DIY Summer Seasonal Skincare

If you listened to my spring skincare podcast episode you’ll already know how I love to change up my skincare each and every season. 

The adjustments in day length, temperature, and sun exposure all play an enormous role in how our skin behaves and as a result we need different things from our skincare products, whether its a cleanser, body cream or facial oil come each new season. 

The joy of adjusting our skincare each season is that we can learn to read our skin and learn to make changes according to what we actually need. Maybe a richer face cream with rose for winter or a citrusy body scrub in summer…This is a much more intuitive approach to skincare and it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive to formulate your own products either.

We can also use this time to check in with some self-care. Is summer a time you feel a bit frantic? Look at using grounding essential oils such as vetiver. Or do you feel burnt out after a particularly stressful season at work? Then perhaps some aromatherapy baths with lavender would be a good choice. 

I love tying in emotional considerations into my seasonal skincare, as this makes every product something a little bit more luxurious and healing. 

If making your own natural skincare sounds a bit overwhelming then don’t worry, you can use the ingredient suggestions to help you find the perfect products from small batch and natural skincare brands. There are plenty of beautiful businesses out there who make gorgeous products so go treat yourself.

If you are going to make some of the following recipes do Make sure you patch test all these ingredients before using them all over. While all these ingredients are natural and gentle You never know what your skin likes so do test them first.

SUMMER SKIN REQUIREMENTS

The first thing to consider when it comes to creating or sourcing natural summer skincare is what to expect from your skin in summer?

Now In general Summer is a time when our skin can be greasier and hotter, it can become damaged from sun exposure. Other summer skincare issues can be achy, sore feet from long walks in warm weather, sunburn and the need to cleanse more efficiently thanks to the previously mentioned sunscreen which can block pores. 

Summer skin asks for lighter weight products that give a fresh, cooling feel. Soothing gels for aftersun, purifying masks, relaxing foot baths and nighttime skin oils full of repairing antioxidants..These would all be wonderful products to add into your summer skincare routine. 

SKINCARE INGREDIENTS FOR SUMMER:

ALOE VERA

Some ingredients I particularly like to use in summer include Aloe Vera Gel. This natural ingredient from the spiky aloe vera plant’s leaves is a wonderful skin soother and essential for any sunburnt skin. It really does cool down the skin and reduce inflamation. You can use aloe vera gel as it comes (just make sure you use 100% pure aloe vera) or you can make a skin soothing gel. Here’s my favourite recipe.

Sun Soother Gel Recipe

50ml chamomile hydrosol (explain hydrosol)

50ml pure aloe vera gel

20 drops lavender essential oil (why lavender is great)

In a clean dry bottle pour in the hydrosol water and aloe gel. Close with a lid and shake vigorously to combine. Then and 20 drops of lavender e.o and swirl to combine. Keep in fridge.

EPSOM SALT

Another ingredient I love ALL year round is epsom salt and I actually have a HUMONGOUS bucket of the stuff in my bathroom for long restorative soaks. 

Epsom salt has a high magnesium content making it a brilliant choice for sore achy muscles. 

In summer, or any time I have achy, tired feet I love nothing more than a warm epsom salt foot bath infused with herbs.

Foot baths may seem an old fashioned concept but they really do work and I think they are well overdue a revival. A warm foot bath is surprising relaxing and refreshing and great when you don’t have a bath or the time for a full soak. Next time your feet are sore from a day sightseeing give this recipe a go and let me know what you think!

Holiday Foot soak Recipe

1/2 cup of epsom salts

A handful of calendula flowers or lavender flowers these can be dry or fresh

10 drops of chamomile essential oil (why) 

Simply combine the above ingredients together into a foot bath alongside enough water to cover your ankles  and soak your feet until the water cools.

PEPPERMINT

My next favourite ingredient for summer is Peppermint. It’s a natural anti spasmodic so eases any sore crampy muscles, its antimicrobial so helps fight any nasty fungal activity and also works at relaxing the nervous system to name just a few of it’s actions! It also gives a lovely cooling effect as it increases the circulation making it perfect for a foot spritz in summer.

You can use fresh mint in a bath, infuse some leaves in water keep in the fridge and use as a cooling body spray or use in a tingly refreshing balm for the lips. Here is a lovely recipe for a quick cooking foot spray.

Quick Cooling Foot Spray Recipe

100ml peppermint hydrosol

6 drops peppermint e.o

Combine together in a spray bottle. Pop in the fridge to amplify the cooling sensation. Spray over tired hot foot and enjoy the cooling sensation!

Antioxidants

In my Spring seasonal skincare podcast I chatted a lot about facial oils and how I love to make them. And even in summer when skin can feel less dry I still recommend their use. As opposed to making the skin greasier, skin oils can actually help regulate oil production as well as aiding skin repair and in this case help the skin heal after sun exposure. 

Antioxidants can usually be found in strongly coloured fruit and veg. Think carrots, blueberries and tomatoes. These clever antioxidants soak up those ageing free radicals often caused by sun damage and dispose of them safely. 

Vitamin A is the key ingredient that aids this amazing reversal effect. You may of heard of retinol and how that can work wonders on the skin? Well this is oringally from Vitamin A but chemically isolated. Retinol can have some rather irrating side effects so I much prefer using natural alternatives.

My favourite ingredients for this are sea buckthorn oil and rosehip oil. Carrot and tomato oils are also wonderful sources of natural vitamin A.

Sea buckthorn oil, with it’s strong orangey colour is a real powerhouse of healing properties. It can help sun damaged skin repair itself, is an antioxidant, is a natural UV blocker (although do not use in place of a sunscreen!) and has anti inflammatory properties to name a few.

Rosehip oil is another well known oil for it’s ability to repair tissue and works really well on scars and older skin. 

Antioxidant Skin Oil Recipe

27ml Rosehip seed oil

3ml Sea Buckthorn Oil

9 drops frankincense essential oil (Frankincense is a perfect choice for damaged skin, its very healing and also has a slight cooling effect).