Crazy (But Effective) Hot Weather Beauty Hacks Every Girl Needs to Know
Summer is all about having fun outside with your friends, enjoying the gorgeous weather whenever you get the chance. While it’s our favorite season for obvious reasons, there are some aspects of the hot weather that can really put a damper on our beauty routines. So, if you’d rather “glow” than well, downright sweat and become a frizzy mess, we have some summer beauty hacks you’ll want to learn – and put to memory – ASAP. They may seem a bit crazy, but they’re downright effective tricks when the temps border on 100.
The same way that baby powder can act as a dry shampoo (in a pinch) to absorb excess oil, it works wonders at the beach. Once you’ve got your fill of sun and sand for the day, sprinkle baby powder on your feet, legs, and anywhere else where you’ve got sand stuck to you. The powder will absorb the moisture on your skin from sweat and salt water (which is what makes the sand stick to you) and you’ll be able to wipe all of the sand off immediately. Yes, it may seem odd to add more powder to your mess – but it works, trust us.
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The safest way to tan is to avoid the sun altogether, but using self-tanner means that sometimes there will be mistakes. To remove any streaky or overly orange patches on your skin, mix together baking soda and a bit of water to create a paste. Use the mixture to gently exfoliate your skin where you need to even out the tanner and you’ll be set! Just make sure to do so over a towel, just in case any of the paste falls on the floor – easy clean up!
Besides frizz, the worst part of heat styling your hair during the summer is sweating while you’re styling. We all know the struggle of blow drying our hair, and essentially needing another shower once we’re done because of sweat. Avoid all of this with a simple hack: Apply a powder (not gel) deodorant to the back of your neck about 10 minutes before blow drying your hair. It’ll have the same antiperspirant effect on your neck as it does under your arms.
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Dry shampoo is a girl’s best friend year-round, but during the summer, it’s actually better when you don’t apply it in the morning. Spritz your roots with dry shampoo at night to let the product absorb oil (and perspiration) throughout the night. Giving dry shampoo a bit of time to work its magic will give you much better results.
As much as we try to prevent sunburn, there are just some days when we miss a spot while putting it on, or we forget to reapply during a day outside. Aloe vera is one of the best ways to soothe burned skin, but chilled aloe vera is even better. Fill up an ice cube tray with aloe vera gel and keep it in your freezer all summer long, then pop out a cube or two when you need some extra relief. It will immediately help to soothe your ailing skin.
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Sometimes, even if you’re using clinical strength products, you wind up with stains under your arms on your favorite shirts. If you’re out of spot remover, squeeze lemon juice onto the stains before tossing into the laundry. The acidity of the lemon will lift the sweat stains right out of your shirts.
DIY manicure mavens know that nothing ruins all your hard work like bubbles in your polish. During the summer, the heat can react with the ingredients in nail polish to make it thicker and a bit globby. Plus, it takes much longer to dry in the summer due to this heat, giving those bubbles more time to make a mess. Store your nail polish in the fridge, keeping it cool and thus getting a much smoother paint job when you do a manicure. If you can’t fit your entire collection in the fridge (because really, who could?) just put the colors you’ll be using, your base and top coat in the fridge for about an hour before you paint your nails for the same effect.
Besides being dull, rust on razors is one of the quickest ways to get nicks while you’re shaving — not to mention infections. Keep your razor alive for longer by storing it outside of the shower, and coat the blades in olive oil between uses to protect the metal from rusting.
Bikini line rash happens to just about everyone, but that doesn’t mean you need to suffer. Steep a few bags of chamomile tea in hot water, then let them cool for about 15-20 minutes in the freezer. Lay the tea bags along your bikini line where you see a rash and let the calming effects of the herbs do their job.
Spending a ton of time outside this summer? Chances are, you’re in a buggy area, which means you’ll need some serious repellent to avoid being eaten alive. To repel bugs, rub dryer sheets all over your clothes (and even your legs), then keep one or two in your back pocket or tucked into your shorts. The scent will repel bugs without needing to spray yourself with bug repellent every few minutes. Bonus: Dryer sheets smell a whole lot better than bug spray ever will!
