Summer has officially arrived, and temperatures are rising higher and higher, it seems. With the heat comes the typical slew of beauty dilemmas that pop up during this time of year — sweat, chafing, frizzy hair — you name it. But rest assured that we have you covered with the best summer beauty essentials to tackle the heat.
Sharing some of her favorite finds is none other than Allure Editor-in-Chief Jessica Cruel. From styling sticks that tame flyaways to glossy leave-in conditioners, these picks will have you covered all summer long. So after you use them, the only thing you should be worrying about is having fun in the sun.
Keep reading to see all these problem-solving beauty picks, plus more products you'll love long after the season is over.
Seen on TODAY | Previously on the show | Problem-solving products | More warm weather beauty products | How we chose
Hair care products for summer seen on TODAY
For curls without heat: Kitsch Satin Heatless Curling Set
Effortless curls don’t always require a hot styling tool. Opt for this heatless option from Kitsch that includes a satin curling rod for a hassle-free solution. Just twist your strands around the rope as you sleep (or any time during the day!) and you should wake up with your hair already styled. All without the heat damage, too!
Plus, Cruel notes that you can use this over dry or damp hair.
Before jumping in the pool: Dae Mirage Mist Leave-In Conditioner
Splashing in the ocean water is most likely on your summer to-do list. But with that comes dry ends. To keep your locks in top shape, this leave-in conditioner from Dae detangles, conditions, primes and protects your hair from the heat, claims the brand. Spritz before or after the pool for silky hair all summer long.
For braided styles, twists or slick backs: Fenty Hair The Gel Type Strong Hold Gel
Frizz is never ideal, but it can be manageable with the right product. Whether you’re creating tight braids or a slicked-back bun, the Fenty Hair strong hold gel should keep frizz and hair snatched all day. "Not only does it offer frizz control, but it adds shine [and] hold, and helps repair split ends," notes Cruel.
And another bonus: The product "provides all day hold without any crunchy feeling and no white residue," she adds. Be sure to apply on damp hair for best results.
For baby hairs and flyaways: Briogeo Style + Treat Hair Styling Sleek Stick
For stubborn strands that can’t seem to be tamed, this Briogeo sleek stick swiftly glides on to keep hair put. Yet, it is still manageable for when you style baby hairs, ponytails and other pull-back styles. The size is also perfect to pop in your bag for on-the-go styling.
While the stick is meant for for straight, wavy, curly and coily hair textures, Cruel claims that it "can be used on fine, medium, and thick hair types," too.
For cleaning scalp while wearing braids: Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp & Edge Cleansing Oil
Dissolve build-up without interrupting your styling between wash days with Mielle’s scalp and edge cleansing oil. This product is described as a no-rinse and non-greasy oil that cleanses impurities from the scalp and hairline so your hair is prepped for an edge relay or other styling. And the best part? No water is required!
When you’re looking for a refresh: Monday Volume Dry Shampoo
This isn’t an ordinary dry shampoo. Monday's Volume Dry Shampoo "adds texture and shape while absorbing excess oil to freshen on-the-go to give that ‘just washed’ feeling," notes Cruel, whenever your hair needs touch-up. Another perk Cruel loves is that the dry shampoo "doesn’t leave a white cast that other dry shampoos may leave." What more can you ask for?
You might also enjoy that the product has a subtle gardenia scent that will make your strands smell as fresh as it will look.
Hot summer products previously seen on TODAY
Cosmopolitan Beauty Editor-at-Large Julee Wilson stopped by the show to talk about her favorite summer beauty must-haves, from an SPF for your scalp to an extra-strength hair protectant.
Sun Bum Scalp & Hair Mist SPF 30
It’s easy to forget that your scalp needs to be protected in the summer until it’s too late. This scalp and hair mist keeps your hair healthy and shiny from root to tip. It’s for all hair types and won’t leave your hair feeling oily, so it’s perfect for a long summer day outside.
Vacation Orange Gelée “French Riviera Revisited” SPF 30 Sunscreen Gel
This product is a revamped version of an original Vacation sunscreen, now with more SPF! Developed by both beauty experts and fans of the original product, this sunscreen won’t leave a white cast, but instead will leave your skin glowing and moisturized.
EADEM Le Chouchou Lip Softening Balm
Have chapped lips? Try this softening balm. It exfoliates and moisturizes your pout, while still leaving behind a shiny finish. It also comes in five colors to boost your natural lip shade.
Fenty Beauty The Comeback Kid Instant Damage Repair Treatment
If your hair needs a comeback for the summer, this product from Fenty Hair is perfect. It moisturizes, reduces breakage, repairs split ends and makes your hair feel softer and shinier. It works for all hair types, and you can rinse it out or leave it in.
Deon Libra Smoove Exfoliating Cleanser
One of the worst aspects of summer is that sticky, gross feeling along your skin at the end of the day. This cleanser is here to solve that. You can use it on your face or body, and it will gently exfoliate while leaving your skin glowing. It’s also a great prep cleanser for sunscreen!
Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Stick
Sometimes it’s too hot to layer on powder highlighter and blush, which is why this color stick comes in handy. It feels light, but it’s still pigmented enough to last through the day. One reviewer also said they used it as a bronzer, so it's the perfect versatile product you need for the summer.
More summer problem-solvers
Previously, Shop TODAY contributor Chassie Post stopped by the show to discuss more summer problem-solvers that'll help with everything from chafing to excess sweat.
Chafing
Athleta Brooklyn Heights High Rise Skort
Post says these skort options from Athleta are a stylish solution to summer chafing and actually stay in place all day. They’re made from lightweight materials like recycled polyester and blended with spandex for a little bit of stretch. Plus, they’re quick-drying, UPF 50+ protective and wrinkle-resistant, according to the brand.
Athleta Run With It Skort
Athleta Brooklyn Skort
Birddogs Men's Shorts
For the guys, Post found these comfortable and stretchy shorts from Birddog — she says her husband has been wearing them for years and swears by them! According to the brand, they're super stretchy thanks to the nylon and spandex-blend fabric but they offer an extra layer of comfort thanks to their built-in spandex liner. The pull-on shorts come in six different colors and three different lengths, and also feature a belt loop for an adjustable fit.
Sweat
Megababe The Glow Deodorant
The Shop TODAY team is a big fan of Megababe products, and this new launch generated a bit of buzz for its 3-in-1 formula. According to the brand, The Glow helps to not only prevent sweat and tackle odor, but it also brightens under-arm skin. The formula is also aluminum-free and has a light lavender-mint scent.
Glovestix StankStix Shoe Deodorizer
From your gym bag to kids' sports equipment, summer heat can intensify certain odors. Post says these StankStix (which got their start on Shark Tank) are designed to tackle odor, absorb moisture and inhibit the growth of odor-causing bacteria. This hack can also be used with hockey gear, cleats or boots and is a great alternative to harsh sprays, Post added.
Coolibar UPF 50+ Performance Sun Bandana
This cooling bandana is made with a UPF 50+ fabric, which the brand says blocks blocks 98% of UVA/UVB rays.
Ecupper Women’s Cotton Wide Leg Pant
Keep cool and avoid chafing in these breezy pants. They’re made with 100% cotton according to the brand and boast a trendy wide leg cut.
Social Citizen Sweat-Proof Crewneck T-Shirt
Sweat stains no longer have to ruin your favorite T-shirts! These tees from Social Citizen feature hidden sweat-proof pads that prevent sweat from bleeding through your top.
Beauty
Burt’s Bees Lip Balms
Don’t forget: Your lips need SPF, too! This three-pack of assorted lip balms can tag along with you just about anywhere, so you can keep your lips hydrated and protected whether you’re at the beach or out for brunch. Post calls each of them multitaskers, since they hydrate, offer SPF protection and provide a light tint for a subtle pop of color.
Color Wow Extra Strength Dream Coat
Another new product that has Post buzzing is this "raincoat for your hair" from Color Wow. According to the brand, this formula is even stronger than its bestselling dream coat and works against frizz and humidity to make your hair waterproof, essentially, through up to four shampoos. Reviewers mention that it has a lightweight feel and is great for dry or curly hair.
Megababe Thigh Rescue Mini Anti-Friction Stick
Megababe also makes a top-rated chafing stick, which can be used under bra straps, in your shoes and even on your waistband to help prevent irritation.
Ouidad Water Works Clarifying Shampoo
This clarifying shampoo can help cleanse your hair of buildup and residue from chlorine, hair products and more.
First Aid Beauty Ingrown Hair Pads with BHA & AHA
Dealing with ingrown hairs after shaving? These exfoliating pads can help relieve and prevent them, the brand says.
Magic Molecule The Solution Spray
Magic Molecule’s Solution Spray can help heal over 100 common skin ailments, according to the brand. It can be used for all ages to treat sunburns, eczema, zits, redness and more.
More warm weather beauty products
For more expert-favorites, Colleen Sullivan, a beauty editor for over 20 years, tried out tons of warm weather products. From a razor so gentle on the skin you won’t need shaving cream, to a hair mask made of volcanic ash that removes product buildup with one squirt, these are her some of her summer beauty favorites.
Laura Geller Prep Stick Lip Scrub
Exfoliating your lips is one of those beauty rituals you know you should be doing. I’ve been waiting for something truly easy (read: not messy) to come along to bump this action up on my beauty to-do list — and here it is: a lip bullet filled with exfoliating sugars and avocado oil to keep lips moist. Although the manufacturer claims it comes fragrance-free, I swear I detect a delicious fruity smell.
Clear & Pure Lip Balm
No matter the season, I’m constantly hydrating my lips, so you can imagine how excited I was to discover a lip balm worthy of joining my two other lip hydrators, one that’s 100% natural and filled with extra virgin olive oil, beeswax and a water-based honey that makes the balm super hydrating and allows for a smoother application. The hard part is choosing from the 10 flavors — but I’m loving the coconut and vanilla right now.
Mario Badescu Coconut Body Scrub
The skin on the bottom of my feet, chest, and back of my shoulders gets a little rough in summer, so I try to exfoliate these areas three times a week in the shower. I prefer a mushy and more granular paste, which is why I’m so in love with this scrub.
What makes it stand out from others on the market: it contains six different-sized beads (including two different sizes of pumice) that swim in an emulsion of skin-shedding salicylic acid and moisturizers like rosehip, meadow seed foam oil and vitamin E. You simply apply it to damp skin anywhere you have rough or dry patches, massage in a circular motion, then rinse.
Isle of Paradise Self-Tanning Butter
I’m often wary of self-tanners for all the obvious reasons, but this gradual self-tanner allows you to build color slowly. Its vegan blend is loaded with good-for-your-skin ingredients including hydrating coconut, eucalyptus, chia seed, peppermint oil and vitamin-rich avocado, all of which help prevent skin dryness. There’s also vitamin C-enriched grapefruit to brighten and even out your skin tone and soothing aloe vera to help reduce redness. It’s fast absorbing and non-sticky — expect your glow to appear in four to six hours.
Sun Bum Revitalizing 3-in-1 Leave-In Hair Conditioner
I grew up with my mom spritzing Johnson’s No More Tangles into my hair after days at our town pool, which helped remove all the knots and snarls on my head. This summer, I’ve discovered a grown-up version of this product: a leave-in conditioner that not only eliminates tangles, but provides UV protection to safeguard my hair color and condition and soften my strands with coconut and sunflower seed oil.
It also contains vitamin E and potassium-rich banana leaf, peel, flower and pulp extract to nourish and protect hair from harmful free radicals, along with a quinoa protein to strengthen.
Type: A The Innovator Aluminum-Free Deodorant
An aluminum- and alcohol-free deodorant that’s activated by sweat and absorbs instantly? Yep! Made with charcoal (to draw out bacteria and toxins that cause odor) and spirulina (a blue-green algae that has anti-inflammatory properties), this deodorant comes in a squeeze applicator that has three slits on the top to dispense just the right amount of cream. It also glides on clear so won’t stain your clothes.
Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek Cream Blush Stick
There’s no other way to say it — I’m obsessed with this 2-in-1 cream stick that doubles as a sheer blush and lip tint. This product, which contains mango butter and avocado oil, is super hydrating and blends easily — simply dot onto your cheeks and blend with your fingertips (then watch as your cheeks get an instant healthy flush) or swipe onto your pout and rub your lips together for a hint of color. It comes in this tiny two-inch stick that slips easily into a small summer bag.
Sand & Sky Australian Pink Clay Deep Pore Cleanser
I’ve been wearing sunscreen daily since Memorial Day and have been fastidious about washing it off at night ever since my dermatologist says sunscreen is often mixed with pore cloggers like dirt and oil. My new go-to facial wash from Sand & Sky has a 5.5 pH — meaning it’s got a similar pH to skin so it shouldn’t trigger breakouts or result in redness or sensitivity — and contains macadamia oil and silica-rich pink clay to replenish moisture. Luffa plant and finger lime extracts gently exfoliate, while witch hazel helps control oil and tighten pores.
Jupiter Purifying Hair Mask
If you’re looking for something to remove salt, chlorine, sunscreen and excess styling product from your hair, this foaming mask will do the job. Designed to be used once-a-week, it’s made of a mineral-rich volcanic ash that lifts and removes buildup while hydrating your strands with argan oil. (It also contains biotin, a vitamin B7 that’s known to stimulate keratin production and help with hair growth.) The mint-scented foam squirts out of the bottle in the shape of a ribbon — simply apply to damp or dry hair and leave on for five minutes.
Coola Refreshing Water Cream Sunscreen
I try to find a great new sunscreen every summer, and this season is no different. The one I’m loving caught my eye because it not only has all the crucial bells and whistles (it’s broad-spectrum and has a SPF of 50), but because it contains two star ingredients that dermatologists swear by to help support skin’s moisture and increase hydration — hyaluronic acid and coconut water.
The unique delivery system makes application simple — remove the cap, pump the top, and watch how a measured amount of blue (yes, blue!) cream gets released from the small opening — and mess-free.
Valentino Beauty Brow Trio Eyebrow Liner
When I first used this brow color, I thought there was no way it’s going to make my list of favorite new products. Don’t get me wrong — the sleek dark fuchsia and gold packaging is stunning and the fact that you get three products in one (brow comb, pencil and liner) is impressive. But it has this super micro brush that I thought would leave thin, awkward lines in my brow hairs — wow, was I wrong! I was amazed to see how beautifully and naturally the product adhered to my hairs as I stroked the formula onto my brows.
Two maintenance tips: be sure to shake the pen before using and store it flat to prevent the ink from drying out.
How we chose
The Shop TODAY editors and writers search the internet to find the best products out there. We interview expert sources and use our own personal experiences with the product and brand to make shopping easier for our readers.
As an editorial team, we independently create content and determine coverage based on research, reporting and what we think TODAY.com readers would like to read about. The goal of our content is to provide a service and inform readers who are on the hunt for the latest products to help make their life better. Items are sold by retailer, not TODAY. Pricing and availability are accurate as of publish time. Learn more about Shop TODAY.
