Need to deal with an unexpected summer problem? Keep your cool and head off problems with a little natural prevention and some super-smart summer skincare tips.
ALSO SEE: Our round-up of the best sunscreens for summer
Treat a blister
Spa consultant Catherine Marchant has an idea. “Dab with apple cider vinegar and protect with a dressing. It’s an old remedy but it’s effective,” she says. “Lavender essential oil can work too.”
Soothe dry, sore lips
It could be from the sun, or it could be a cold sore, which might have surfaced from feeling rundown. Either way work a slick of aloe vera gel over your mouth. It soothes and helps to heal too.
Reduce puffy skin
Does your skin generally feel hot and unhappy in summer? Add a few drops of chamomile essential oil to a natural yoghurt and smoothe it on for instant ease.
Manage puffy eyes
Courtesy of heat, flying, late nights and more. Take them down with two chamomile tea bags soaked in hot water, then chilled in the fridge and worn as masks for 15 minutes. So good!
Heal your hands
Having a staycation in the garden? Soothe sore and cracked gardener’s hands by mixing some calendula cream with a drop of almond oil and work in. Does wonders!
ALSO SEE: How to age-proof your hands
Cool sunburned skin
Too much sun? You know you shouldn’t, but when you’ve sat outdoors too long over lunch, “Take the ouch out of overheated skin: add two to three drops of lavendar essential oil to a palmful of aloe vera gel and smoothe over your skin,” says aromatherapist Glenda Taylor. “It’s a lovely, cooling remedy for excess exposure.”
Treat dryness and itchy skin
If your skin is feeling heat stressed and overly dry, add 10 drops of lavendar essential oil to your bath. Then work borage oil over your body when you’re dry. Luxurious and moisturising, it’s said to help prevent skin ageing. If you can’t find borage oil, evening primrose oil works just as well.
Ward off hot summer flushes
Finding your cool is easier than you think. “Before bed, rub the soles of your feet with coconut oil, ” says co-founder of Pukka Herbs, Sebastian Pole. “Believe it or not, it draws all the heat down to your feet. Try it, you’ll have soft feet too!”
ALSO SEE: 8 natural remedies for hot flushes
