August is an unpredictable month; it can either have some nice days in between, or ruin your vacation plans with extreme heat and humidity. If you are looking for green and natural beauty hacks to survive the dog days of summer, I hear you.
As I’ve personally experienced three New York summers with all their ups and downs, I have compiled a list of the best green hacks that have helped keep my beauty woes at bay. Hint: Layering products usually does the trick!
Fighting Frizz Without the Nasties
I am a curly-haired gal, so figting frizz is my #1 priority in the summer. Although there are many commercial shampoos that help manage a frizzy mane, it is quite difficult to find those qualities in the natural beauty aisle. As it turns out, layering two great natural products was the key all along!
Meet my winning organic anti-frizz combo: John Masters Organics Evening Primrose Shampoo and Static Schmatic Anti-Static Spray for Hair.
The John Masters Organics Evening Primrose Shampoo ($26 / 16 fl. oz.) is a nontoxic must-have for dry hair. With 70% organic ingredients, it cleans with a generous lather that doesn’t dry out my hair, helping manage the frizz. With a wise mix of organic oils of babassu and evening primrose, proteins, vitamins and amino-acids, this shampoo replehishes dry and damaged hair without the extra chemical charge.
In terms of ingredients, it uses sodium cocoampodiacetate as a lathering agent, which means it is a SLS-free product ideal for dry scalps like mine. And the formula is preserved with sodium benzoate instead of phenoxyethanol, a big plus if you want to really go green but can’t use castile soap on your scalp.
Static Schmatic wonderful all-natural anti-static spray for hair ($12) is a scent-free, hypoallergenic and gluten free solution for your flyaway woes. It works as the perfect companion for a perfectly styled hair without polluting the air around you and your human and furry loved ones. Plus, the coconut oil in the formula helps your hair stay clean and shiny while fighting the frizz. You really can’t beat that!
In terms of formula, this product is so natural that’s even safe to use around kids. It is made out of distilled water, plant-based soap, coconut oil, glycerin and salt. It won’t leave any sticky residues in your home, your clothes, or your lungs!
{Dirty Little Green Beauty Trick}: I have found that these two products work extremely well in synergy. So go ahead and wash that mane with the John Masters Organics shampoo, and spritz your combs liberally with Static Schmatic while you style it. You will see the difference!
A Lovely Tan Without the Melanoma Risk
Let’s face the truth: Staying too long in the sun or sunbathing without the appropriate protection can increase your chances of developing melanoma in the future. Protecting your skin all-year round is important, but doing it in the summer is vital.
That is why I was very impressed by The Organic Pharmacy‘s latest green hack: A completely clean and nontoxic Self Tan ($69) that gives you a glowing, natural radiant tan using the power of the DHA extracted from sugar beets.
I swear I can hear you thinking: “but doesn’t self-tanning lotions leave your skin orange.” The thing is, you are right for the most part! However, this product is different. It creates a perfect subtle and even glow with a streakless (and stressless) experience. Believe me: I have tested my fair share of self-tanning lotions in my journalistic career, and this is one of the few that I can honestly recommend. Plus, as it develops in about three hours, it is the perfect solution if you want to look fab for an impromptu date night.
In terms of nontoxic formulation, it is as clean as clean can be: 80% of the ingredients are organic, plus the formula uses Benzyl Alcohol as a mild preservative and not phenoxyethanol. The Organic Pharmacy’s Self Tan gets extra points for its high content in aloe vera juice and shea butter, as it’s a dream come true for gals with dry skin like mine. I double-dare you to try and beat that!
{Dirty Little Green Beauty Trick}: If you want to achieve an even tanning effect on your face, don’t forget to cover your hairline and your eyebrows with a bit of Vaseline or its organic counterpart (I use Badger Lip Balm as it has beeswax, which repels the tanning lotion naturally.) You are most welcome!
A Natural Deodorant that Doesn’t Abandon You
Whenever I talk about natural deodorants, I can hear my friends cringe at the thought of the warmest days of the year. They actually hit the nail in the head, because in New York I kinda perspire like crazy, especially when the MTA decides to transform the waiting areas into a Russian sauna with free admission.
Although my natural reflex is to carry a smaller version of my deo and reapply, I know that can be inconvenient in the middle of a date, when you do your groceries at Trader Joe’s, or when you run the marathon to avoid a rat on the platform (been there, done that!)
This year, I have taken a different approach called layering. Very much like its beauty version, it consists of using a paste deodorant plus a spritz or two of a good liquid deodorant on top. My favorites for this technique are Schmidt’s Lavender + Sage Deodorant Jar ($8.99) and EO Organic Deodorant All Day Clean in Citrus ($6.99).
Schmidt’s award-winning formula has been one of my best green discoveries of the summer. Completely natural and in a generous size, it uses a very mild formula composed of a handful of ingredients (chiefly shea butter, baking soda, cocoa seed butter, and essential oils) to deliver all-day protection that becomes transparent. I personally favor deodorant creams as it’s a great way to make sure that your deodorant actually goes where you need it, thus making it more effective.
EO Organic Deodorant in citrus has been another pleasant surprise this summer. Bearing the USDA Organic seal, it has a self-stable formula based on vegetable alcohol and a smart essential oil blend. Believe me, a couple spritzes of this wonder-in-a-bottle are all you need to take your paste deodorant to the next level. In my case, I have found that it works wonderfully well with the Schmidt’s paste deodorant.
On a side note, can we talk about your green budget? To me, both these products are ridiculously affordable (have you taken a look at the green aisle lately?) for the quality of the ingredients they are using and how great they perform. Plus, I have been using this combo for about a month and a half and I still have product to go for at least another month. Chemical and aluminum-filled deodorants, you can’t beat that!
Disclosure level 1: The author received NO compensation to write this post. The author received samples of some of the products mentioned for editorial consideration. This didn’t influence the decision to feature the brands, nor the opinions expressed in the article. The links are for information of the readers and aren’t part of any affiliate marketing programs.
I never thought of layering two natural deos, thanks for the tip!!!!
My pleasure! It's my little dirty green secret 😉