I love summer.  It is the only time of year that I am outdoors all the time with my kids…well except when it rains.  At five months postpartum and since I am getting “up there” in age, I am making more of a conscious effort to take better care of my body and skin as they age, gravity takes over face the elements.  I thought I would share with you some all-natural health and beauty remedies I have been using lately, that are super EASY to make and contain ingredients I already had at home.

After sun balm:  Back in the day were you one of those young people who barely used sunscreen and, in fact, rubbed baby oil on the skin to help get a maximum “tan?”  I sure was.  I always thought that I would never burn do my Sicilian heritage, but boy was I wrong.  I could have used this all natural after sun balm years ago.  Mix one cup coconut oil with 10 drops lavender oil. I placed it in an old baby food storage container and will pop it in my suitcase to bring with us on vacation.  Coconut oil has many powerful and medicinal health benefits and the lavender oil takes the sting out of sunburns. It even helps prevent peeling and assists in transforming a burn into a nice tan.  It also helps that it smells nice.

Berry Lip Stain:  We live on berries all year round, but they are especially heavenly during the summer.  I came across this recipe for a berry lip stain on Pinterest and was a little skeptical about it…until I noticed how well berries stain my daughter’s clothes.

Here’s the recipe: 3 blackberries, 2 raspberries, and ½ teaspoon of olive oil.  The actual recipe I found on Pinterest called for pomegranate seeds, but I didn’t have those handy so I skipped them.  Mash the berries with a spoon and then add oil.  Mix well and then drain the liquid.  Apply on lips with your finger, a Q-tip, or lip brush.  You will be tempted to lick your lips (at least I was!), but let it dry for a minute or two so it sets.

 

And…

Store in the refrigerator for a couple of days.  According to the article, you can use different berries like cherries, to find a color that you like most.  But the key to effective staining is the blackberries. I even let my daughter put some on after she begged me because it was made of good stuff!  The next day I added a little bit of coconut oil to my mix and it seemed to work and stay on a little better.

Epsom Salt Body Scrub:  I LOVE Epsom salts and have written extensively about their awesomeness in previous blog posts.  In fact, I have a 20 lb bag that I ordered online that sits next to my bath tub at home.  So when I came across this recipe for an Epsom salt body scrub, I had to try it.  All you do is mix: 4 ounces Epsom Salts; 4 ounces of coffee grinds; 1 tsp of eucalyptus oil – I didn’t have that at home so used grapefruit essential oil instead.  It worked like a charm in exfoliating away dead, dry skin and replacing with softer, glow-ey skin.

 

 

Who knew these common staples could lead to better skin?

 

Sea Salt Hairspray:  I have naturally curly hair that I usually straighten, but after child birth, I swear the curls got crazier, frizzier and less manageable than before.  Joy.  The only thing that always tamed my curls was a day at the beach.  Saltwater always made my hair look great.  Apparently the big cosmetics companies figured this out, too, and there are many brands of “sea salt” sprays out there, but I prefer to go a little more natural with my hair products.  Unfortunately,  I can’t always dunk my head in the ocean first thing in the morning, so instead, I use this quick and easy hairspray to tame the crazies.

Here’s what you need:  an empty spray bottle; 1 cup water; 1 teaspoon sea salt (I used Celtic sea salt); and ½ teaspoon coconut oil.  My hair is very thick, coarse, and on the dry side so I use 1 full teaspoon of coconut oil.  Shake it all up in the bottle and spray!

Wishing you a summertime filled with health and happiness!