With summer in full swing, most of us find ourselves reaching for sunburn soothers, dry skin remedies, and frizz-taming hair masks. Get everything you need all in one place with a handy summer beauty survival kit made from picks you can either buy or make yourself. Read on for ideas you’ll love.

Editor’s note: Earth911 teams up with affiliate marketing partners to help fund our Recycling Directory. If you purchase an item through one of the affiliate links in this post, we will receive a small commission.

The Problem: Shiny Skin

Buy It: S.W. Basics Toner

Buy It: S.W. Basics Toner

A shiny T-zone is one of summer’s minor inconveniences, but you don’t need a harsh chemical formula to fix it.

Made from organic apple cider vinegar, witch hazel, and organic essential oils, the S.W. Basics Toner is a five-ingredient formula that balances oil production without stripping moisture. The brand sources only fair trade, certified organic, or family-farmed ingredients and holds EWG’s lowest toxicity rating for face toners. It’s also widely available now at Kroger, Fred Meyer, and other grocery chains if you’d rather pick it up locally.

Buy it on Amazon

DIY It: Rosewater Toner

Image: The Healthy Maven

Due to its protective and healing properties, rosewater has been used to revitalize skin and hair for centuries. It’s even said that Cleopatra used rosewater as part of her much-lauded beauty routine.

Give the Queen of the Nile’s beauty secret. You can make your own rosewater toner with easy-to-follow instructions from The Healthy Maven in a few simple steps.

Apply lightly to your face to reduce inflammation and alleviate shine without over-drying. Simple, easy, and effective!

The Problem: Sunburn

Buy It: COOLA Radical Recovery After-Sun Lotion

If you’ve spent too much time in the sun without protection, this is the recovery option. COOLA’s Radical Recovery After-Sun Lotion is EcoCert certified with 99% natural-origin ingredients, built around organic agave and aloe vera as the moisture-locking base. Organic agave has been used in traditional skincare for its moisture-binding properties and vitamin content since the time of the Aztecs. The formula also includes lavender, sunflower, sweet orange, and mandarin peel oils for antioxidant support. Paraben- and phthalate-free.

Buy it on Amazon

DIY It: Summer Avocado Honey Mask

Image courtesy of Weelicious

Store-bought face masks can be pricey. So, if you’re looking for a more budget-friendly sunburn solution, a ripe avocado is one of the most effective sunburn soothers in the produce aisle. Its high content of healthy fats, vitamins E and K, and antioxidants reduces redness and eases discomfort on irritated skin. Weelicious has a straightforward guide to making a homemade avocado honey mask that you can put together in minutes.

The Problem: Chapped Lips

Buy It: Loving Naturals Lip Balm SPF 30

Protecting your lips from UV damage requires the same care as your skin, and most conventional lip balms skip sun protection entirely. Loving Naturals Clear Lips SPF 30+ Lip Balm uses non-nano zinc oxide,  the mineral active EWG recommends over chemical filters, along with grape seed oil, beeswax, and cocoa butter. Loving Naturals has transitioned much of its product line to baby-focused offerings under the Adorable Baby brand, but this lip balm remains available. Vegan shoppers may prefer Badger Mineral Sunscreen Lip Balm SPF 15 as a beeswax-free alternative.

DIY It: Beeswax & Rosewater Lip Balm

Image: Gimme Some Oven

A homemade lip balm lets you control every ingredient. Liz Stevens at Gimme Some Oven has a simple recipe combining rosewater, beeswax, olive oil, and sunflower seed oil for a nourishing DIY lip balm that takes about 15 minutes to make. Note that this formulation does not include SPF; pair it with a hat or lip-safe mineral sunscreen for outdoor use.

The Problem: Frizzy Hair

Buy It: Maple Holistics Silk18 Conditioner

Humidity and frizz have a symbiotic relationship, and breaking it requires something that actually coats the hair shaft with moisture rather than surface shine. The Maple Holistics Silk18 Conditioner delivers 18 silk amino acids along with argan oil, shea butter, pomegranate seed oil, and jojoba oil. The formula is free of silicones, parabens, and sulfates, making it safe for color-treated hair and all hair types. Maple Holistics also offers a mail-in bottle recycling program, so you can return empty packaging to receive free products as a reward.

DIY It: Basic Leave-In Conditioner Spray

Image: Paula Parrish

Paula Parrish’s classic tutorial offers three variations of a DIY leave-in conditioning spray formulated for dry, oily, or normal hair. Each uses vegetable glycerin, lavender, and tea tree oil as a base. The glycerin draws moisture from the air into your hair shafts, which in summer humidity actually works in your favor.

The Problem: Dry Skin

Buy It: Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist

Summer skin is a study in contradictions, when it is oily in some zones, dry in others, and parched by the end of the day. Heritage Store Rosewater & Glycerin Hydrating Mist earns its spot through simplicity: just three ingredients: purified water, vegetable glycerin, and Damask rose oil. Glycerin draws moisture from the air into the skin; rosewater soothes and softens. It sets mineral makeup, primes skin before application, doubles as a hair frizz tamer, and works as a cooling spray when chilled. No dyes, no alcohol, no parabens or phthalates, packaged in post-consumer recycled plastic.

Tip: Put the bottle in a cooler for a fresh, radiant complexion and a cool spritz when you need it.

DIY It: Whipped Shea Butter Lotion

Image: Rawmazing

For dry skin that needs something more substantial than a mist, Susan at Rawmazing has a kitchen-made whipped shea butter lotion that uses just three ingredients: shea butter, coconut oil, and almond oil. Shea butter is rich in vitamins A, E, and F and absorbs quickly without leaving grease behind. Whip it in a stand mixer for a lighter texture.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2013 by Mary Mazzoni, and was updated in 2016, 2017, 2019, and July 2026.

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