Natural Solutions for Your Summertime Woes

Our motto for summertime is work hard, play harder! Summer is all about getting outside and enjoying our beautiful surroundings in whatever way possible, be it waterskiing, hiking, canoeing, lounging by the pool or donning some spandex skivvies for a game of beach volleyball. But if you’ve succumbed to too much summer fun, here are some natural remedies for those summertime blues!

Sunburn. If you don’t get sunburned at least once a summer, we feel you might be doing something wrong! While we don’t promote sunburns, we realize they are a fact of life. If you’ve overexposed your skin this summer, try using aloe vera, taking cool showers, or applying plain white vinegar topically to burned areas. Read more about our natural sunburn remedies here.

Dry skin. Jumping in and out of water, exposure to chlorine and dry hot air can leave your skin feeling itchy, flaky and excessively dry. Staying hydrated is a key step in preventing dry skin, but we have some excellent natural remedies if your skin could use a moisture treatment. In order for moisturizers to work effectively, dead skin must first be removed. Try stirring together a mixture of granulated sugar and/or salt with olive or coconut oil for a deliciously gritty shower scrub. After sloughing off dead skin, moisturize with olive or coconut oil to make your skin glisten. Hint: try applying moisturizer to your body at nighttime, before bed. This way, the product can work its magic for a prolonged period, as you sleep!

Yeast Infections. Playing in water in a wet bathing suit all day can create a perfect environment for pesky yeast to flourish. To prevent an annoying summertime yeast infection, keep your private parts as dry as possible and avoid prolonged “moist” conditions. If you’ve not managed to dodge the yeast infection bullet, there are several natural remedies to try including using garlic, decreasing your consumption of sugar, douching with live yogurt, or adding a cup or so of apple cider vinegar to your bathwater as you soak.

Bug Bites. No frigid cold temperatures means lots of things, but one of them is more bugs and more insect bites. We loathe  pesky insects namely mosquitoes, ticks and chiggers. To ward off these critters, try spritzing yourself with a mixture of water and an essential oil such as lavender, tea tree, citronella, cinnamon or geranium. If you’ve been bitten, try treating itchy spots with apple cider vinegar or soothing witch hazel, both very inexpensive and readily available natural remedies for bug bites. 

Fried hair. Sun, chlorine, heat and wind can wreak havoc on your locks, leaving them looking dry, crunchy and dull. If the elements have taken a toll on your tresses, we have several natural remedies for you to try at home. Apple cider vinegar is an excellent treatment, just rinse your hair with a diluted solution after conditioning to rid your hair of chlorine and other residues to enhance shine and smooth-out texture. If your hair could use some moisture, try rubbing your scalp and coating your hair with coconut oil before bedtime. Sleep with the oil in your hair overnight and rinse in the morning for a dose hydration. Hint: change pillowcases or sleep with a towel over your regular pillowcase as excess oil can soak into the fabric and stain!

Shin Splints. This ailment is usually the result of too much of a good thing. Upping your exercise routine in the summertime, be it running, hiking, biking or swimming can cause unbalanced muscle formation (the cause of shin splints) or strains from overuse. To treat your aching shins, try rubbing them with pain-zapping Arnica gel, a 100% natural remedy made from a plant in the sunflower family. Used in liniments and ointments, Arnica gel works so well, many professional athletes swear by it. Arnica also has antifungal properties and can help speed up the healing process of scrapes and bruises and is a great all-purpose natural remedy to keep stashed in your first aid kit!

Food Poisoning. Yes, the family picnic at the park was quite splendid, but looks like Aunt Gladys should have put that potato salad on ice. Eating outdoors often means consuming foods that should be stored in the fridge or cooler, not placed on a sunny picnic tables (this means you potato salad, slaw, chicken and egg salad).  If you’ve been hit by a nasty stomach bug, try sipping on tummy-calming peppermint or chamomile tea. Reintroducing beneficial bacteria to your gut is also a good move, as it will help with digestion and absorption of nutrients. Dish up some probiotic-stocked yogurt, keifer or cultured cottage cheese. You can also find probiotics in the supplement section of your local grocery store or drug store. 

FeelGoodNow Contributor: Lucy Anne Kagan

When she isn't studying food policy or working with non-profit Apple Seeds Inc., to educate children about healthy eating habits, Lucy spends her time in a cowboy hat, riding pretty ponies through the wilderness. She has a propensity for running and wishes she lived in a world where fast food was non-existent, naps were mandatory, and all cows ate nothing but grass.


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