6 Natural Ways to Protect Your Skin from Summer Sun & Sweat

6 Natural Ways to Protect Your Skin from Summer Sun & Sweat

When the heat is on, our skin goes into overdrive—sweating more, producing extra oil, and soaking up plenty of sun. But before you reach for a complicated skincare routine or another bottle of synthetic SPF, consider these simple, plant-powered ways to support your skin through the dog days of summer.
Here at Vital Acre, we grow ingredients that nourish the body inside and out. These five natural tips are rooted in the garden, backed by science, and perfect for keeping your glow all summer long.

1. Balance Oil with Oil
Sweating a lot this summer? You might think that means it’s time to dry things out—but don’t! Stripping your skin can trigger even more oil production.
Instead, replenish with lightweight, plant-based oils like jojoba and raspberry seed, which help regulate your skin’s natural oil production without clogging pores. Our Day Glow Serum is made with jojoba oil infused with our regeneratively grown calendula and sesame oil infused with our carrot root for plant-powered support–then blended with featherlight and antioxidant rich berry oils, for a breathable glow that helps your skin adapt to the heat.

2. Feed Your Skin and Your Body Antioxidants
Sun exposure = oxidative stress. The solution? Antioxidants!
Our favorite farm-grown and natural antioxidants include:

  • Carrot root – rich in beta-carotene, supports skin repair
  • Calendula – anti-inflammatory, healing and high in flavonoids
  • Turmeric – brightens and calms redness (but should be used at night due to a potential for photosensitivity)
  • Astaxanthin – a powerhouse antioxidant that helps protect against UV damage. While this one’s not garden grown–it is a marine antioxidant–we thought its benefits were worthy of inclusion in our formula.
  • You’ll find all of these (except, turmeric, that’s in our Night Glow :) in our Day Glow Serum. It’s like a garden-fresh treat for your face.

Make sure you’re getting plenty of antioxidants in your diet, not just your skincare. One of the easiest (and tastiest) ways to do this is by regularly snacking on organic, dark-skinned berries—I'm lookin’ at you, blueberries and mulberries. Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals, support skin repair, and reduce inflammation from the inside out. Be sure to pack your plate with a rainbow of vegetables and fruits each day—especially reds, purples, oranges, and greens. A diet rich in antioxidants may even help increase your skin’s natural resilience to sun damage. Pretty cool, right?

3. Let Your Body Sweat (But Not Stink)
Sweating is one of your body’s natural detox systems — it helps regulate temperature, flush out toxins, and keep your skin healthy. But here’s the problem: most conventional antiperspirants work by blocking your sweat glands with aluminum salts. Not only does this stop your body from doing its job, but research has raised concerns about potential long-term health effects of daily aluminum exposure.
Here’s the good news: you’re supposed to sweat — you just don’t have to stink.
The trouble is, many natural deodorants don’t actually stand up to real-life sweat (especially when summer heat + adventure are involved). That’s why we created Mojito Magic Deodorant Cream — powered by kokum butter, organic oils, arrowroot, non-nano zinc, magnesium, and pure essential oils of lime + peppermint. It effectively neutralizes odor, absorbs excess moisture, and keeps you smelling fresh without toxic chemicals or pore-clogging aluminum.
So go ahead — hike, surf, garden, sweat it out. Your body will thank you, and your friends will too.

4. Hydrate with Cucumber + Okra Water
Hydration is key in summer–here are some garden inspired ideas to keep your skin and body hydrated all summer!
1.   Okra water – Okra water is an amazingly simple elixir with a ton of potential health benefits–it has potential to help regulate blood sugar, provide pre-biotics to feed a healthy gut microbiome, mucilage to sooth an irritated stomach lining, and numerous vitamins and minerals to help keep you extra hydrated! All you have to do is cut up a few okra pods, let them sit in a glass of water overnight, then strain the okra pieces out the next day and drink up! I like to call it “thick water”, lol, IYKYK. You can also find okra water in our Naked in the Garden soap–in soap it creates lots of bubbles for a gentle cleansing lather.
2.   Cucumber water – Slice up a few pieces of cucumber and a little mint if you have it, throw it in your water bottle to spice up your hydration and encourage more sipping throughout the day. Then refresh yourself at the end of the day with our Cool as a Cucumber Mojito soap–which contains both Vital Acre Cucumber and Mint.

5. Simplify Your Routine
Summer isn’t the time for 10-step skincare routines. Your skin wants to breathe. Try this:
✅ Morning: Splash with cool water, mist with your favorite hydrosol and apply 2–4 drops of Day Glow Serum.
✅ Evening: Cleanse with our Cleansing Oil and follow with Night Glow or Pure Gold Face Butter, depending on your skin’s needs.
That’s it. Whole food for your skin. No yucky ingredients—just herbs, oils, vitamins and intentional ingredients grown with love.

6. Repair Daily with Calendula
Whether you're catching rays on the beach or harvesting tomatoes in the garden, your skin could use a little TLC at the end of the day. Calendula is your go-to herb for post-sun recovery.
This golden flower helps:

  • Reduce inflammation
  • Speed up healing
  • Restore the skin barrier

We grow it right here at Vital Acre and infuse it into nearly all of our skincare—from oils to soaps to butters. It’s the gentle healer your skin craves after a long, sunny day.

In Summary:

  • Don’t fear oils—choose ones that balance and breathe
  • Load up on antioxidants in your skincare and your diet
  • Allow your body to detox by sweating—not stinking ;)
  • Hydrate from the garden with cucumber + okra
  • Keep it simple
  • Let nature work its magic


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From our farm to your face—here’s to glowing through summer naturally.

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