Three Essential Summer Beauty Hacks to Keep You Looking Fresh

Summer inspires effortless beauty routines leaving you more time to enjoy the beautiful weather and all that comes with it: sunshine, swimming, festivals,… smeared makeup, sweaty hair, and peeling burns?! As much as we love summer, it can wreak havoc on our hair and skin. Here are our top three summer beauty hacks to avoid the dark side of summer.

1. Ensure sunscreen is part of your routine

Sunscreen is a must! Here’s why… sun protection factor, or SPF, indicates how long you can stay in the sun. If you normally burn in 30 minutes, an SPF of 15 means you can stay in the sun 15 times longer without burning. Be sure to use a broad spectrum sunscreen as well - it protects against UVB rays, which cause skin to burn, as well as UVA rays, which contribute to tanning and premature aging. 

NIUCOCO Tip: If your foundation doesn’t already have SPF, mix it with sunscreen for some protection. Squeeze a small amount of sunscreen and foundation onto your hand, mix, and apply with a foundation brush or a beauty blender. You can also opt to forgo fuller coverage for a tinted moisturizer that already has SPF. And definitely don’t forget your lips! Even those who are religious about applying sunscreen to their face and body often miss their lips. Stock up on chapstick or lip balm and reapply when you eat or drink it off.

Make sure to reapply your sunscreen as well. The majority of burns are the result of sunscreen wearing off. Regardless of the SPF factor, it is recommended to reapply sunscreen every two hours you spend under the sun. To avoid messing up your makeup part way through the day, opt for a makeup setting spray that doubles as a sunscreen.

If you do end up with a sunburn, treat it with aloe to moisturize and help your skin heal. Here’s a recipe we love at NIUCOCO: mix Aloe Vera gel with a little water, pour into an ice cube tray, and freeze. Rub the aloe vera ice cubes on the affected area, body or face, to soothe and cool the burn. Continue the moisturizing process for several weeks after the burn to prevent peeling and fight free radical damage from the sun’s radiation. And most especially avoid exposing the burn to the sun until it has healed completely.

2. Protect your hair from the sun and swimming

The best way to protect your hair from the sun is to wear a hat, preferably one with a wide brim and a tightly woven fabric. Since that isn’t always an option, take advantage of summer’s heat. “What do you mean?” you ask? Well, heat causes strands to become more porous. The open cuticles give hydrating treatments easier access to the hair shaft.

Try applying an oil, like NIUCOCO’s Renewing Hair Serum prior to sun exposure. Since the main ingredient, coconut oil, has a natural SPF of 8 it will protect your hair from the sun in addition to hydrating it.

Salt and chlorine are also notorious for damaging hair. They can suck the moisture out, leaving hair dry and brittle.

Apply a leave-in conditioner to your hair before and after the pool or ocean. Before swimming, it adds a layer of protection to hair, saving it from chlorine and salt damage. After swimming, it restores moisture and keeps hair soft. For a DIY option, use pure coconut oil. Its hydrophobic properties will repel water, preventing your hair from absorbing salt or chlorine while you swim. Also, make sure to rinse the salt and chlorine out after your swim. For additional tips on how to protect your hair from the sun, beach, or pool, click here: Travel Like A Pro: How to get your hair Insta ready from take-off to the beach.

3. Avoid the melted look

With summer’s heat comes more sweat, which can make your hair and face look constantly greasy and cause makeup to cake. Ugh!

To keep cool and prevent your hair from sticking and absorbing sweat on your neck, swipe antiperspirant onto the back of your neck . This is especially helpful to keep a blow dry looking fresh. Another way to extend your blowout is to embrace the dry shampoo trend. Even if we do say so ourselves, we recommend NIUCOCO’s Non-Aerosol Dry Shampoo.

Mist it onto your roots with our non-aerosol applicator that’s good for both you and the environment.

Humidity can contribute to extra frizz too. Tame the frizzies with a toothbrush by spritzing it with hairspray and comb hairline, part, and above the ears. Hair serums are also great at taming frizz since they add a bit of moisture to hair and close the hair cuticles.

When dealing with makeup, be sure to use a primer. This includes eye shadow primer. Primer doesn’t feel heavy and it keeps your makeup in place. Apply it after your sunscreen and moisturizer but before makeup. Ditch highlighters and swap powder blushes for creams or cheek stains. With summer’s humidity, you don’t need to fake the dewy glow - you’ll already have a natural one! Highlighter will only leave you looking overly shiny and sweaty. Stick with the blush to maintain that healthy bit of colour, but creams and stains will go on easier and won’t cake when you start to glisten. Most importantly, avoid the infamous raccoon eyes by swapping your regular mascara for a waterproof formula.

But keep in mind that waterproof mascara isn’t the best everyday option because it can by drying for your lashes. NIUCOCO Tip: To combat dry eyelashes, brush lashes and lash line with a mixture of cold-pressed coconut oil and castor oil before bed. This will hydrate as well as boost growth!

Effortless beauty is simple when you take care of your base. Use these tips to keep your skin and hair healthy throughout the summer months and make makeup choices that work with the heat instead of against it.