My Favorite Summer Wellness Hacks

It’s almost the Fourth of July, so summer is officially, officially here. Today I want to share five of my favorite hacks for staying safe, healthy and happy all summer long!

5 wellness hacks for a happy summer…

Check out the products I make and use in my backyard, in the woods, at the beach and when I’m running around the city. I swear by them!

Before we jump in … don’t forget a natural, broad-spectrum sunscreen. Stay safe in the sun, Spirit Junkies. 🙂

1. Make your own organic tick spray

Where I live, ticks are a big risk in summer. And since I love taking walks through the woods, I don’t mess around when it comes to protecting myself from them! I don’t want to douse myself in bug sprays that are loaded with synthetic chemicals like DEET, so I looked all over the internet for natural, DIY tick sprays.

One of my favorite recipes comes from the blog Mommypotamus. This homemade tick repellent spray is also awesome for keeping mosquitoes away! You can do a water-based, lotion-based, or oil-based version.

For the essential oils in the recipe, you can find the geranium oil here, the eucalyptus oil here and the lemon oil here.

Tweet: I swear by these summer wellness hacks for healthy skin, hair, digestion and more! #spiritjunkie @gabbybernstein

Here’s Heather’s recipe for the water-based tick spray, adapted to how I use it:

• • 2 oz. apple cider vinegar or witch hazel
  • 2 oz. water
  • 20-40 drops geranium essential oil or lemon & eucalyptus essential oil (or a mixture)

Mix it:

1. Combine essential oil with vinegar or witch hazel and let the mixture sit for a few minutes, then stir to disperse the oil in the liquid.
2. Add water and pour into a spray bottle made of glass or PET plastic. Be sure to use PET plastic, because essential oils can leach chemicals from some other plastics.
3. Shake well and spray on your skin and clothes.

If you’re not into DIY-ing your own sprays, try natural, DEET-free mosquito and tick repellents like Repel and Hoffman’s Natural.

2. Protect your hair with coconut oil

Between the sun and salty or chlorinated water, summer can wreck your hair! I’m obsessed with keeping mine healthy. I use organic coconut oil as a hair mask — my favorite is Viva Naturals Organic.

Coconut oil is super effective at preventing breakage, adding shine and moisturizing your scalp! This is an especially awesome and inexpensive treatment if you color your hair, and a huge lifesaver if you are rocking unicorn hair color this summer.

Using it is easy. Just apply it all over, pop on a shower cap or turban towel, and let it soak in for 20 minutes or up to an hour.

3. Infuse your water to stay hydrated and ease digestion

Here’s a super easy way to stay hydrated and be kind to your digestive system this summer so you don’t feel bloated at the beach! I love to infuse my water with fruit and herbs. At home you can use an infusion pitcher, and when you’re out and about you can bring along a BPA-free flip-top bottle with its own infuser.

To aid digestion, infuse your water with a combo of lemon and ginger. Slice 1 lemon into rounds. Peel and slice 1 small or medium-size piece of ginger. They will soothe your stomach and keep your digestive system running smoothly!

4. Soothe a sunburn with organic aloe

I always wear sunscreen and my makeup has SPF protection, but at least once a summer I end up with a little sunburn, or simply sensitive skin after a day at the beach. When that happens I live for aloe gel.

I know it’s old-school, but it’s the best. It moisturizes and cools all at once. Plus it’s good for soothing bug bites, eczema and irritated skin.

There are tons of aloe gels out there, but one I really dig is Majestic Pure cold-pressed, organic aloe. It absorbs super fast and is really gentle.

5. Stay comfortable on the beach with a floppy hat and a lounger

In the summer I always have my beach bag packed. Two items I’m never without are a chic hat and a lightweight beach chair to keep me lifted off the sand.

I love this Marina hat by Sol A Mer because it has built-in sun protection (certified UPF 50+) and is really easy to pack! And it’s reversible, with super fun, bright colors. Use promo code GABBYLOVE for 15% off!

As for lounge chairs, I dig the WearEver Hi-Back Deluxe Steel Backpack Chair because it’s lightweight and has armrests and a headrest, plus straps so you can carry it on your back.

Those are some of my favorite summer wellness hacks, Spirit Junkies! What are yours? Comment below and let me know your secrets…