Beauty and the Beach: Tips to keep your skin and hair healthy

Do not let the sand, the heat, and the saltwater at the beach side holiday ruin the beauty that is you.

Going for a holiday at the beach needs some quite serious beauty tricks. We know that the saltwater can make your hair frizzy in the matter of minutes, and unprotected skin could cause severe sunburn. That is why before, during, and after the beach treatments are necessary to keep your skin and hair healthy.

Prior the beach

If your skin and hair are healthy when you go to the beach, you will suffer less damage afterwards. However these tips are important for every day, regardless of how healthy your hair and skin are.

• Drink a lot of water to stay hydrated and prevent your skin and hair from getting dried out.
• Use a nice rich moisturizing cream that suits your skin type. It’s particularly important to use a hypoallergenic product, as lots of sun exposure can cause skin hypersensitivity.
• Make sure that your hair regimen prior to the beach is not over-drying or damaging. You do not want the beach damage your hair even more.
• Eat plenty of sun-fighting foods. Increasing evidence is showing the skin protective effects of certain foods. These foods include watermelon, raspberries, strawberries, green tea, dark chocolates, and almonds.

While at the beach

It’s important to keep your skin and hair healthy while having fun at the beach. There are three main points to remember while at the beach: hydration, moisturizing, and sun protection.

• Keep a water bottle with you wherever you go. Staying hydrated is very important, as the sun, wind, and salt water can dehydrate your body and skin.
• Instead of snacking on chips, candies, or cakes, switch to fresh fruits like watermelon instead. Watermelon is rich on water content and helps you to stay hydrated.
• Do not forget to apply sunscreen! Protecting your skin from the sun is also one of the most important things you can do while at the beach. Prior the holiday, try out the sun block product to see if it really protects from the sun and doesn’t cause any reactions.
• Your lips also need sun protector. Choose a lip balm product with SPF to both protect against sun damage and keep your lips from drying out.
• Bring a hat, sarong, and sunglasses to reduce the damage from the sun.
• It is also recommended to use a hair protectant spray before you go out, and throughout the day. This protectant spray will protect your locks from the UV rays. And if you dye your hair, a UV protectant will also help prevent your color from prematurely fading.
• After coming out from the ocean water, rinse off with cool water to protect your skin and hair from getting dried out from the remaining salt.

Post-beach treatment

Just because you have protected your skin and hair before and during your holiday, doesn’t mean that you do not need the post treatment. They need to ‘adapt’ to their original state—that’s why this phase is also as important.

• Keep hydrated. This is the most important thing to do to have healthy skin and hair. Drink plenty of water, at least 8 glasses per day to prevent your skin from drying out and enhance your body’s ability to recover from the sun and heal sunburn.
• Use moisturizer religiously. Moisturizing products with aloe vera is known to promote healing, gives cooling effects, and reduce pain from the sunburn. Of course, they soothe your skin too!
• If you feel that stingy sunburn right after the beach, apply grated potato or slices of cucumber on the affected skin area. Potatoes have starch-based compounds that may help soothe sunburn. Cucumbers also have cooling effects that will provide instant soothing effects.
• Always apply sun protection products when you go outdoors.
• If the sunburn is severe, avoid using harsh chemicals on the skin. For a few days, switch to baby soap that has zero detergent content and easy to your skin. Also try to avoid using lots of makeup on your skin, especially if it’s still stingy from the sunburn.
• If you feel that the sun damage’s gone worse or sensitize you to further sun exposure, it is better to see your dermatologist. Just remember to always stay well hydrated when taking any medications prescribed by your doctor.
• Hair spa or hair mask treatment is good to rejuvenate your hair and reduce the sun damage. If possible, avoid using excessive hair iron and hair dryer. Your hair need to ‘rest’ from all the heat.