Ever wonder how some women look daisy fresh under the sun, while you seem to wilt? These simple summer beach essentials will keep you looking hot while playing in the surf and sand.

You put effort into getting ready for the beach. The key to getting your look to last is some smart planning and using summer worthy products.

Prep items, melt resistant makeup, skin fresheners, and sun protection are musts. They’ll make your day at the beach seem like, well you know…

7 Beach Essentials for Your Beauty Kit

All Good Sunscreen Butter

1. Best SPF: Let’s start at the top. Safe and effective sunscreen is an absolute must when spending time in the sun. And when at the beach, make sure it is reef safe. Remember to reapply every two hours, or if you’ve been sweating or swimming, whichever comes first.

inVitamin Cleansing Micellar Water

2. Skin refresher: Hydrate and revitalize overheated and dry skin with micellar water. Tiny beads of oil make sure skin isn’t parched once you return from fun in the sun.

Earth Tu Face Dead Sea Salt Scrub

3. Smooth Operator: Before heading out into the sun, give skin a thorough sloughing. Also key to a smooth application of self tanner.

URSA Major Fortifying Face Balm

4. Ingrown hair treatment: Sleek, hair-free skin is a no-brainer for beach season. If you are still experiencing ingrown hairs on bikini line even with the best shaving technique, try applying a dab of soothing balm post shave to ward off those little buggers before they become a problem.

ILIA Tinted Lip Conditioner SPF 15

5. Lip color with protection: Lips get sunburned too. Choose a safe lip sunscreen to protect your pucker. Want color with your UV protection? Ilia Beauty has two delicious hues.

Little Barn Apothecary Coconut + Mint Cooling Mist

6. Body refresher: Natural deodorants are good for keeping odor at bay. But no deodorant can last through a full day of 90-degree temps, swimming, and sweating. Refresh your bod with a spritz of this body mist made with aloe, dead sea salt, jasmine, and peppermint.

NCLA Bikinis & Martinis

7. Perfect polish: What do you need to complete your look other than a pretty hat and maybe a new pair of shades? Perfectly polished tootsies. This shade ought to do nicely.

*Disclaimer: Help support EcoSalon! Our site is dedicated to helping people live a conscious lifestyle. We’ve provided some affiliate links above in case you wish to purchase any of these products.

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Image of girls at beach via Shutterstock

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Sunscreen season is here. We opt for the safest sun protection for ourselves and our little ones because chemical sunscreen is not the healthiest choice. And guess what, it’s not a day at the beach for marine life either.

My family and I took a vacation to Mexico a few years ago and did some snorkeling. Before we even set foot on the boat that would take us out to the reef where we’d get to see gorgeous fish and even a barracuda, the guides checked all of our sunscreen bottles and tubes.

No, they weren’t concerned with the number of SPF we’d chosen, but made sure everyone was using reef-friendly sunscreen. They even had a stand selling the stuff in case you’d toted along your chemical sun protection.

Chemical Sunscreen and Marine Life

Harmful chemical sunscreens, like oxybenzone and octinoxate, have a toxic effect on young coral, causing endocrine disruption, DNA damage, and death. Essentially, killing off coral.

Coral reefs support more species than any other marine environment. It is estimated that up to 14,000 tons of sunscreen washes off of swimmers, snorkelers, and scuba divers every year. Tons! That is huge exposure to these delicate and important ecosystems.

Even worse news, it only takes a small amount (the equivalent of a drop of water in six Olympic-sized pools!) to cause damage. Concentrations of oxybenzone in seawater near coral reef populated Hawaii and U.S. Virgin Islands have been estimated at 12 times what is needed to harm coral.

And it is not just the chemical sunscreen ingredients that are detrimental to the health of reefs. Synthetic preservatives, like parabens, have been linked to problems like coral bleaching.

Safe Sunscreen Ingredients

Zinc oxide is a mineral sunscreen that, unlike oxybenzone and other chemical sunscreens, dissolves in saltwater and eventually settles on the seafloor and becomes buried in sediment. This makes zinc a reef-friendly option.

Of course, it doesn’t stop with minerals. Choosing sun protection that is also free from other harmful ingredients, like synthetic preservatives and fragrance, and chemical emollients, is not only better for marine life but human bodies too.

Because sunscreen is important in protecting against premature aging and disease, we can’t simply go without during a day at the beach. The best way to protect coral reef life and ourselves at the same time is by using nontoxic mineral sunscreens. Water resistant options help sunscreen to stay on our bodies longer too.

Reef Safe Sunscreens for Days at the Beach

Here is a list of sunscreens that are made with zinc oxide and contain no parabens or other harmful ingredients. Reef safe claims are not regulated in the U.S. As with all cosmetic products, it is important to read beyond the front label, and check ingredient listings and brand information. All of the following sunscreens have been proven to be reef safe.

All Good: Makes A selection of sun protection for the whole family, from Sunsticks to Lip Balm. Broad spectrum and Sunscreen Butter is water resistant.

Badger Balm: This brand has been creating reef-friendly sunscreens since before we knew about the issue. A wide range of sun protection for the whole family in a variety of formulas. Active and Sport sunscreens are water-resistant and broad spectrum.

True Natural: Another extensive line of healthy sunscreens. This brand offers protection in a variety of SPFs and even a sunscreen stick for your beach loving pooch. All are broad spectrum and Sport Stick is water resistant.

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Image of woman snorkeling via Shutterstock

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