Best Summer Moisturizers

My skin naturally feels good in the summer. The air is fairly moist because of the humidity. Feeling the sun on my face is definitely uplifting and gives me a hint of natural color. And yes, I admittedly skip moisturizer sometimes if I feel my skin doesn't need it.

I do it, but I know better than that.

Moisturizers do exactly what they say - they hydrate the skin. We may not realize we need it in the summer - but we do. Both the heat and the sun can dry out the surface of the skin and moisturizer replenishes what is lost from the environment.

Another benefit is that you can usually find moisturizers that contain sunscreen or SPF 15 or higher. It is a good idea to wear sunscreen year round but in the summer it is especially important.

I find that I change products once the weather gets hotter. In winter, I tend to need a thicker moisturizer - one that contains natural oils. In the summer, I tend to look for lighter formulas - oil free if I can find it.

I have tried a lot of moisturizers in my time, and I have a few favorites. I have Rosacea so I tend to need ingredients that still sooth and protect while also remaining light in texture. These keep my skin looking radiant and healthy and protect against the elements.

Another criteria that I have is that the company should be fairly natural and not test on animals. All of these companies have ethical practices. Burt's Bees and Yes To Carrots are fairly mainstream. I can go to Walgreens or Rite Aid down the street and find them. I can only find Origins products at the fancier makeup counters.

I am happy that Burt's Bees and Yes To are available to me as ethical, inexpensive options. Origins tends to be a little pricey.

Anyway, in the Amazon box to the right I have shared my three favorite summer moisturizers - Burt's Bees Night Cream, Yes To Carrots SPF 15, and Origins Brighter By Nature SPF 35.

Sometimes, I don't even use products. Often, I just moisturize my face using things that I find around the house.

• Olive oil. This is great for all over the body, year round. I even put it in my hair. If I put it on my skin in the summer, I will follow it up by rubbing some of it off with a mix of apple cider vinegar and water. Basically, it's a 50/50 mix and I spread it on my face with a tissue to get some of the oil off.
• Coconut oil. For some reason, I eat this out of the jar at times. So, it's always in the fridge. I also use it in my face, on my body, and in my hair for a moisturizer. I follow it up with the apple cider vinegar thing I mentioned above.
• Aloe vera gel. I always keep this around for burns but it comes in handy in the summer as a moisturizer. I like this option because it is oil free. Sometimes I use aloe as a facial mask. I just spread it on thick and let it set for five minutes then rinse it off. Make sure the aloe vera gel that you buy only contains aloe.

Did you want to try your hand at making your own facial moisturizer? I went on Youtube and found a video that has some great instructions. Lavender and Rosemary are great essential oils for the summer because they help with breakouts and help control oil.