Going to the Beach Essentials

I recently visited Carmel By-the-Sea, so as you might expect, I went to the sea. The beach is soft white sand surrounded by cypress trees and a sky so blue it’s like a painting. But, in case you didn’t know – as I didn’t – a Carmel summer is colder than a Carmel winter.

As I always say, it’s much easier to remember sun protection when you’re hot and the sun’s beating down on you. So not only did I keep intending to put on sunscreen (but not doing it), I also didn’t think about how water reflects the sun, increasing your chances of being getting sun damage. (As a city girl, I forgot even the obvious, such as how sand sticks in your hair, between your toes, in your shoes, everywhere.) Eventually I did come to my senses and began using my oft-mentioned Neutrogena sunscreen. Then it occurred to me that they must make a gentler baby formula I should get for Lucy. Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby Faces is so ultra-gentle that not only did I use it on Lucy but on my own face every day at the beach.

So if you’re like me and don’t go to the beach often, here’s a checklist to get you started:

Beach Essentials

• Sunscreen, of course – Remember to reapply if you go in the water.
• A Sun Hat and UV Protective clothing - In the picture above, Lucy is in her cousin's UV clothes...and although everyone walking by told me what a "cute little boy" I have, she was protected!
• UV protection sunglasses
• Lots of water to stay hydrated.
• Several towels, even if you don’t go in the water. For example, I had a wet dog come by and shake all his sandy wet fur on me (twice).
• Rubber flip-flops, so sand is easy to rinse off. If you must remain chic at the beach, DVF and Tory Burch both make rubber flip-flops. Or just get those inexpensive ones from the drugstores they have anywhere there is a beach. One day I wore my leather slip-ons because I thought I’d just slip them off when I got to the beach. Now I’m wondering if I will ever get sand out of them.

If you’re a beach-goer you might be laughing at my naiveté, but this city dweller would have liked to have this list so maybe there’s another one like me who will too.

How to Keep Your Skin Healthy and Young

Did you know that 90% of aging is from the environment and sun? And sun protection is not just preserving your skin, it also can protect your health, your life! It's serious. It’s pretty easy to remember how damaging the sun can be when it’s beating down on you. It’s when it’s cool and cloudy that sometimes you need to worry most—because even if you can’t see it, the sun still creeps through the clouds and damages skin.

Some options for your protection:

Get a moisturizer with SPF. It’s a simple way to protect yourself without worrying about the extra step of adding sunscreen. I recently discovered LaRoche-Posay Anthelios SX Daily Moisturizer. I love that it’s in a tube (easy to pack and hard to break) and it has a nice creamy texture you don’t always get from a moisturizer in a tube.

Use a tinted moisturizer with SPF. It can replace a moisturizer, sunscreen and is a lightweight alternative to foundation—an all-in-one multi-tasker! Try Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20.

For your body, Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock is the best! I put this product on for a long hike and ocean swim in Hawaii. When I got home, the only place the sun got me was where I didn’t apply it! You could see fingerprints where I missed applying to the backs of my shoulder. This sun block is so light and non-greasy you don’t even feel it on your skin.

Give yourself the rule that you will never, ever go out without protection. I always assume that whenever I'm outside, I'm getting damaged. This makes me just paranoid enough to heed my own advice. Do whatever it takes to motivate you.