The heat is rising, and the clothing is shrinking. Hello, bikini, sandal, and sundress season! It’s time for summer vacations, time on the beach, weekends on boats, and happy hours on rooftops. Are your skin and hair prepared for the sun’s rays and the extra exposure?

Today, I’m sharing my favorite summery products to leave your skin looking flawless and your hair hydrated and protected. I’ve discovered some innovative new products that will battle the aging effects of sun exposure, so you can enjoy your time on the beach without wondering whether you’ll be paying for good times with wrinkles later.

Dry, flaky skin and sunburns are the worst. Don’t let them get the best of you this summer! Summerize your skin with a beauty routine that will help you look and feel your best. Oh, and don’t forget to drink lots of water, too!

LOTUS MOON’S PAPAYA ENZYME MASK

Lotus Moon Skin Care believes in healthy aging, not anti-aging. That plump ‘bounce-back’ skin from your 20’s & 30’s begins to change dramatically once you enter your 40’s, 50’s and beyond. This is a natural part of aging. Skin changes… and no one should be using the same skincare routine year after year.

They believe that aging is a natural part of living and should be celebrated not feared. Lotus Moon Skin Care targets the biological skin changes that occur as we age so we can feel confident in our glowing skin.

As the season changes so should our exfoliation ritual. Regardless of skin type, once the summer heat hits, most will notice a change in their skin. Lotus Moon’s Papaya Enzyme Mask is like taking your skin on a tropical vacation. It decongests pores and revives dull skin. It also provides gentle, yet effective exfoliation, improves circulation, tone, and texture of skin. This “exfoli-cation” is literally nutrition for the face! It’s plant-based, Cruelty-free and made in the USA.

SUN PATCH

We love the sun but hate the effects it has on our skin. Sun Patch is designed to protect your extra sun-sensitive areas against harmful UV rays.

From mountain tops to desert valleys, you can protect your skin with long-lasting sun protection designed for ultimate comfort inside and out. Sun Patch developed their peel-and-stick sunblock patches by infusing high-quality medical-grade silicone with a UPF 50+ UV-blocking formula and adding a silicone gel adhesive, while leaving out chemical additives. The patches are waterproof, latex Free + phthalate free + hypoallergenic, and they’re reusable.

FLAWLESS BY GABRIELLE UNION SCALP SOOTHING TONIC

Flawless by Gabrielle Union is a majority black owned company created by award-winning actress, author and entrepreneur Gabrielle Union and her long-time friend and stylist Larry Sims.

Hydration is a major component of hair and scalp health, and Flawless By Gabrielle Union offers a full collection that includes exotic, hydrating and protein-rich ingredients that were selected for their moisturizing properties.

Flawless by Gabrielle Union Scalp Soothing Tonic($10; 4 oz.) is infused with Aloe Vera Extract, Rice Oil Complex & Peppermint Oil to help soothe itchy scalp and reduce irritation and inflammation from protective styling. This Scalp Soothing Tonic, is great for protective styles such as braids, weaves, locs and twists as we head into the summer season.

Flawless by Gabrielle Union is targeted for all textures. It’s a versatile collection . .    No matter what texture or style, the collection has products to customize a specific regimen – curls, waves, heat-styled and protective style looks. Priced at $9.99 and available at select nationwide Walmart stores and walmart.com

MICROPERFUMES

“If you haven’t heard of MicroPerfumes, you’re missing out on the fragrance world’s best kept secret. Founded in 2020, MicroPerfumes is a hidden gem destination for affordable, travel-sized portions of authentic fragrances from leading designer brands. According to SimilarWeb data, MicroPerfumes is the fastest growing digital beauty brand worldwide.”

 MicroPerfumesofferswidely affordable micro (3mL) and travel-size (5mL) versions of bespoke fragrances like Versace, Dior, Chanel, and Tom Ford at prices as low as 99 cents. No membership or subscription needed! MicroPerfumes has become popular for its “buy when you need” formula, no monthly subscription, contract, or commitment required.

In a rare feat for most e-commerce fragrance brands, they’re committed to insanely fast shipping: same-day fulfillment. If a customer wants to commit to a full bottle after sampling the travel-size versions, they have full-size options at a much lower cost than retail.

Yes, all of the products are 100% original brand name perfumes and colognes, NO imitations or knock-offs. They are the same exact fragrances as those you’d buy in a store, decanted from the original bottle of perfume.

PINCH

Pinch is reimagining the way people get injectables. It’s the fastest-growing aesthetic service created by healthcare professionals to provide clients with a personalized in-home injectables experience. On demand and in the privacy of your own home or office, you can Pinch Yourself or host a Pinch Party with complete confidence. They offer uniform pricing regardless of where you schedule your Pinch to take place.

Since Pinch doesn’t have the overhead costs of a physical location, they buy directly from manufacturers to ensure the best quality products. Xeomin® is offered at $12 per Pinch (unit), and our Providers are trained to treat conservatively (particularly with new patients or new treatment areas).

Filler treatment with Belotero® costs $500. Touch-ups in multiple areas of the face may be possible with a single syringe. The number of Pinches and/or syringes to achieve a desired result varies by individual; book a consultation with an expert to discuss your personal treatment goals. The convenience of our on-demand, in-home service is included at no additional cost. A full chart of the recommended products needed is on their website under FAQs.

Pinch is launching in Chicago this month and will soon be in other major US cities. You can download their app and be one of the first to get Pinched.

By using Pinch you’re supporting a local medical professional becasue they get to keep most of the fees from each visit. Pinch provides training, product and liability insurance. The person coming to your house has been fully vetted, trained and is a licensed medical professional in Ilinois. Jacob Avraham founded Pinch with Nurse Practitioners in mind. As a Chicago-based surgeon, he has experienced the ebb and tide of personnel and the overall volatility of healthcare staffing.

Every Pinch Practitioner is a licensed medical professional and expertly trained to perform the services you want. Licensed Nurse Practitioners please apply to be a Pinch Provider! Pinch lets you keep most of the fees for each session and provides insurance and training at no cost. Approved Pinch Providers can make roughly $20K a year committing as little as two hours a week to Pinch appointments.