Summer health and beauty essentials

Summer is in full swing now and July 4th weekend is coming up! I talked about some health and beauty essentials for a fun summer today on Fox 2 News. Below are the video from my interview today and more details on what I recommended.

Protect Yourself. As we spend more time outside in the summer sun, it’s essential to protect ourselves.

Attract humans. Not bugs. Keep bugs away with natural, DEET-free bug repellent. A personal favorite is:

• Certified organic Intelligent Nutrients Smart Armor Perfume Spray ($31.50, intelligentnutrients.com).
• It smells great. It’s a far cry from the usual citronella sprays. It’s a yummy blend of warm, woodsy notes of cedar and clove along with fragrant top notes of refreshing peppermint, herbaceous lemongrass and flowery geranium harmonized with rosemary and citronella.
• It really works. Everyone in my group – male and female – used this at a recent Shakespeare in the Park and loved the way it smelled and how well it kept away the bugs.

Laugh at Humidity. Repel Frizz. Here in the Midwest, we are up against some major humidity, which can lead to major frizzy hair – unless you use the right products:

• Intelligent Nutrients Pure Luxe Treat & Protect Regimen (a shampoo, conditioner and leave-in conditioner) really does a number on frizz ($87.55 for all three [$103 value]).
• It makes hair shinier, stronger, easier to comb and reduces frizz (based on lab and clinical studies in a 75% humidity chamber for four hours). I noticed a big difference after just one use.
• The products are made with plant actives, free of parabens, harsh sulfates, quats and chatoinics, silicones, and synthetic fragrance.
• Delightful new formula features notes of bergamot, geranium, lavender and orange.

Protect Your Investment. Keep Your Color. Don’t lose your color to the summer sun. Protect with the:

• Intelligent Nutrients PureServe Color Saving Regimen for color-treated hair (Shampoo, Conditioner and Color Shield spray, $94.35 for the set [$111 value]).
• The sulfate-free, plant-based cleanser is gentle on the scalp, cuticle and color. The conditioner enhances shine for more vibrant color. The Color Shield spray locks in pigment and shine with locking out threats that oxidize color.
• Formulas features algae bioactive, antioxidant Intellimune Super Seed Oil Complex, and mandarin orange, geranium, patchouli, bergamot, jasmine and vetiver oils.

Summer Reading. While you’re lounging by the pool, it’s time to get some good summer reading. I highly recommend the new Beauty from the Inside Out by makeup artist Bobbi Brown. It’s full of great advice on how to create a beautiful life with nutrition, herbs and supplements; workouts and power foods; mindfulness, meditation and sleep, as well as skin care and makeup tips.

The book includes beauty food recipes, Bobbi’s favorite workouts and yoga sequences, wellness remedies, mindfulness practices, essential skin care routines and step-by-step instruction for easy, everyday makeup.

I love that this book includes things like advice on foods to eat to:

• boost skin’s natural SPF (tomatoes and watermelon)
• neutralize toxins and fight puffiness (bananas and swiss chard)
• repair skin cells (sweet potatoes and yams)
• reduce bloating and clear up skin (apple cider vinegar)
• boost collagen production (blueberries and raspberries)
• protect skin against free radicals (citrus and tropical fruits like lemons, limes, grapefruit, oranges, mangos, guavas and papayas)

Smart Snacking. It’s tempting to eat a lot of processed foods on summer road trips and at summer festivals. To reduce temptation, keep some healthy snacks on hand. We recommend Arbonne Essentials Protein Bars (Cranberry & Pumpkin Seed and Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt), because they contain 10 grams of plant-based protein, four grams of fiber (one bar has 14% of the daily recommended fiber), and are made with pumpkin and sunflower seeds and real dried fruit. They taste great and aren’t super sweet ($30 for 10 bars with your local Arbonne consultant or at arbonne.com).

Picnic- and Pool-Friendly Wine. Red wine is a great choice for its antioxidants and yet wine bottles and glasses can break easily at a picnic or barbecue. Skip the boxed wine and tote wine bottles safely in chic, padded Vessel Wine Bags. These elegantly designed bags protect and insulate your favorite wine. Available in single or double bags ($25-$35, vesselbags.com).

With every bag purchased, Vessel gives a school backpack to a child in need. Since Buy a Bag, Give a Bag was implemented, Vessel customers have helped provide more than 14,000 backpacks.

You can also serve your drinks safely at a picnic, barbecue and even poolside in colorful, flexible, strong Bendiware silicone wine glasses made with BPA-free, food-grade silicone ($17-25, bendiware.com). Love these for wine and cocktails! There are so many reasons to love these:

• Built to last: Made of high-quality silicone, these glasses won’t break when dropped.
• Portable: Fold them up and take them anywhere! Toss them in your purse, backpack or even your back pocket and they’ll pop open to their original shape.
• Customizable: Liven up weddings, celebrations, events and more with silicone styles designed just for you!
• Freezer and dishwasher safe: Bendis are easy to clean, plus they won’t freeze, crack or shatter when placed in the freezer or dishwasher.