The Best Summer Beauty Tips for Women Over 50

We love summer, but the raccoon eyes and frizz that comes with it, not so much. So we’ve put together a list of easy DIY tricks that will prep your skin and hair and outsmart makeup meltdowns to help you sail through any seasonal soirée. Read on for our stay-cool solutions.

Foil frizz with an aloe leave-in.

Emollient compounds in aloe seal the cuticle to keep hair from absorbing the strand-swelling moisture that leads to frizz. Plus, its amino acids strengthen tresses to prevent flyaway-causing breakage. Pair it with conditioner (it hydrates) for silky-smooth locks in a flash.

Try it: In a spray bottle, mix 1/4 cup of aloe vera gel, 1 Tbsp. of conditioner, and 1/3 cup of water; shake to combine. Spritz onto wet or damp hair before styling.

If you want the store-bought option, you can smooth down unruly strands using lightweight Argan oil– infused wipes, like TRESemmé Anti-Frizz Smoothing Sheets ($5.99, CVS).

Stay-proof your makeup with an antacid “primer.”

The medicine cabinet staple’s magnesium creates an absorbent shield that mattifies any oil and sweat. The beautiful result: Makeup stays put even as the day heats up, says celebrity makeup artist Lucky Smyler.

Try it: Dab a nickel-size amount of a liquid antacid, such as milk of magnesia, onto clean skin; let dry for two minutes before applying makeup.

Avoid raccoon eyes with this trick.

Smyler’s five-second hack to smudge-free, melt-proof mascara: Top it off with hairspray! She explains, “Similar to how a clear topcoat locks in nail polish, hairspray coats lashes to lock in the formula so mascara stays put.”

Try it: Apply one coat of mascara to lashes. Then, once dry, spritz a clean mascara wand with a layer of alcohol-free hairspray (which won’t irritate eyes) and sweep the wand onto lashes.

If you forget to spritz, you can also gently swipe off melted makeup with cotton swabs already infused with makeup remover, like Almay Oil-free Makeup Eraser Sticks ($8.99, Target).

Prevent fall-flat hair with a powder “massage.”

Sprinkling a small amount of baby powder on the scalp and massaging it in adds volumizing texture while absorbing any moisture that weighs hair down.

Try it: For gray or blond hair: Apply regular powder straight to the scalp. For brown or black hair: Mix 1 Tbsp. of baby powder with 1 Tbsp. of unsweetened cocoa powder. For red hair: Mix 1 Tbsp. of baby powder with 1 Tbsp. of loose powder bronzer.

Stave off sweat with a black tea compress.

The astringent tea’s tannins constrict pores to keep sweat at bay, boosting the effectiveness of your antiperspirant. Even better? Its antibacterial properties fend off odor-causing bacteria.

Try it: Steep 2 black tea bags in 3 cups of boiling water for 10 minutes; refrigerate. Once cool, saturate two washcloths in the cold tea; place one under each arm and hold for a minute. Pat dry, then apply your regular antiperspirant.

If you don’t want to DIY, you can whisk away excess underarm moisture and leave behind a clean scent with Dove Deodorant Wipes in Cucumber & Green Tea ($7.99, Walgreens).

This article originally appeared in our print magazine.