Summer Glow & Go
My Favorite Tips to Feel Amazing All Season Long
Hydration, skin protection, eating well on the road, keeping your body moving and a DIY bug spray recipe you’ll actually want to make.
Summer is one of my favorite seasons to talk about wellness because the opportunity is everywhere — the fresh produce, the outdoor movement, the slower pace of vacation mornings. But it also comes with its own set of ways we quietly let ourselves slide: the skipped water bottles, the processed airport snacks, the four-hour car rides that leave us puffy and stiff by the time we arrive.
This is your quick guide to staying glowing, energized, and feeling your best all season. Whether you’re lounging at the beach, chasing your kids at the pool, or navigating a long weekend away. Keep it simple. Keep it consistent. Your body will thank you.
Hydration Is the Foundation of Everything
This sounds simple because it is and most of us are still not doing it. Heat accelerates dehydration, and dehydration shows up fast: fatigue, headaches, puffy eyes, sluggish digestion, and dull skin. Summer is when your water intake needs to go up, not stay the same.
A practical baseline: half your body weight in ounces per day, minimum. If you’re in the heat or sweating more than usual, add at least 16 oz on top of that.
My summer hydration non-negotiables:
- A large water bottle that goes with you everywhere — out of sight, out of mind, and that is a problem in summer
- Add a pinch of quality Himalayan sea salt and a squeeze of lemon to your first glass of the morning to replenish electrolytes before coffee touches your lips
- Coconut water as a natural mid-afternoon electrolyte boost instead of a sugary sports drink
- Herbal iced teas — hibiscus, mint, lemon balm — count toward your intake and double as gut-supportive tonics
Essential oil boost: Add a drop of doTERRA lemon or wild orange essential oil to your water bottle for a refreshing, liver-supportive lift. (Use a glass or stainless steel bottle — citrus oils break down plastic.)
Protect Your Skin Without Suffocating It
Sun coverage matters. But so does what you’re putting on your skin because your skin absorbs what you put on it, and most conventional sunscreens are loaded with endocrine-disrupting chemicals that your liver and hormones do not need extra exposure to all summer long.
What I look for in summer skin coverage:
- Mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide as the active ingredient — not chemical filters like oxybenzone
- SPF 30 minimum for daily wear; reapply every 30 minutes in direct sun regardless of what the bottle claims
- A lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturizer in the morning that acts as a base before SPF — don’t skip hydrating your skin just because it’s hot
- Rash guards and hats are your most effective sun protection. Minimize what you need to put on exposed skin.
Essential oil add-on: doTERRA lavender is one of my year-round essentials for a reason. A drop mixed into your after-sun moisturizer is deeply soothing, calming to irritated skin, and smells like the best version of summer.
Eat to Fuel. Even on Vacation!
Vacation does not have to mean abandoning your body. It also doesn’t mean eating sad salads while everyone else has fun. The goal is to eat in a way that keeps your energy up, your gut happy, and your skin glowing so you actually feel good enough to enjoy the trip.
A few simple rules I live by when traveling:
- Front-load your day with protein — a solid breakfast means you’re not desperately hungry at the airport snack bar by 10am making choices you’ll regret
- Farmers markets are one of my favorite vacation activities — fresh, local, seasonal, and infinitely better than anything in the hotel minibar
- Pack snacks: raw nuts, quality protein bars, fruit, seed crackers. Having one thing you can eat on hand prevents the worst decisions
- Summer produce is working for you — berries, watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes, peaches. These are anti-inflammatory, hydrating, and at their best right now. Eat them.
- Enjoy the local food. Just balance it — choose a cheat meal or cheat day where you enjoy your food. Keep your supplement routine because it doesn’t need a vacation and will help you feel great on your vacation.
Gut travel tip: doTERRA DigestZen is the supplement I never travel without. A drop on the abdomen or a DigestZen softgel before a big meal or a long travel day keeps my digestion on track when my routine is anything but.
Move Your Body on Long Trips (Your Circulation Depends on It)
Long car rides and flights are some of the worst things you can do to your body without realizing it. Sitting in a compressed position for four-plus hours slows circulation, stiffens your joints, increases your risk of blood clots, contributes to swelling in your legs and feet.
Movement isn’t optional on travel days. It’s medicine.
- Set a timer for every 60–90 minutes on a road trip and stop to walk, stretch, or do 10 squats in a parking lot. Non-negotiable.
- On flights: get up at least once every 30-60 minutes. Do ankle circles and calf raises in your seat. Walk the aisle.
- Compression socks are not just for older adults they genuinely support circulation on long travel days and reduce that puffed-up, heavy-leg feeling on arrival.
- Morning movement on vacation doesn’t need to be a full workout: a 20-minute walk sets your circadian rhythm, supports digestion, and makes you feel like a human before the day starts
- Swimming counts. Hiking counts. Dancing counts. Movement is movement and summer makes all of it more accessible.
Essential oil support: doTERRA peppermint oil diluted in a carrier oil and massaged into your legs after a long travel day is incredible for circulation and that heavy, swollen feeling. It also clears your head faster than a second coffee.
DIY Natural Bug Spray (That Actually Works)
Store-bought bug sprays are effective at one thing beyond repelling bugs: loading your skin with DEET and synthetic chemicals that absorb into your bloodstream. This recipe uses three of my favorite doTERRA essential oils to create something that works, smells incredible, and won’t make you feel like you need a shower the moment you put it on.
| Natural Bug Spray with Lavender, Citronella + Bergamot What you need: • 2 oz dark glass spray bottle • 1 oz witch hazel (acts as the dispersing agent) • 1 oz distilled water • 15 drops doTERRA citronella essential oil — the workhorse repellent • 10 drops doTERRA lavender essential oil — soothing, secondary repellent, skin-calming • 5 drops doTERRA bergamot essential oil — adds a gorgeous citrus note and additional insect-deterring properties How to make it:Add witch hazel to your spray bottle first, then the essential oils. Shake well. Top with distilled water. Shake again before each use. How to use it:Spray onto exposed skin and clothing before heading outdoors. Reapply every 60–90 minutes, especially after sweating or swimming. Keep away from eyes. Note: Bergamot is photosensitive; avoid direct sun exposure for several hours after applying to skin, or use on clothing only in full sun. |
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