What’s in your beach bag? If you say “just my towel and some tanning oil,” shame on you! Even worse if your response is “what beach bag?” A beach day is the perfect day to soak up some rays, unwind, and have fun, but there are some things you need to be mindful of when clocking lots of UV time. While simplicity is key for an easy-going beach bum lifestyle, we have gathered the 5 must have products to help you make the most of your day in the sun.
1. Protective Oil
First things first, ditch the SPF-less oil! It does nothing except make you excessively oily, which doesn’t mix well with sand. I understand the desire for a bronzed beach glow, but in the long run, using a product with adequate SPF will be much more beneficial. Also, oils cause most skin types to burn, then tan, which should be very obviously not a good thing, but oftentimes we sacrifice a little burn for a “tan” that shows up a few days later. So let’s get this straight: a burn then tan is NOT a good thing! I repeat: do not hope to burn when you go to the beach! SPF is crucial in fighting off fine lines, wrinkles, and keeps your skin healthy and youthful.
L’Oreal Sublime Sun Broad Spectrum Oil is great and will give you the same sheen as any other oil, but with SPF protection (Comes in 15, 30, and 50 SPF). My favorite oil product is Alba Botanica’s Natural Sunscreen Hawaiian Dry-Oil with SPF 15. If the tropical coconut smell wasn’t enough, the oil is not too greasy and leaves skin moisturized and protected; plus the handy bottle fits perfectly in any beach bag! It is waterproof, but it is recommended to re-apply any sunscreen every 40 minutes for ensured protection.
L’Oreal Sublime Sun Sheer Protect Oil Spray, $8.84 at Walgreens.
Alba Botanica Hawaiian Coconut Dry Oil Sunscreen, $8.99 at Walgreens.
2. Sunstick
Your face is very sensitive to the sun, and is exposed quite frequently. I would not recommend using the oils on your face, especially if you are acne prone, have oily skin, or have sensitive skin. Our fave face product for beach days is a sun stick, particularly Water Babies Sunscreen Stick. Yes it’s for babies, which means it’s non-irritating, super protective, and will last through sand, surf, and tears (let’s hope we leave those for the babies).
Coppertone Water Babies Sunscreen SPF 55, $5.99 at Walgreens.
3. Hair Protection
We all love the way the salty air and water gives us beach waves. But we also know that those gorgeous locks don’t last for long. The sun and salt water can really dry out hair, so we recommend using Frizz-Ease Thermal Protection Serum, which acts as a sunblock for your tresses. It can be used on wet or dry hair, and is perfect for not only UV protection, but it keeps hair silky and gorgeous from beach days to boardwalk night.
Frizz-Ease Thermal Protection Hair Serum, $9.99 at Ulta.
4. Lip Rescue
Sunscreen is commonly applied to face and body, but some of us tend to forget to give special attention to our lips (which can burn easily). It is smart to throw your go-to lip balm in your bag when you head to the beach, luckily for us most balms are now made with SPF, our favorite being EOS Lemon Drop Lip Balm ($2.99). With SPF 15 and a yummy lemon scent, you’ll want to keep re-applying!
EOS Lip Balm with SPF 15, Lemon Drop, 2/$6.00 at Walgreens.
5. Aloe
This natural ingredient comes in a lot of cooling lotions and gels, perfect for those times when you get just a tad too much sun. Once you notice sunburn, apply more sunblock and cover up the burned areas (try to cool out in the shade for a while) and then apply aloe to calm and soothe skin. Applying aloe as soon as you notice a burn significantly helps with the healing process, so I make sure to bring some each time I go to the beach. My favorite is Hawaiian Tropic’s After Sun Moisturizer Cooling Aloe Gel.
Hawaiian Tropic After Sun Moisturizer Cooling Gel with Aloe, $7.99 at Walgreens.
Now that you have these beauty must-haves in your beach bag arsenal, you’re ready for a beautiful day in the sun!
Did we forget your number one beach product? Comment and share your tried and true beach day faves!
