Every spring, around March or April, it’s commonplace to start hearing fitness instructors and commercials motivate people to work on their “beach bodies.” Here at Herbacin, we believe that everyone has a beach body and deserves to play in the waves without feeling self-conscious. However, we do think that having “beach ready skin” has far more merit and is critical to both your short-term and long-term health.
In honor of National Bikini Day, we have compiled a list of eight practices to ensure that however much skin you choose to expose, you can do so safely and with confidence. This advice applies to men and women, young and old, so get ready to take some notes!
Eight Practices for Beach Ready Skin
1. Up your antioxidant intake. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals that otherwise tend to inflame and damage bodily cells, including skin cells. These free radicals are more likely to arise when we expose ourselves to extra UV rays. Each antioxidant serves a different purpose, so eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to get a more complete spectrum of these vital compounds. Avocados, mangoes, blueberries, broccoli, carrots, spinach, and many more fresh ingredients can help you achieve this goal.
2. Shave or wax a day or two before hitting the beach. This helps prevent irritation. Giving your skin time to repair protects it from the chemicals that can be found in sunscreen, as well as the harshness of salt water and sunlight.
3. Exfoliate. Experts recommend exfoliating once, twice, or even thrice a week in the summertime. Why? The more you sweat, the more likely you are to accumulate excess oil on your face, resulting in clogged pores that can lead to acne. But make sure to gently exfoliate; massaging too hard or with the wrong ingredients can lead to micro-tears. You can start with Herbacin Skin Solutions Gentle Face Scrub, which incorporates hardened natural jojoba wax, aloe vera, camomile, and marigold. Because it is recommended you avoid direct sunlight after exfoliating, it is best to use products like this in the evening.
4. Wear sunscreen! It’s the elephant in the room, but it is also the most important advice you can remember. Use broad-spectrum SPF 30+, and reapply at least every 90-120 minutes, as well as after each dip in the water. Don’t forget areas like your lips, ears, hands, and feet.
5. Wear a hat. Unless you are bald, applying sunscreen to your scalp can get, well, messy. Nobody wants to endure the pain of a burn up there, and nobody wants to deal with a flaky scalp the week afterward, either. Opt for a floppy hat if possible to provide increased protection to your face and neck.
6. Wake up early for the sunrise. Not only is it calming to watch a new day dawn, but hitting the beach early also means that you can avoid the most intense UV rays of the day. Typically, the sun is strongest between 10am and 4pm, when it is high in the sky.
7. Use moisturizer. Your skin is bound to dry out in the heat, with salt water and sand naturally exfoliating it. But after wearing sunscreen all day, you likely won’t want to apply anything heavy. That’s why we recommend locking moisture into your skin by using a product like Herbacin Skin Solutions Daily Skin Moisturizer. It is quick to absorb and can protect and nourish your skin for up to 24 hours.
8. Skip the makeup. Excess makeup tends to clog the pores—the last thing you want when you are sweating in a high-humidity environment like the beach. So embrace your natural radiance, knowing that you’ve taken the steps beforehand to care for your skin!