How to Revive Tired Skin for Summer

Summer in Ireland can be very deceptive. Just when you think you are safe to dry clothes outside or plan a weekend in the outdoors, the clouds darken and the rain ridicules you for being so smug. As I am writing this I am curled up in our armchair watching the torrents batter the window and the wind is howling. Hello June!! Those little pockets of sunshine may be few here but when the clouds do decide to part, the heat can be a shock to the system. My skin definitely suffers as a result of the ever-changing weather; my skin loses moisture, my lips crack and my forehead does this lovely thing of breaking out in lots of wee spots. To try and combat this I have ramped up the beauty routine (which is pretty non-existent to be fair) and introduced some homemade products using ingredients I know will help soothe my skin and bring it back to life. I have written about my love of natural products before, especially when it comes to skincare. And although there are a plethora of organic gems available for not-so-horrifying prices, there is something to be said for whipping up your own creation with ingredients just hanging out in your cupboards. Good products should only require a handful of ingredients and I have found some great recipes that will surely brighten up any weather-beaten body. Lemon & Lavender Sugar Scrub I use lavender essential oil religiously for lots of homemade recipes like this room spray which I spritz on clothes, curtains, my car, gym bag, bed pillows. Basically anything that I think can delay washing for another few days! The combination with lemon creates the most incredible smell that is so summery - just don’t be tempted to eat the scrub because it doesn’t taste as good as it smells! The scrub contains coconut oils which will inject some much needed moisture in to that tired skin. I make a batch and keep it next to the bath for those days when a good soak is the only cure for a hectic day. If you want to feel like a proper princess then add a few drops of lavender oil to the bath while you're there and put on your favourite podcast - heaven! Ingredients

• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 15 drops essential oil
• 2 tbsp fresh lavender buds (optional)

Method

• Melt coconut oil at high temperature in microwave
• Add sugar, lavender oil and lavender buds
• Place in pot and enjoy!

Lip Scrub Those little peckers can get a rough time between seasons with the summer making them especially vulnerable. Use this scrub to remove the dead skin and the coconut oil will give them that wee bit of nourishment that they are craving. Follow up with this lip balm and you will feel instantly renewed (and no longer resemble a scabies victim.. Just me?). Ingredients

• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp honey
• 5 drops vanilla extract

Method

• Heat coconut in microwave and then mix in the rest of the ingredients
• Add to small lip pots

Green Tea Face Mist Making your own face mist may just be the most decadent thing you do but my goodness is it refreshing. This mist is best left in the fridge and then spritzed on a make-up free face on a hot evening. It's also a life saver when travelling on a plane to help awaken tired skin. The green tea acts as a natural soother and is packed full of those infamous antioxidants that will give your face that summer glow (and not the sweaty kind). I also add a little Vitamin E oil to help soothe and moisturise the skin that bit more. Ingredients

• 1 cup of green tea
• 1/2 cup of distilled water
• 10 drops Vitamin E oil

Method

• Boil the green tea and leave to stew for an hour
• Mix the tea with the distilled water and vitamin E oil
• Add a spray bottle and give a good shake
• Leave in the fridge