The summer sun can be warming and beautiful but also damaging to your skin and hair if you allow it to be.  I typically am a routine type of girl and once I find a routine that works, I don’t deviate much, but with the changing of seasons, I always like to try something new or find a new safer product!  Here’s what I am loving this summer season and my top tips for protecting your skin and hair, all in the most natural way possible!

Best Safer Ways to Protect Your Skin & Hair This Summer

Go Natural

Choose one day per week to let your skin breathe—no makeup and air-dry hair (or at least partially air dry).  Just like you need the occasional vacation, your skin also needs a break from products.  Fresh air is very healing to the skin, so the less products the more your skin can breathe and heal! Since I don’t have dry skin, on makeup-less days, I like to just spritz my face with Everything Spray and leave it be, or if its feeling a bit dry, I will add a thin layer of Brightening + Vitamin C oil.

In the summer, well honestly most of the time unless its super cold, I like to let my hair air dry, and then will just lightly touch up the front parts with a blow dryer to give it some texture.  I swear by Beautycounter’s Daily Shampoo, Innersense’s Hydrating Cream Conditioner and Primally Pure’s Dry Shampoo for letting my hair go quite a few days without a wash, which is my secret to healthy, glamorous hair!

Get Your Beauty Sleep

Beauty sleep isn’t just a catch phrase but one of the best ways not only to rejuvenate your brain and adrenal glands but also your skin and hair!  Let yourself rest and rejuvenate this summer—don’t fill your days with so many activities that you don’t have time for rest.

The body repairs and rejuvenates at night—the majority of detoxification happens between 11pm and 3am.  Yes, getting consistent and plentiful “shut-eye” is one of the most powerful beauty tonics there is!

While you sleep, the body boosts blood flow, giving you a radiant glow.  Getting into a good, consistent sleep routine is key, and you will noticed improved skin, hair health, and increased energy!

Load up on Healthy Fats

Nourishing your body at the cellular level and protecting your body from the harmful sun rays from the inside out is always the best way to go.  The best way to do this is through your diet—consuming quality, healthy fats!  Healthy, nourished cells will not burn as easily!  Yes, antioxidants are important too, but healthy fats are actually way more important as fats are a key structural component to your cells.

Load up on grass-fed butter or ghee, coconut oil or coconut butter, olive oil and avocado oil or avocados (hey guacamole!).

Try a Safer Plant Based Peel

Peels naturally exfoliate and cleanse your skin by removing dead skin cells without harsh chemicals, scrubbing or exfoliating which often can damage the face’s sensitive skin and oils.  Your face will feel much softer and look brighter and “glowy”—this is perfect for summer and wearing less makeup during this season!

Yes, peels may be all the rage right now, because the science behind them truly work, but many peels on the market can be damaging to your skin!  Chemical based peels can strip your skin of dead skin but they also strip your skin’s moisture, are very harsh and can have long term damaging effects to your skin, health and hormones.

This plant based safer peel contains 15 botanically derived acids that target skin texture, smooth the appearance of pores, fine lines and dark spots and increase blood flow to the skin, thus bringing healing!  This Overnight Resurfacing Peel also contains ascorbic acid, derived from vitamin C, that will actually stimulate collagen production in the skin—usually you have to consume collagen dietarily! CRAZY

Choose Safer Sunscreen

While you should NOT fear the sun, remember it is life giving and the best active form of Vitamin D, if you are out in the sun for many hours at a time, you will want to cover up with a safer sunscreen.  Conventional sunscreens contain chemicals that specifically affect our hormones, fertility and adrenal glands but also greatly affect the environment.  YES, this is why Hawaii has now banned many conventional, toxic sunscreens because they are damaging the beautiful ocean environment.

Instead, choose a safer sunscreen protection! My favorite, Beautycounter’s Countersun uses non-nano zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, that sits on the surface of the skin and physically bounce or reflect sun’s rays away from the skin.  This gives your skin a protective shield without all the harsh chemicals and being gentle and pleasant feeling on the skin.