With the promise of hotter temperatures, whether it's summer or sun-filled vacation time, it's always a good idea to get a head start on boosting your vitamin D, and prepare for tanning days ahead. These sun-savvy recipes will help you to make your very own lotions, soaks and scrubs to help your skin stay healthy and beautiful without spending a fortune.

Bronze with Care
The three most important things about bronzing are to take the sun in small doses of 15-20 minutes per day (never around midday); keep well hydrated by drinking plenty of water; and to nourish and protect the skin.

Because the plethora of sun lotions, oils and blocks can be overwhelming, I thought I would share this recipe for safe sun tanning. It was developed by Alive publisher Siegfried Gursche, who has tried and tested this recipe on many family holidays with great success.

Home Made Sun Lotion
200 ml each coconut butter, almond, walnut, flax and olive oils
3 capsules (400 IU) vitamin E
1 or 2 leaves from an aloe vera plant
4 bags chamomile tea

Melt coconut butter in a pot over a low heat. Add the bags of chamomile tea and finely chopped aloe vera leaves. Simmer gently over low heat for 10 minutes. Strain and let cool, then add mixture to olive oil. Blend with walnut, almond and flax oils. Open vitamin E capsules and add. Bottle the mixture and shake well before using. Makes about one litre.


Summer Soaks & Scrubs
Maybe you can’t make a trip to Asia, Europe or the Middle East right now, but you can bring the exotic pleasures of their spas to your own home. Try these beautifying, relaxing body indulgencies made with natural easy to find ingredients.

Dead Sea Soaking Bath
Inspired by treatments at Israeli spas, this bath is excellent for easing muscle aches and paints and relieving stress
1 cup dead sea salts
4 drops tea tree essential oil
4 drops pine or cedar essential oil
6 drops patchouli essential oil

Mix together all ingredients, add to your bath as if fills.

Mandi Kimir Dry Skin Booster
An intensive body smoother from Bali is like an exfoliant. Mixture smells so delicious, you’ll want to eat it and your skin will feel incredibly soft and moist afterwards
½ cup macadamia nuts
½ cup shelled peanuts
1 tsp freshly grated giner
1 tsp avocado or almond oil

Mix together all ingredients; rub over skin; shower off

Herbal Tonic Body Rum
To wake up your body in the morning, try this stimulating body rub inspired by aromatherapeutic treatments at French and Italian spas. Your skin will tingle, your mood will lift and your energy level will rise.
1 tsp cider vinegar
5 drops lemon balm essential oil
5 drops tangerine essential oil
3 drops patchouli essential oil
3 drops juniper essential oil
2 drops rosemary essential oil
1 ¼ cups orange flower water

Mix together all ingredients and rub into your skin. Allow a few minutes for your skin to absorb the nutrients before showering. Or shower later.