emollient body scrub using a squeezed lemon or lime half as a carrier (hint: make a cocktail first). Then simply dip the cut side of the spent citrus half into a plate of sugar. Tip the citrus sugar side up and add a few drops of olive oil and honey. Then take your organic scrub into the shower and gently polish away rough skin while moisturizing your body. The sugar removes dead skin cells and contains glycolic acid to even skin tone, the citrus is astringent, will tone the skin and lighten dark spots, while the oil is moisturizing. Finally, the honey is anti-bacterial and also helps lock moisture into your skin.
Après sun body balm: You can find many recipes for homemade body balm, but one of the best balms on the planet is pure, plain coconut oil. Whether you need to soothe a bit of sunburn or simply want to hydrate your dry spots, place a teaspoon of pure coconut oil into your palm, rub your hands together to melt it and then smooth the oil over your skin. Add a drop of lavender essential oil or pure vanilla to the coconut oil if you want to get fancy (but the faint hint of coconut is more than heavenly).
Sea salt spray: While we may not look like Beyoncé emerging from the surf, we can certainly share her sexy beach hair. Sea salt spray adds texture and volume to your locks while the conditioner protects and moisturizes your mane. To make sea salt spray, add one tablespoon of sea salt into a cup of warm water and stir until dissolved. Add a few drops of your favourite hair conditioner and combine well. Pour the mixture into a small spray container. Apply to damp or nearly dry hair, shaking the container before each spray. Scrunch hair with your hands as it finishes drying to make beachy curves and waves, wind into a topknot, spike it, or let your hair hang loose, surfer style.
