Practical Summer Beauty Essentials, that every mom needs
Over the years, I have become increasingly mindful of the ingredients in the products we use around our house, including our personal hygiene and beauty products. As with everything, you can’t be 100% perfect - and I say this from the experience of trying to do everything AS clean and non-toxic as possible. It became exhausting - and at times even unattainable due to budget and time (as in researching everything we were to use or consume). I have now become less intense and follow the same rule as I do for foods, which is *roughly* 80/20 - 20% of the time, things are not going to be AS clean - and you know what, that is fine. Oftentimes, it may even look more like a 70/30 for our home and personal products… the point is to make an effort to do the research and make the changes where you are able.
You will see from my Summer Beauty Essentials it is a mixed bag of super low-tox products and DIYS and a few, we will say, medium rated in regard to chemical exposure. As a busy mom, I really like to take the time to nourish myself with products that I genuinely enjoy the scent and quality of! I am not trying to be soooo cautious that I then do not get to enjoy the things I want (that goes for food, too, but we can discuss that more at another time). I share this because there is so much nonsense all of the time about what you should or shouldn’t be doing, and it truly is so individual, so always listen to what you want to do for yourself and your family. Do your research, and be mindful of what you are using, but do not drive yourself crazy; STRESS is probably worse than anything else you will use anyway!
If you are looking for tips on how to elevate your regular skincare routine—or, let’s be honest, just start one because you keep putting it off—you might like my other blog post, A Realistic Glow-Up Guide for Busy Mamas: skin and body care essentials. I provide some basic tips on how to get started on a practical self-care routine and how to also use that time to nourish your mind and soul in the process.
I am all about maximizing our time when/where we can. The reality is that we don’t have as much time to dedicate to ourselves as we used to, and we can’t keep using it as an excuse to neglect ourselves. The truth is that when we take the time to nurture ourselves, we *do* feel better mentally, and that benefits everyone else around us!
Okay, enough of my lecture for the day; read on to see my reviews of each product recommendation, some DIY summer skin recipes, and where to do your own research if you feel inclined.
DISCLAIMER: This post is sharing my personal favorite products; remember, as with anything we use, each person will vary with skin type, and you should always research and test products for yourself. These are just my recommendations. NOTE: This article also contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase from one of these links, I will receive a small commission, which helps support my family and run this website with little to no ads =)
FAVORITE NAIL POLISH & REMOVER
I mean, we all love having nicely polished toes during the summer, right? I don’t know about you, but as soon as I do my nails, I instantly feel better! I wish I could get a mani/pedi at a salon all of the time, but if you are like most of us, it is probably not realistic to do that each week. I have been on the hunt to find really good quality polish without the chemicals. One of the reasons that I was looking for a lower-tox product was for the remover more than the polish. After my twins were born, I ended up with really bad eczema breakouts on my hands, and anytime I got my nails done, they would burn from the remover, so I started to do it at home with better quality products, and there IS a difference. My favorite finds are Ten Over Ten Polish and Remover. The remover has a magnificent calming scent of roses, and it moisturizes your cuticles so well. Sometimes, I just use it on my nails before I do them, even if I don’t have polish on, because it is that nourishing. If you have daughters who like to polish their nails or you like to do their nails, this is the brand I would recommend because they won’t be absorbing as many chemicals as they would with regular polish. You can get Ten over Ten on their website, Target, or Amazon (though check out the sellers on Amazon before you buy!)
BODY SCRUBS
A scrub is essential to help nourish your summer (well, any time of year) skin! You can purchase anything already made. I have listed a few of my favorites below, but you do not have to spend money on this unless there is a scent that you really want. You could also use an exfoliating glove along with your favorite body wash.
The Most Affordable Option
SIMPLE DIY BODY SCRUB
Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut oil (melt if using solid oil)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup brown sugar
Simply mix all ingredients in an airtight container and use during your next shower! Follow up with your favorite nourishing oil or lotion for extra hydration!
Favorite Body Scrub Things
A CHIC SUN HAT
When I entered my mid-30s, I started to notice how my skin was showing spots from my childhood and teen years spent on the beach and sun. So I decided to ramp up my skin protection, and instead of just using a face SPF, I started to wear a hat, too. I have now become into wearing classically styled baseball caps more often, but sometimes you just want to look more together, so a chic sun hat is something to have on hand if you are going to a summer gathering or even just want to give yourself a boost at the beach with your kids. Nothing wrong with wanting to feel more put together, we all know how the days of over sized shirts and leggings can become the norm. Here a few of my favorite hats that I have found over the years—from basic to chic!
Some Favorite Hats
BUG SPRAY without the CHEMICALS
Bug Spray - I am not going to even get into the chemicals found in regular bug spray—I recommend you do some research on that one—but a simple way to avoid chemicals and still rid yourself of the pesky summer bugs is to create your own spray using essential oils. Plus, they smell so much better than most of what you would be on the market anyways!
My favorite brand of essential oils are Eden’s Garden because of the quality and the affordability, my second favorite is Young Living, but minus the specialty prodcuts or scents I cannot get anywhere else, I truly just see NO reason to purchase the basics from them anymore when Eden’s Garden is so affordable! You can learn more and purchase oils from there here.
Recommendation: Rail19 are my favorite bottles to use for creating my own sprays and cleaners. A lot of bottles end up crapping out with the sprayers but these hold up and I like the various bottle designs. I use the Apothecary Glass Fine Mist Bottle for all of my body sprays
DIY Bug Spray
Glass Spray Bottle 4-8oz bottle
~2oz witch hazel
~2oz distilled water
Essential oils (as indicated below)
For Adults and kids 10+
10 Drops Each of citronella + lemongrass + peppermint + purification (YL blend)
*note you can swap out the purification for lavender if you do not use Young Living oils
For Kids 3+
10 Drops each of citronella + lavender
SUNSCREEN for face and body
Oh my, the word Sunscreen has literally become such a trigger word in the social media world (PS I no longer use socials because of this type of nonsense). I won’t even get into it here, but I am sure you have seen varying opinions on the use of sunscreen. My take is that we should use it, especially on our face, but we MUST do our research on this product because, like the bug spray, it can easily be loaded with chemicals. You can see what the best products are that fit in your budget by visiting EWG’s Sunscreen Guide. I have tried out a lot of sunscreen brands over the years and my favorite that I have been using for a while now is Beautycounter’s Mineral Sunscreen (I have only used this on the kids since they were like 3!), Sheer Face or Dew Tinted and the Tinted Mineral Mist (2023 update*I think this is now discontinued, =/ but praying it comes back)!
2024 Update: Beautycounter is currently down for a huge overhaul, so you cannot get the products I talked about above. However, I am hoping they are back online soon because they are my favorite family sunscreen, which we have been using for the past seven years now!
I decided to try out a few other ones this year as I couldn’t get my favorites. I am kind of obsessed with the Rio Radiance Oil because it smells like the beach in summer and just reminds me of the days of using Hawaiian Tropic—IYKYK! SuperGoop is not the lowest-tox sunscreen out there, but I am happy with the quality. For low-tox, great quality, at this point, I go for the ThinkSport, which is the safest, I feel, for the littles to use.
Favorite Low-Tox Sunscreen for Face
Sunscreen//Body Favorites
BONUS: a quick 5-Minture Summer Make-Up Routine, try these favorites
We all know that as a mom we have like NO time to get ourselves ready most of the time, especially during the summer when the kids are home running around like crazy! But that is no reason that we should never do stuff for ourselves to get a mental boost (by the way, I am still a work in progress in this area, it truly is a work in progress to put ourselves *somewhat*first). Merit however, has made it SUPER easy (and bonus, like with fewer chemicals, too!) to put together a makeup routine in like 5 minutes; we can definitely squeeze that in after we wash our face, right!?! I found this brand when I was searching high and low for new foundation sticks, and I just love the quality of the products.
FACE MIST
I know a face mist totally feels like a luxe skincare item to have around! It truly is just a spray for your face, right?! But honestly, I LOVE a hydrating facial mist in the morning or after a hot day out in the sun with the littles. In a way, it brings my brain and skin back to life! My favorites to soothe and boost hydration can be found below =)
The Most Affordable Options
Option 1: Witch Hazel Spray
You can get a spray mist bottle like this one and use witch hazel (I also love the rose one!), which will give you the refresh you are looking for!
Option 2: DIY Cooling Face Mist
For my essential oil lovers— here is a simple DIY recipe for you to try!
Ingredients:
1 cup distilled water
2 tablespoons rose water
1 teaspoon fractionated coconut oil
1 teaspoon witch hazel (with aloe vera)
5 drops Lavender essential oil
5 drops Peppermint essential oil
5 drops Coconut essential oil (optional)
Essential Oils Recommended: Eden’s Garden
Instructions:
Combine the distilled water and rose water in a bowl.
Add the coconut oil and stir until well-mixed.
Add the essential oils (Lavender, Peppermint, and (optional) Coconut) to the mixture.
Add the witch hazel and stir to combine.
Pour the mixture into a clean spray bottle.
Shake well before each use.
Spritz onto your face to cool, hydrate, and refresh your skin throughout the day.
Tips & Tricks
✧ Store the facial mist in the refrigerator for an extra cooling effect.
✧ Always shake the bottle before use to ensure the ingredients are well mixed.
✧ Perform a patch test before using the mist to ensure you don't have any sensitivities to the ingredients.
Favorite Face Mists
ICE ROLLER
I feel like I reference an Ice Roller in half of my posts for different reasons—BUT for good reason, because it is so useful for so many things! I first discovered the ice roller when I had insane TMJ flare-ups and then started to use it for migraines. But they also have benefits for your skin and are great to use all year round, not just in the summer (though, of course, they feel way better on those 90-degree heat wave nights!). They soothe inflammation, aid in lymphatic drainage, and can even help reduce the size of pores and wrinkles! I have noticed my face is less puff,y, and my skin appears tighter when using this consistency, so really, there is no reason not to get one! I also recommend getting one that is metal, as the jelly-like roller ones can cause other irritation if you are super sensitive!
BEACHY LOCKS
Naturally, my hair is wavy and sometimes insanely curly and frizzy, depending on the climate I am in. So, for most of my life, I have been trying to find that perfect salty-kissed hair (see the photo of how I always want my curls to set, thanks to that ocean mist). So, if you, too, are looking for the perfect beach vibe hair and not just the messy bun that has become your go-to as a busy mama, then you might want to try some of these out!
Favorite Wavy Hair Essentials
2024 UPDATE: Beachy hair scent…because why not!?
I just had to add this because my favorite scented body lotion by Ouai ever became a body and hair mist, so I would be doing you a disservice not to share it here! It is all the summer vibey scents, and I don’t know about you, but scents are one thing that can pull me out of the chaos that ensues my daily life and ground me right back and center (there is research on this, that is why aromatherapy is actually a thing that has health benefits—another post—another time). This does not have any aromatherapy benefits, but if it makes me feel calm and happy, then I am all for it and just had to share!
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