My Summer Skin Care & Beauty Favorites

Sorry it’s been so long! How is everyone?
For my first post of June, I would like to share with you the skin care and beauty products that I’m loving for summer.
1. Tropical Traditions Gold Standard Virgin Coconut Oil. This is my staple, but I use it a lot more in summer than I do in winter. If I go out and wear eye make-up, I use this to gently remove it without stinging my eyes. I also use it to prevent blackheads and blemishes, since coconut oil contains lauric acid, which is a powerful non-toxic fungus and bacteria fighter. I just keep a jar of this in my cupboard, and in the summer it stays in a soft, semi-liquidy state so it’s easy to use a cosmetic spatula, spoon, cotton bud, or cotton swab to scoop out some coconut oil. Then you just put it on your skin wherever you want. Some people use it in their hair, but for my fine, curly hair, I prefer to use purely moisturizing oils (I list one below).
2. Best Bath Store Acne Treatment Gel. This stuff is amazing. You can dab this on at night and it dramatically reduces any pimple (and redness) to almost nothing by morning. Better yet, you can also put it on in the morning and no one will know. Oh! And it doesn’t dry your skin out at all. It has a funky herbal scent that I really like, and the ingredients are pure and 100% natural, of course. This gel will be especially useful if you workout a lot and tend to get sweat-related blemishes on your back — this gel clears it right up.
3. John Masters Organics Citrus & Neroli Detangler. This is a great conditioner for dry hair. I put a little on my ends before shampooing to prevent the ends from drying out, then once I rinse out the shampoo, I re-apply the conditioner farther up my hair and let it sit for a few minutes. I’m left with soft, delicious-smelling hair that’s not weighed down at all (which is easy to do to my hair!).
4. Organic Apoteke Detox Face Mask. This is a great face mask. I usually make my own, but I didn’t want to pass this up because I loved the ingredients and it got great reviews on Makeup Alley. I tried a spray tan about 2 weeks ago and my skin reacted pretty negatively to it (read: breakouts), so with the help of this mask and the BBS Gel (above), it cleared up 100% in 2 days. So this mask has a permanent place in my cupboard, and gets 5 stars for being very soothing, reducing redness, and eliminating existing problems as well as preventing any new ones. And again, love the ingredients for being pure, organic, and 100% natural.
5. 100% Pure Organic Lavender Honey Facial Cleansing Foam. I love this company’s entire product line, but this is my favorite. I use this face wash most of the time — I’ll change it up occasionally by using goat milk powder mixed with water, or their cranberry foam wash. This wash smells wonderful, works well, and doesn’t dry your skin out. I even used this for a while in the winter, and still no bad drying effect, which was surprising considering the majority of face washes I’ve tried always cause some drying. About once a week I’ll mix my lavender wash with 1 tsp. of really fine organic sugar or some MSM powder to make an awesome scrub. If you have normal or oily skin, you can try mixing it with aluminum-free baking soda (I like Bob’s Red Mill variety).
6. Sircuit Skin Cosmeceuticals Handsome Creme. Everyone I know loves the incredible smell of this thick lotion, and the name (Handsome) is so cute and catchy you’ll never forget it. The ingredients are great and very healing, and even contains fructooligosaccharides, which is a prebiotic that helps to feed the good bacteria on our skin (this is why I also recommend yogurt for the skin all the time, even though yogurt is more of a probiotic than a prebiotic).
7. Hair Therapy Wrap Cordless Thermal Turban Heat Wrap. Michelle sent me one of the wraps to try and I’m really glad she did because I’d been thinking about buying one for a few months. I use this with my John Masters Organics Lavender & Avocado Intensive Conditioner or Weleda Rosemary Hair Oil (see below). First I put the conditioner/oil on, put on a shower cap, put the entire therapy wrap (it has microwaveable heat pads inside) in the microwave for a minute or two, and then pop it on my head over the shower cap. It’s a bit heavy for my head (they’re coming out with lighter gel-packs soon), so I usually leave it on for about 20–40 minutes. It stays hot for a long time, which I like, and you can always re-microwave it if you think it’s not hot enough. I’m glad it’s not super-hot because I’m not a fan of any kind of heat damage. ;D I love the results, it makes the conditioner work that much better. This is a must-have for summer, especially if you’re swimming in hair-damaging chlorinated pools or the salty ocean.
8. Weleda Rosemary Hair Oil. Rosemary and burdock are two of the main ingredients in the all-natural oil, and both are known for promoting scalp balance and hair growth. I use this oil at least once per week and my hair feels and looks so amazingly healthy that I went out and bought two more bottles so I’d never run out. ;D I pour a bit into my hands and take my time gently massaging it into my scalp (I pour more into my hands as I go along, my goal is to coat all of my hair) and smoothing it through all the way to the ends. Then I wrap my hair in a bun and either put my heated hair wrap over it (see above), or I do a BodyRock.tv workout which heats up your scalp (and your whole body, for that matter) and helps the oil works its magic.
9. Aura Cacia Vanilla Essential Oil (in Jojoba Oil). Oh…my…goodness. This smells so incredible. I love natural perfume oils, and this one is my favorite along with their Jasmine essential oil. I just dab a few drops on my skin and smooth any remaining bit into my hair. Mmmm! If you’re sensitive to commercial perfumes and tend to sneeze or get headaches around scents, then you’ll absolutely LOVE this because it’s completely natural and only has 2 ingredients — jojoba oil and real vanilla extract. Plus, it’s cheaper than commercial perfumes and even if you use one or two drops a day (which is all you need), it’s going to last you at least two months.
10. Sweet Bee Magic All Over Skin Cream. Sweet Bee sent me a jar and two little samples (which I gave to some friends so they could get hooked) of their product a few months ago, and haven’t had a chance to try it until now. It really reminds me of Egyptian Magic, but for some reason, it works a lot better for me than EM ever did. If you ever get dry patches or if you’re prone to dry feet because you walk around barefoot a lot or do yoga, this will soon turn into your holy grail of skin creams. I had a little dry patch on the my left cheek yesterday, and when I woke up this morning is was 80% gone. It’s very soothing and incredibly moisturizing. Hoorah!
Just an FTC note: I’m never paid by or affiliated with any of the products I recommend, and I always tell you if I received an item for free (the hair wrap and bee magic, in this case).
Let me know if you use or try any of my favorites! I’d love to know what you think.
~Stephanie x














So happy to see a new post from you!
I am considering trying the Sircuit hand lotion and the Sweet Bee Magic cream.
The 100% Pure Lavender Honey Foaming Facial Cleanser is great — I have been using it for a few months now, and love it. I also love their shampoo, soap, and foaming body wash. It’s a fantastic line and I think you for letting us know about it.
I’ve read every single post on your site and I have to say — I love it!
I am in love with you for introducing me to the Tanuka Message — been using it everyday and I feel that there are definite results.
Just wanted you to know that you are very much appreciated and you have acquired a follower
Wish you only the best
–Kristin
I wanted to recommend a product, you may hav tried it allready but is awesome! It’s Dr.Bronner’s Magic Soap (PURE-CASTILE SOAP). It’s 100% vegan,fair trade and it’s smells awesome!
~fresha
Thank you so much, Kristin, you’re so sweet and I’m so happy that you’re enjoying the site! Always feel free to contact me if you have any questions or requests, I’d be happy to oblige.
~Steph x
Thank you for the recommendation, Fresha! Yes, I used to use Dr. Bronner’s all the time (I loved the Rose, Lavender, and Tea Tree), but it dried out my skin so much (I’m prone to eczema on my hands if they’re too dry).
I switched to Neem Aura Natural Lavender Oatmeal bar soap. Dr. B uses sodium lauryl sulfate in one of their liquid soaps, so I suppose it’s possible that it snuck its way into the other soaps in small quantity (or, God forbid, they put it in on purpose and don’t disclose it). Not sure, but it’s a bummer that I had to give it up.
Those are some things I will have to try. I always believe the best way to fight the signs of ageing is to always use natural products, even if they cost the extra money, it is a worth while investment!
[…] Mу Summer Skin Care <span class=“amp”>&</span> Beauty Favorites ̷… […]
After reading this post, I purchased the Best Bath acne gel. I don’t usually have a problem with acne, but have developed one during pregnancy. Anyway, I have a horrible, uncomfortable breakout in my armpits and today I slathered on the gel and skipped deodorant to give myself a chance to heal. Surprisingly, the gel works as a deodorant as well! I live in the desert and sweat a lot in the summer heat but still smelled fine.
I definitely recommend this product. (It’s also helping with my acne)
Really great recommendations for skin! I especially like the coconut oil ideas. Coconut oil has gotten such a bad rap! I have never thought to use it for my eye makeup remover, almond oil yes, but not coconut. I am going to grab a jar and put some in it to keep in my bathroom to try tomorrow night. Thanks for the fantastic tip.
I love all your recommendations, I have especially been meaning to try the John Masters Organics hair care line, though I do still love my Giovanni Organics which is about 1/2 the price (have you tried it?) Also, for facial cleanser I really love Kiss My Face Potent and Pure Creamy Face Cleanser. I use it every day and every ingredient in it is certified organic. I have super sensitive, leaning towards dry skin, and that cleanser, along with with my EVOO and sugar scrub once a week has literally transformed my skin! You have beautiful skin and hair already, but if you’re looking for other natural, organic products to try, I highly recommend the Giovanni Organics line for hair and the Kiss My Face Potent and Pure products for the face. Let me know if you try them and if you like them as much as I do!
Hi Shari!
I’m so happy to hear that you’re skin is looking beautiful!
And thank you for the compliment, that’s very sweet of you. I use Giovanni sometimes, I have 3 of their conditioners that I rotate, but their shampoos make my head itch haha. Have you tried Aubrey? I rotate between their J.A.Y. shampoo and Amazon Beauty’s Rahua shampoo (it’s great for curly hair and dry hair). I’ll look into that product from Kiss My Face, thanks for the recommendation.
~Steph x
Scoop Amp Bag Odor Seal Cat…
[…] n-toxic fungus and bacteria fighter. I just keep a jar of this in my cup […]…
[…] My Summer Skin Care & Beauty Favorites — Epic Beauty Guide . bottles so I’d never run out. D I pour a bit into my hands and take my time gently massaging it into my scalp (I pour more into my hands as I go along, my goal is to coat all of my hair) and smoothing it through all the way to the ends . Mу Summer Skin Care & Beauty Favorites ̷… […] Comment by Elizabeth — July 1, 2010 @ 00:39 pm. After reading this post, I purchased the Best Bath acne gel. I don’t usually have a problem with acne, […]
Hi there, again. I was wondering that if wearing oil (for example olive oil, coconut oil, etc) and going out in the sun would be harm your skin of UV/UVB rays. And, I’ll make sure to read your upcoming article
Wearing oil while out in the sun will not harm your skin. Coconut oil is slightly protective against damage in general, though to my knowledge there is no UVA/UVB protection. Wear sunblock or sun protective clothing, and make sure you get enough essential fatty acids (EFAs), antioxidants and carotenoids (fresh fruit and veggies, salmon, supplemental carotenoids), which act as “internal” sunblock.
~Steph x