7 Skincare Tips for Beach Vacations
Warm weather is right around the corner, and that means for many families a quick jaunt to the beach. For estheticians, it means the season’s first sunburns. Here are a few packing tips that will help you keep your skin looking great until your next facial appointment:
7 Skincare Tips for Beach Vacations
1. Get a new sunscreen.
If you’re pulling last year’s sunscreen out of the Ziploc, to take to the pool, it’s important to remember that Chemical Sunscreens degrade by up to 50% of its SPF in just six months of manufacture… Crazy right? And who knows how long it sits in the warehouse or the shelf before you buy it too!!! So make sure you have a new bottle, and it has a hefty dose of mineral sunscreen in it as well (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) because those are the long lasting UVA/UVB and UVC protectors. The proper dosage is also a shot glass full per adult every 80 minutes or after sweating or being in the water. So keep your family safe because nothing ruins a vacation like a bad sunburn.
2. Stop using Exfoliators.
A week before you leave, stop using your Retinoids, AHA/BHA, and Glycolic products. These are all amazing products to smooth and refine your skin, but they don’t mix well with sun exposure. Retinol is especially bad to have on your skin in the sun because it breaks down and the new compound makes you even more susceptible to damage no matter what level SPF you are wearing. When this happens, your anti-aging retinol cream becomes an age-accelerating cream.
3. Start being extremely faithful to your Vitamin C regimens.
Vitamin C will help protect you from getting brown spots and give a bit of extra protection from the sun. UV light creates reactive oxygen species (ROI, or more commonly called oxidants) that cause major damage to skin tissue and reportedly up to 80% of how we age. Vitamin C used topically, can neutralize the effects of ROI and save precious collagen, elastin, and you from prematurely aging.¹ You may wish to try my Renew and Protect Vitamin C Capsules travel exceptionally well.
4. Use an extra dose of moisturizer before getting on an airplane.
It’s no secret that air travel makes you dehydrated, but it can dry out your skin as well. When your skin gets dehydrated, it acts differently from when it’s in proper balance. Skin that is out of balance is far more prone to things like breakouts and sensitivity. The best way to combat this is to protect the skin from the outside. I swear by G.M. Collin’s Daily Ceramide Comfort, it minimizes moisture loss and keeps skin looking youthful. I use it before any plane flight, and every night I’m away from home over my moisturizer and before sunscreen or makeup.
5. Pack ’emergency’ skin care items.
The following are items you want to make sure to include: sunscreen, band-aids and triple antibiotic cream, hydrocortisone cream for bug bites, calamine lotion (for skin irritation like poison ivy), insect repellent. Also, don’t forget to pack facial cleanser, body lotion, hand cream, and a good lip balm.
6. Apply sunscreen everywhere.
Sunscreen should be applied everywhere, not just the face, legs, arms, and chest. Don’t forget your ears, feet, and hands. A shot glass full is the correct amount to protect the average person properly. Remember sunscreen doesn’t last all day, you should reapply every 80 minutes and after getting out of the water or toweling off.
7. Drink water.
Make sure to drink water before heading to the beach as well as when you are sitting on the beach or by the pool. Moisturized skin starts from the inside; staying hydrated helps you look your best.
I hope these tips help keep you and your skin happy and healthy on your travels! If you have any other tips and tricks, leave us a comment below.
xoxo, Katt
¹Further reading on Vitamin C and its effects can be found in Indian Dermatology Journal Online, “Vitamin C in Dermatology” by Pumori Saokar Telang.