by Holiday Girl, Jolene.
It's summer. Time to pack up that beach bag, throw on your swimwear and hit the sand for some sun-soaking down-time.
But the combination of sun, sand, salt or chlorine can take its toll on our appearance.
Chin up buttercup. You can stay looking your beach-babe best with these beach beauty secrets.
Dry Skin :: Contrary to what many of us may expect, being in water does not equal hydration for our skin. Chemicals in swimming pools like chlorine can be very drying for our skin, and salt water is hydrophilic. Basically this means that the salt in the water is attracted to the moisture in our skin and draws it out. To keep skin supple it is a great idea to moisturize before putting on that first layer of sunscreen. Oil based moisturisers are great for dry skin as they are made up of smaller molecules than creams which allow them to penetrate the skin more deeply.
Green Hair :: We've all either heard of (or in my case, been) the girl whose hair turned green in the swimming pool, right? Water contain copper which binds to the protein in our hair when we wash it. If our hair then comes into contact with chlorine in a swimming pool or spa, the chlorine may oxidise the copper and turn green. Those of us with highlights or all over blonde coloured hair should be especially careful of this.
Dull Hair :: Whatever shade your hair is a great tip for removing build up and brighten your colour is to give your hair with a gentle clarifying treatment. A clarifying treatment is easily done at home. Simply add 1 tablespoon of baking soda to ½ cup of shampoo and wash your hair. Rewash with regular shampoo and condition as normal.
Frizz Head :: Heat, humidity and water can spell disaster for many of us when it comes to frizz. To tame your mane and keep it looking frizz-free use an oil-based leave-in conditioner.
Shiny Skin :: For those of us who prefer to wear a little make-up still at the beach, lightly patting a pore minimizing cream over your foundation will help to absorb excess oil and prevent the hot-and-shiny look from happening.
Panda Eyes :: To ensure that waterproof mascara holds up whilst you are in and out of the water all day, dust translucent powder over bare lashes before applying the mascara.
Do you have any other beauty secrets you use before a day at the beach? Join the conversation on our Facebook page. We'd love to see you there!
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When she isn't trying to look glamorous at the beach, or sipping a pool side vino, Jolene can be found at Mums Lounge,
where she shares her (often hilarious) parenting adventures on her blog Jolene's Mumbo Jumbo.
