We all love going to the beach. Some of us are lucky to have a beach around the corner and others enjoying sand, sun and saltwater during their holidays. When we spend time in the sun and saltwater, we need to take special care of our skin and hair. Unfortunately not all skin and hair products are good for the environment. Imagine a busy little bay where hundreds of tourists enter the water every day with their bodies covered in sunscreen. The chemical ingredients get into the ocean environment, damage the reefs, harm the corals and kill marine life. If you want to take care of yourself and the reef at the same time check out my environmental friendly beauty tips for the beach.
1 Oil for your Hair
One of my favorite environmental friendly beauty tips for the beach is oil in your hair. There are many oils out there that make your hair shiny, soft and put moisture back into your hair. Some of my favorite oils for hair care are coconut oil, olive oil and avocado oil. If you put a natural oil into your hair before you enter salt (or chlorine) water you protect your hair from getting dry and damaged. When I worked as scuba instructor in Thailand I used natural oil in my hair every day before I went into the sea. My hairdresser was very impressed and couldn’t believe it when she saw how healthy my hair was. Natural and organic oils are much better for the ocean environment than chemical hair products. On top of that they are also much cheaper than most hair products.
2 Wet your Hair before entering the Water
Another tip is to make your hair wet with freshwater before you jump into the sea. Since freshwater is not as damaging as saltwater it is better if your hair soaks up freshwater instead of saltwater. Therefore your hair won’t get damages as much as if the saltwater entered your hair.
3 Bye bye Sunscreen
It is important that you protect your skin when you enjoy the sun. Many chemical sunscreens are really bad for the sea and corals (and some of them even for you). There are some natural sunscreens available now which help to protect the reef when you enter the water. A great and cheap alternative to sunscreen is coconut or sesame oil. Both oils offer a natural sun protection factor and protect your skin from getting dry. Taking care of your skin with these natural oils will provide moisture and protect your skin from sun related ageing. But please be aware that natural oils won’t replace a proper sun block. Don’t stay in the direct sun light for too long. Furthermore, natural oils are also great to help you get into your silicone mermaid tail 😉
4 Avoid direct Sun
It doesn’t matter which skin care you use while you enjoy the sun, there is one golden rule. Don’t stay in the direct sun light for too long. No product can protect you 100 %. If you stay in the shadow you can still enjoy the beach and will still get tanned. As a result you will get brown and not red 😉 Direct sunlight can be harmful and increase the aging process of your skin.
5 Sand as Body Scrub
Many body scrubs from the supermarket contain tiny plastic particles. When you wash down these particles in your sink most of them will find their way into the sea. There they will harm marine life. On the beach you have the most amazing natural body scrub you can get. Before you leave the beach you should rather use the sand for a full body scrub instead of a chemical scrub in the hotel. The sea sand carries lots of great minerals for your skin. But don’t forget to apply a natural oil or body lotion after a scrub.
6 Increase your inner Sun Protection Factor
I was very excited to find out that you can increase your inner sun protection factor by eating tomatoes. Apparently you can bring it up by up to 30% if you consume a certain amount. I personally love tomatoes and include them in most of my regular meals. This combined with the use of sesame oil on my skin protected me perfectly during my daily work on dive boats.
I hope you find as much use in these beauty tips for the beach as I do. I love using natural ingredients for my skin and hair care. If you have any other environmental friendly beauty tips for the beach please feel free to send me an email.