What’s In My Beauty Cabinet? Summer Essentials Beauty Guide

I have been getting this request for a while now and since it’s officially summer, I have decided to do a Summer Essentials Beauty Guide! This post is going to share with you my favourite beauty products and essentials that I have been loving lately! All products are my own opinion, this post is not sponsored in any way. This is a full-on look into the products I use every single day! If you have any favourite all-natural cruelty-free products, let me know in the comments below. XO

photograph by Christine Pienaar. 

Face

Gentle cleanser & makeup remover – Earth Science Creamy Fruit Oil Cleanser

Moisturizer – Almond Aloe Moisturizer: I’ve found these two as a combination is really nice, mild and they both smell amazing! You can find both of them at Whole Foods and lots of little natural stores. Leave my face feeling so soft!

Charcoal Face Bar – Freakshow Soap: My friend makes these bars herself and they are lovely. The Charcoal one has done wonders for my skin and leaves my face feeling so soft! Her ingredients are very minimal (I think just a few like Coconut Oil, Activated Charcoal, etc.)

Face Mist – Breath Of Fresh Air – LUSH: I’ve used this spray for a few years now and love it. It’s so refreshing for summer time. Just spritz and go!

Acne Treatment – DoTERRA Tea Tree Oil – diluted with moisturizer: I dab a little bit of this (1 drop in 1 tsp moisturizer in my palm) to spot-treat pimples that I need to get rid of ASAP. It works, and its natural – sweet!

Toner – Apple Cider Vinegar works miracles as a natural toner! It naturally shrinks pores and is totally affordable. I just dab a tbsp on a cotton ball or cloth and then dab it on my problem areas. Sometimes I leave it on, but usually I rinse it off with a moisturizer after 30 mins because you may smell like vinegar after (not fun).

Moisture Face Wipes – EO brand: I use these for camping/hiking trips, and these guys also make an awesome Hand Sanitizer which smells heavenly!

Face Mask – I love lush face masks, but its also incredibly easy to make your own by simply combining oats, honey and banana or making this Mocha Coconut Scrub. I also love putting 1 tsp coconut oil on my face at night 1-2 times per week. 

Hair Care

Shampoo & Conditioner – Jäson: I have been loving this Sea Kelp Shampoo & Conditioner from the brand Jäson. It’s been my favourite natural shampoo that I’ve tried so far. I buy it in the biggest bulk size to save money. It’s quite affordable, and I often find it on sale! They have tons of other nice scents too like lavender.

Body Wash – Almond Scent by Dr. Bronner’s: If you haven’t already tried this stuff, you must! It’s super concentrated so I like to mix 1/3 of the bottle with water and use it with my Bamboo Hand Brush to wash off excess dirt off my body and to get my lymph moving. My favourite scent is almond – oh my goodness, so heavenly!

Hair Spray – Rain Waves Hair Tonic – Harlow Skin Co: This is my natural “hairspray”. This tonic actually contains real sea salt and it really works! It holds my curls and I just love the smell and look of natural beachy waves.

Hair Oil – I was given this small Aveda bottle, all of their products are great but I don’t tend to buy them too often because they are a little on the pricey side. It works really nicely, though. You can use a bit of avocado or coconut oil instead, too.

Body & More

Toothpaste – I’ve tried tons of natural toothpastes and I really do love them all! My favourite flouride-free toothpaste is from the brand Kiss My Face, and my favourite natural (but flouride-containing) is Toms. Both work great, I use them interchangeably. 

Mouth Wash – Dessert Essence: This mouth wash is my absolute favourite. Made with all natural essential oils like tea tree and peppermint oil, it keeps your breath super fresh and also acts as a natural antibacterial at the same time!! Highly recommend this one if you like keeping fresh breath throughout the day and are obsessed with brushing your teeth like I am ;) 

Bath Soak – Epson Salts: Epson Salt is basically just hydrated magnesium sulfate, and is used for therapeutic purposes. It relaxes the muscles and calms you down, real good. I put just 1 cup in a hot bath and instantly feel so relaxed. I’ve learned that all epson salts are equal, so you can buy them in bulk at any store, such as London Drugs (as pictured above), to save money. 

Body Lotion – Lavender Scent from EO brand: I love this body lotion. It smells pretty and it contains great ingredients! It’s also gentle enough to use on your face, as it is made with all natural essential oils.

Hand Lotion – Lavender Avocado Oil: Just a nice, natural moisturizer for your hands. Can be used on face or hair, too! So I sometimes take this with me for an overnight trip.

Tampons – NatraCare: I use organic, bleach/chlorine/pesticide-free tampons because who wants that inside their body? Not me, thank you very much! These also helped decrease cramps and discomfort. 

Deodorant – After using natural deodorant for 1 year now, I think my body has adjusted accordingly. I used to sweat – a lot. But since I stopped using antiperspirent, it has honestly gotten so much better. I love Jäson brand, but Tom’s and Dessert Essence are both good too.

Lip Balm – Harlow Skin Co.: This is the best lip balm ever, and worth the price (this girl is amazing, she hand picks the Cedar leaves herself). Such a cute gift for a friend, too!!

Essential Oils – DoTERRA: I use DOTERRA because they are 100% ingestible and the best quality essential oils. I currently use Lavender & Balance in my diffuser to keep me calm and relaxed, and I use Peppermint or Lemongrass or on my belly if I get cramps or upset stomach. And the Tea Tree oil, as mentioned above, I use for my skin. You can purchase them through me, here if you’d like (I will have this site up for a limited time) – just hit the “Shop” button.

Supplements

Being a holistic nutritionist in-training, you’d think that my cabinet would be stocked with supplements like a crazy herb/essential oil/witch doctor, and although I think supplements work wonders and can have such an amazing effect, I don’t think they are totally necessary if you are healthy, feeling well and eat a whole foods plant-based diet! Each supplement in my cupboard is there for a specific reason. I have tried many and these are the ones that have stuck.

Lately I have been absolutely loving this Spirulina. It is an awesome source of Vitamin B12 and protein for vegans. It is an algae, so it has some really cool benefits, you can read more about it here. I got mine from Spud.ca

I have also been loving New Roots “Chill Pills” to helps in times where I feel more anxious or stressed. These work incredibly well and really calm me down before a big presentation or if I just need something to keep me balanced. You can read more about it here. 

The past year, I’ve been taking Whole Earth & Sea Women’s Multivitamin & Mineral and I just love this one. It’s mostly all grown in Kelowna, BC which is super local for me and everything is from plants & algeas grown organically and naturally. I take this in colder seasons when I am more likely to get a cold, or if I feel like I haven’t been getting enough fruits & veggies into my diet that week. 

I always keep Digestive Enzymes on hand, as I’ve always dealt with digestion issues. I take them before/after/during a heavy or greasy meal to help digest it and prevents bloating, or I take it on an empty stomach to help with any inflammation in the body. I really like this brand. 

On the far left of the photo is what I take if I get a bladder infection (ladies). This has only happened twice, but was so bad that I had to go on antibiotics, in which case I take probiotics (human-strain, 50 billion, not pictured). The D-Mannose in Cranberries helps rid of e-coli in the urinary tract. Super fun! Don’t you just love the powerful effects of plants!? Cool, me too. XO

THANKS FOR READING! I hope I have inspired you to turn your beauty cabinet into an all-natural, cruelty-free spa! Yay!