15 Beauty Hacks + Tips to Try This Summer

It’s hard to stay calm and cool when one of my eyebrows is melting off (it always has to be the “good one”,  too) and my hair refuses to cooperate with me. Also, my huge sunnies always leave those awful marks on my face while also removing half of my foundation.

Can you relate?

Summer is a beautiful time of year, but it’s also a time of year when a small sweat breakthrough can ruin an outfit, and when your hair and skin could use a little more lovin’.

Use the right Sunscreen. If you want your skin to look young and healthy for years to come, you need to use sunscreen all year long, rain or shine, but it’s especially important in the summertime when the sun can be really harsh. If you spend your day out in the sun, using foundation or tinted moisturizer with SPF will not provide you with adequate protection from the harmful UVA and UVB rays- SPF that makeup products contain is not always stable. You also probably don’t apply nearly enough foundation for that SPF to actually protect your skin.  Two things to look for in a sunscreen are SPF (sun protection factor) and PPD value (persistent pigment darkening) also known as PA. SPF helps prevent sunburn, while PPD helps determine how well the sunscreen will prevent photoaging. Sunscreen should go after your moisturizer and before your makeup.

Speaking of eyebrows melting off- if you have extremely oily skin, run a little spoolie dipped in a translucent powder through your brows after filling them in, to keep the product in place. This will also help if your brow product tends to oxidize and darken throughout the day.

Love your hair. Avoid using hot tools on your hair as much as you can, to prevent damage. Instead, try using a sea salt spray and let your hair air-dry to create natural-looking beachy waves. I also love using texturizing sprays, since they give my hair some volume and a little shape, without having to use my curling iron.

You know those annoying sunglass-marks I just talked about? Something that works really well for me, is applying some translucent powder on the frame of my sunnies. I also spray a bit of a makeup setting spray on a small brush and pat it onto to those areas where my sunglasses “sit” (around my nose and cheeks- I love wearing HUGE sunglasses that cover pretty much my entire face).  If that doesn’t work, you can also try applying a thin layer of a clear, matte nail polish on your frames, right where they touch your face and rub off your foundation.

Drink your water! During warmer weather, our bodies tend to lose water faster, so it’s very important to replenish our fluids and stay hydrated throughout the day. If you find drinking plain water too boring, try making some herb and fruit infused ice cubes.

Use Clinical Strength Protection. Summer means hot weather, high temperatures, humidity and that usually equals… sweat. I actually declared this summer to be my “summer of yes,” and I’m planning to do my best to step out of my comfort zone a little. This will involve doing things for the first time, going to new places and meeting new people. I mean, that, itself can be really stressful (aren’t comfort zones so warm and cozy?) but add hot weather into the mix, and results can be anything but pretty. Of course, I’m talking about a sweat breakthrough- it’s kind of the last thing you want to worry about, isn’t it?  Secret Clinical Strength Invisible Solid and Secret Clinical Strength Clear Gel provide twice the sweat protection of an ordinary antiperspirant- so it doesn’t matter what your day (or the weather) throws at you, there will be no need to worry about a sweat breakthrough.

With Secret Clinical Strength Invisible Solid and Secret Clinical Strength Clear Gel, you also don’t have to worry about wearing certain fabrics or colors- no need, in short, to sacrifice your style. I always carry one of these in my bag too, just in case I forget to apply it in the morning (yup, it has happened before).

I’ve been using Secret for as long as I can remember,  I can’t tell you how excited I am to share Secret in my life as part of a sponsored series for Socialstars™! For more info, see my disclosure policy. 

When applying nail polish during Summer- try doing so in a cool room. Warm temperatures can ruin the formula of your nail polish and make the application quite messy.

Pay a little more attention to your skin (especially legs, knees arms and elbows) and moisturize it well. Instead of using thick creams and lotions, go for something more lightweight. I love using coconut oil as a natural moisturizer/body oil. You can also use it in place of a shaving cream (or, you know… just pour it all over your entire life, it seems to fix pretty much everything, from dry skin to bad credit…). It doesn’t matter how much of a hurry you are in, you should always avoid shaving your legs “dry”- this will only irritate your skin. Coconut oil will help you get a closer shave and will leave your skin feeling silky smooth.

Try dry-brushing. Seriously, it’s one of my favorite beauty rituals and if you deal with ingrown hairs or rough skin, you will love it, too.

Use a lip balm with SPF. During summer we tend to wear more glossy lip products, and these can absorb the sun much easier and cause the skin on your lips to burn easily. Believe it or not, you can actually get a sunburn on your lips while being outside in the sun for too long, so make sure you always use a lip balm with SPF (but do avoid ones that contain mint, as they can dry out your lips and make them more sensitive).

Long before “dry shampoo” was a thing…. a lot of us used to use face powder in place of it. I still use it sometimes to this day, especially in emergency situations when all I have access to is my bag (and you will always, always find powder there- sometimes I feel like I carry my entire vanity with me). If you want to try this trick, I recommend using translucent powder and a big fluffy brush and massage the powder well into the scalp to help absorb the oils. Make sure you don’t use too much, though!

When washing your hair, always rinse it with cold water- this will give it a nice, glossy shine and will help with that occasional summer dryness caused by sun and water.

Sometimes even when you try to avoid it at all costs, you end up with sunburn. If this happens, try a natural remedy like applying Aloe Vera Plant to your skin (I usually buy mine at local health/farm stores). You can also try freezing small pieces of Aloe and use it as a soothing + cooling treatment. Avoid applying lotions with strong fragrances as they can irritate your skin. Also, make sure to check expiration dates on all of your summer skincare products- especially if you’re about to use something that you have left over from the year before.

Want to cool off and rejuvenate your skin after being out in the sun all day? Mix some chilled Aloe with a little cucumber juice and apply it all over your face and body. Let it sit until it dries and then wash it off.

Last, but not least, try avoiding heavy makeup products. The mixture of hot weather, water and humidity can cause those occlusive and heavy coverage foundations to clog your pores which in turn may cause breakouts. If you insist on wearing makeup to the beach or when sitting by the pool, stick to lightweight, oil-free and waterproof formulas and keep in mind that less is more. A water-proof mascara is definitely a must-have for me during summer, too.

What are some of your warm-weather must-haves? Any hacks you can’t live without?

This post was created in partnership with Secret + Socialstars™