Testimonials to our culture’s love of summer abound in the more than 151 song titles and lyrics that include the word “summer”. Among these are George Gershwin’s “Summertime,” as well as Garth Brooks “That Summer,” Aerosmith’s “Girls of Summer” and Justin Timberlake’s “Summer Love.” In Southwest Florida’s hottest season, other than singing along to summer songs, we associate summer with less road traffic, blockbuster movies, road trips, picnics, bike rides, kayak paddles, enticing reading and cooler haircuts. In general, we relish the slower pace of summertime living, which allows more time for sunbathing and watching sunsets, as well as self-pampering facials, manicures, pedicures, massage and bodywork at local spas.

Discussions about haircuts, humidity, frizz and summer styling aids are something that local salons such as Embrace Your Curls, Andrea’s Organic Hair Studio & Day Spa and Studio 37 Extreme Lashes and Hair have come to anticipate every year. Studio 37 owner Betty Ann Murphy notes, “By Memorial Day, my female clients are talking about how the hair on the back of their neck holds in the intense heat. They ask about stylish shorter cuts and I always give them my best tip: hair should either be short or long enough to pull back in a ponytail. Mid-length styles like a bob cut don’t work. Most clients resort to a cut that works with the natural growth pattern of their hair, as well as their hair texture.”

Local spas such as Shangri-La Springs and Stillwater, in Bonita Springs, and La Green Spa and Trim & Tone Spa, in Naples, as well as Assuage Spa, in Fort Myers, report that summertime brings out year-round residents in search of pampering after a long, busy season. “We definitely see an increase in local residents taking time out to rejuvenate themselves with skin and body treatments. Cellulite reduction treatments are much more in demand because it’s time to suit up for the beach and neighborhood pool parties. Light-based therapy for hair reduction and reversing sun damage is also more popular in summer months,” says Tehjan Sherif Prendeville, the owner of Assuage Spa. Thanks to special summer packages offered by most area spas, summer also attracts bridal parties that book spa time for fun and relaxation.

Bookstores such as Unity of Naples and Mystical Moon, with locations in Bonita Springs and Fort Myers, are prepared for readers with copies of Michael A. Singer’s latest book, The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life’s Perfection, a follow-up to his The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself. “Singer’s latest book is flying off our shelves. Customers love it as much as his first,” says Dixie Barnes, Unity of Naples bookstore manager. When Did You Die?: 8 Steps to Stop Dying Every Day and Start Waking Up, by Temple Hayes, is also a big seller, perhaps in preparation for Hayes’ appearance as a guest speaker on August 23.

Nicole Sandhus, store manager of Mystical Moon, advises that bestselling summer reads include classics such as The Seat of the Soul, by Gary Zukav; Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient; and the Past-Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives, by Brian L. Weiss; You Can Heal Your Life, by Louise Hay; The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, by Eckhart Tolle; and The Sevenfold Journey: Reclaiming Mind, Body and Spirit Through the Chakras, by Anodea Judith and Selene Vega. Two others also top her list of popular summer reads—Motivation Manifesto: 9 Declarations to Claim Your Personal Power, by Brendon Burchard, and The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are, by Brene Brown.

This leisurely time of the year also requires a precautionary measure—protecting our skin. “New research proves that what dermatologists have been telling us about using sunscreen regularly is true. A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine that measured lines and coarseness of the skin to determine aging noted that subjects who used sunscreen daily showed 24 percent less skin aging than their counterparts that did not,” says Jayne Koedding, owner of Organic Skincare & Bodyworx, in Naples. Like the Florida Department of Health, Koedding recommends a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher.

Andrea’s Organic Hair Studio & Day Spa, 6714 Lone Oak Blvd., Naples. Call 239-514-4707 or visit NaplesOrganicHairStudio.com.

Assuage Spa, 9407 Cypress Lake Dr., Ste. C, Fort Myers. Call 239-333-1450 or visit AssuageCenters.com.

La Green Spa, 4655 Tamiami Trail N., Naples. Call 239-591-4880 or visit LaGreenSpa.net.

Mystical Moon, 8890 Salrose Ln., Ste. 107, Fort Myers; 8951 Bonita Beach Rd., Ste. 255.  Bonita Springs. Call 239-939-3339 or visit TheMysticalMoon.com.

Organic Skincare & Bodyworx, 13240 Tamiami Trail N., Ste. 207, Naples. Call 239-514-4494 or visit OrganicSkinCare AndBodyworx.com.

Stillwater: A Hyatt Spa, Hyatt Regency Coconut Point, 5001 Coconut Rd., Bonita Springs. Call 239-444-1234.

Studio 37 Extreme Lashes & Hair, 501 Goodlette Rd., Ste. B-104, Naples. Call 239-263-5434 or visit Studio37 XtremeLashesAndHair.com.

Trim and Tone Spa, 1201 Piper Blvd., Ste. 20, Naples. Call 239-596-5522 or visit TrimAndToneSpa.com.

Unity of Naples Bookstore, 2000 Unity Way, Naples. Call 239-775-3009 or visit NaplesUnity.org.