The Best Summer DIY Recipes For Your Skin

I don’t get to make these very often, so whenever I do, I find it an absolute luxury and a half. Any moment I can spend giving a little extra TLC to my skin is one I take with both hands, and don’t let go. Making skin care products for myself is something I want to do more of, and do on a regular basis, because in the moments where I feel too busy to do it, that’s when I need these treatments most of all.

So it’s a goal of mine this summer to start making these treatments more often and, eventually, make them a part of my skincare regimen. Plus, any time I get to use natural ingredients on my skin I revel in it; there’s so much gunk and dirt from pollutions that become absorbed into our skin on a daily basis that an extra little natural love will go a long way. Below I’ve shared some of the best summer DIY recipes for your skin!

1. All-Natural Face Wash

What better way to jump into making some summer DIY recipes than by making an all-natural face wash, the product arguably most fundamental to your skincare routine. There are those days in the week that I fall asleep without having washed my face and, in the morning, my skin feels less than stellar.

This all-natural face wash is courtesy of Florapothecarie and is infused with all the good natural ingredients: rosewater and rosemary, as well as lavender and tea tree oils. The rosewater and tea tree oil combine to help fight and heal acne, working to balance your skin, while the lavender and dried rosemary are antiseptic. Isn’t it cool when natural ingredients can still make a big impact on our skin?

Ingredients (directly from Florapothecarie):

18oz bottle
a funnel
1 cup castile soap
1 tbsp rosewater
sprigs of dried rosemary
11 drops of lavender essential oil
5 drops of tea tree oil

Directions: Funnel all of your ingredients into the bottle, add the lavender and drop in some rosemary, and shake together! Like with all natural skin care products and, really, skincare products in general, try mindfully, maybe once or twice a week, to allow your skin to adjust to the treatment.

2. Cucumber Mint Body Scrub

Give the rest of your body a little love with this cooling body scrub, a perfect addition to your summer skincare routine. This DIY recipe is courtesy of Life-n-Reflection and is sure to be a favorite for the summer! Whenever I think of what I need on a hot, summer day, I always imagine having a nice, tall glass of water with cucumber and mint in it.

Cucumber is naturally cooling, so it would be a nice body scrub to use after a day out in the sun (with plenty of sunscreen, of course!). The natural cane sugar will take away all kinds of dead skin and dirt, while the cucumber and coconut oil will soothe and soften your skin.

Ingredients (directly from Life-n-Reflection):

1/4 cup cucumber, unpeeled (about 4 slices)
4 tbsp coconut oil, unrefined
1 cup natural cane sugar
4 leaves fresh mint
4 drops eucalyptus essential oil
2 drops lemon essential oil
2 airtight jars, 4 ounce

Directions: Purée cucumber and mint until they are granulated, to give you that exfoliation feel. Next, add two tablespoons of coconut oil and 1 cup of sugar, blending until smooth. Pour your mixture into a glass mixing bowl and then add the remaining coconut oil, stirring until smooth. Last but not least, add 4 drops of eucalyptus essential oil and 2 drops of lemon essential oil, stirring until everything is combined.

3. Natural Deodorant (That Works!)

I hopped on the natural deodorant bandwagon last summer and haven’t really looked back since. That said, there are those moments when I worry whether or not my deodorant is working simply because, well, we’ve all had those experiences with deodorant when it doesn’t work, amirite?

I have yet to actually make my own natural deodorant, but I do sometimes make underarm ‘masks,’ that function as a cleanse to help clean out the impurities that build up under your arms. I try (keyword, here) to do that a couple of times a month, although I believe it becomes more effective the more often you do it per month. It ensures that the bacteria and build up from underneath your arms is actually flushed out to allow natural deodorant to actually work properly. I’ve used the main clay ingredient, Bentonite Clay, that is featured in this recipe, so my next project is to try out this natural deodorant from Body Unburdened.

The coconut oil and tea tree essential oil are both antibacterial, fighting the bacteria build up, while the baking soda helps neutralize pH levels and body odor. The bentonite clay helps pull toxins from your skin to allow the natural deodorant to really work its magic as the arrowroot or cornstarch, whichever you choose, absorbs perspiration. Bye-bye persistent perspiration!

Ingredients (directly from Body Unburdened):

6 tbsp or 3 oz organic virgin coconut oil
2 tbsp baking soda
3 tbsp arrowroot or organic cornstarch
2 tbsp bentonite clay
20 drops tea tree essential oil

Directions: Put the coconut oil into a mixing bowl, mix in all other ingredients until the consistency feels like a paste. Once down, place the mixture into a small jar. Because coconut oil hardens or melts according to the temperature of the room, you can use your fingers to apply the deodorant, allowing it to melt under your fingerpads prior to use and thereby absorb easily into your skin.

4. Green Tea Misting Spray

This summer DIY recipe comes from hello glow, and is perfect to keep you protected all summer long. This mist is infused with antioxidants from green tea to help decrease free radicals from interacting with our skin, at the skin level.

The Wave Flat Iron Technique Everyone Is Trying

Consuming antioxidants helps fight those nasty free radicals on a cellular level, so when we absorb those ingredients or products rich in antioxidants into our skin they start to work for us on a skin level. This is amazing since skin damage from the sun is a leading health risk. Of course, wear your sunscreen, try to stay in the shade, and protect yourself from the sun as much as possible.

This is by no means a substitute for that. But if there’s a chance that we can give our skin a fighting chance against sun damage using natural products, I’d say why not take it?

Ingredients (directly from hello glow):

8 ounces of water
2 tea bags of Green Tea (hello glow recommends Yogi Pure Green Tea) – rich in antioxidants
1 tsp of aloe vera gel – to help cool your skin after spending time in the sun
small spray bottle

Directions: Bring water to a boil, remove from heat and add 2 tea bags. Steep and then let cool completely. Add the aloe vera gel and whisk. Pour the tea into the spray bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks!

5. Honey Sugar Lip Scrub

I don’t make this summer DIY recipe often, usually because I simply forget to, but when I do, oh boy, do I love how my lips feel — and taste — afterward. Exfoliating your lips is such an amazing and important thing to do to keep your lips happy. The exfoliation works to get rid of dead skin, leaving your lips nice and soft.

Another recipe courtesy of hello glow, this honey sugar lip scrub is all-natural and oh so scrumptious that you’ll want to lick your lips when you have it on!

Ingredients (directly from hello glow):

2 tsp sugar (any kind of sugar – raw, brown, regular sugar)
1 tsp honey
1 tsp almond oil
optional: if you want to add a natural plump to your lips, add a dash of cinnamon or cayenne

Directions: Mix up all of those yummy ingredients until your treatment reaches the consistency of a paste. Apply to your lips with your fingertips and gently massage the treatment into your lips, and buh-bye dead skin cells!