The Best Natural Ingredients for Post-Summer Skin

Have the summer sun and change in seasons left your skin feeling high and dry? After a long summer, skin and hair can suffer from dehydration and discoloration. These good-for-you ingredients can help treat sun damage plus restore, revitalize and care for seasonally-stressed skin:

1.Avocado -- Yielding a deep-penetrating oil that is rich in vitamins A, E and D, and lecithin, avocados are incredibly moisturizing for both skin and hair. Avocado's highly emollient properties make it especially ideal for conditioning hair, increasing moisture retention and relieving a dry or itchy scalp. For an easy, at-home hair treatment, I like to take half an avocado, mash it up with a fork, and mix with an egg yolk for protein, plus a teaspoon of olive oil to hydrate and condition. You can apply all over, or just concentrate on the extra-dry ends. Leave in for 10 minutes, then rinse for nourished, healthier-looking hair.

2.Coconut oil-- Coconut oil is an excellent natural moisturizer as it easily penetrates the skin. This fast-absorbing non-greasy oil hydrates and nourishes, with antioxidant vitamin E repairing skin and helping to prevent signs of aging. Coconut oil can also be used to help heal bug bites and scratches, as it forms a protective seal that helps to keep out infection. Look for coconut oil as a key ingredient in hair and skin care products, or just purchase the oil on its own for an inexpensive beauty boost.

3. Grapeseed oil -- This awesome oil derived from wine grapes includes antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that fight sun damage and free radicals. It penetrates more deeply into the skin than other oils, so is commonly uses as a moisturizing agent for dry skin. With cooler temperatures on the horizon which mean less moisture in the air, grapeseed oil is great for any rough spots that need a little TLC.

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