Natural Summer Survival Toolkit

Summer is the most universally adored season – especially here in the UK. It brings with it the welcome warming of the weather, the longer, lighter evenings, as well as festivals, summer fairs and all manner of get-togethers.

With all this wholesome stuff, what in the world could there be to complain about? Not much really, apart from a few pesky things which come as part of the package.

What are these things?

They come in the form of sun burn, insect bites and hay fever – three things which, although they’re an intrinsic part of summertime, can be really rather annoying.

To help you make the most of your summer without too much of the bad stuff, we’ve had a rummage around our Remedy Hub to find the best natural ways of tackling these nuisances, without the need for any chemicals.

Avocado Skin Cream

The wonderful fruit that is avocado contains within it an amazing oil, something which has been used for centuries to treat a variety of skin conditions. Avocado oil is one of the most widely used treatments for damaged skin because it’s one of the richest sources of beneficial monounsaturated fatty acids.

This makes it extremely effective at hydrating and softening skin, as well as helping with skin inflammation.

All you need to make our Avocado Skin Cream is some avocado base oil and rosemary essential oil, and you can find the recipe right here.

No More Bites Spray

Biting insects like horse flies and mosquitoes are maybe the most irritating aspect of summertime. They may only be small, but they have the ability to ruin holidays and walks in nature.

But here’s the good news – you don’t have to go on a one-person mission to swat every single mosquito in the country. No, all you need to do is to use some evasion tactics and you can slip under their blood-sucking radar quite effectively.

Rather than using toxic chemical sprays which damage your skin and are bad for your health, use the techniques of the ancient Indians, which are still widely used today in Ayurvedic medicine. Using Neem, you can become less visible to small, flying, biting things, allowing you to enjoy yourself without having to worry about whether you’re being nibbled alive.

Find the No-More-Bites Neem Spray recipe right here on the Remedy Hub.

Hay Fever Herb Tea

When you’re out walking in the fields and woods, one of the nicest things to do is to take a lovely big breath and take in all the beautiful summer scents.

However, this can be made somewhat difficult if you find yourself sneezing, spluttering and sniffling every ten seconds. Sound familiar? You guess it – our old foe hay fever strikes again.

Well worry not, we’re here to help, and the good news is that all you need to do is drink a nice cup of tea.

This simple tea contains two great natural ingredients for hay fever symptoms, White horehound, used for centuries as an anti-inflammatory to treat asthma and coughs and Eyebright.

Eyebright is definitely the go to herb when it comes to, funnily enough, eyes. Specifically, dry itchy eyes can be sorted with a good dose of eyebright tea.

Eyebright also has a great effect on the mucus membranes of the Eyes, Nose and throat area, helping to sooth and dry out runny noses and watery eyes. Combine these two and you've got a good helping hand for a day in the summer fields.

You can find the recipe for the Hay Fever Herb Tea right here on the remedy hub.

Crushed Comfrey Compress

We’ve talked about how best to avoid getting bitten during those summer months, but sometimes no matter how careful you are, you still get bitten.

If this is the case, you don’t have to sit and suffer, desperately battling with yourself not to scratch the affected areas. Instead, try using a compress to quell the stingy, itching sensations.

The Crushed Comfrey Compress helps with this thanks to the healing properties of comfrey, as well as its ability to reduce inflammation. Not only this, but apple cider vinegar helps to neutralise the itching and bring down the size of the bite.

Have a look at the recipe in our Remedy Hub to create your very own compress at home.

So, next time you’re penning in a day at the beach or a barbeque round a friend’s house, don’t forget to use the natural summer survival toolkit to prepare you for the less-than-great aspects of your favourite season.