Summer Essentials: Beach Bag Edition
We’ve been working hard all summer and now it’s time to take a beach day! No summer is complete without the beach - taking a swim and sunbathing sans worries. But what is the key to the perfect beach day? The beach bag. Your holy grail to the ultimate beach day, the beach bag and its contents can make or break the experience. But what does one take in the perfect beach-day bag? We’ve compiled our top beach bag essentials so you can make the most of your much-deserved day at the beach.
The first essential item to a beach bag is sunscreen. We all know the importance of sunscreen, but sometimes we get a little lazy incorporating sunscreen into our routines. It’s important to remember, that UV rays from the sun are a known cause of skin cancer, as well as DNA damage, premature sagging, wrinkling, hyperpigmentation, and a leathery texture to skin. Um, no thanks. To keep skin looking radiant and to protect your health, be sure to lather on broad-spectrum sunscreen 15 minutes before heading outside and don’t forget to reapply every 2 hours. Some of our all-natural favorites: Sun Bum’s Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion (vegan and paraben-free!) and Kiss My Face's Sun Spray Natural Sunscreen Lotion (non-greasy and paraben-free!).
A beach day is the perfect day to catch up on all the reading you’ve been meaning to do, but haven't quite had the chance to. After a nice swim, relax with a good-for-the-soul book, like The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. Reminiscent of “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert, the Happiness Project is not a mindless read, but instead a mindful read that will get you thinking about all the ways you can start working on your own happiness and the areas of your life you can improve on!
(Source: The DC Ladies)
Like sunscreen, sunglasses are essential for any summer day. Exposing your eyes to the sun can lead to cataracts and temporary vision loss, and beach days are no stranger to weird winds which result in the annoying sand-in-your-eye moments. Sunglasses are important for anti-aging too, as they help prevent wrinkles from forming around the eyes. The best part is that sunglasses can also be a stylish accessory and showcase your personality! Protect your eyes in style with a pair that has 100% UV protection like these super chic Ray-Ban Gatsby Cat Eye Sunglasses. And if you're not sure, then play around with a few different styles: aviators are classic, colored-mirrored are majorly trending, or rounded lenses for a bit of flair.
Being out in the sun all day can be tiring, exhausting and also dehydrating if you’re not drinking up! While water is always a healthy and important option for a beach day, we prefer to up the ante a bit with a drink that’s more flavorful and packs in antioxidants, like Big T NYC’s All Night Long Cold Brew Tea. This wild-harvested, organic black tea has a clean, smooth flavor and provides a gentle caffeine lift, while dosing you with beauty-boosting antioxidants. It comes in an easy-to-make cold brew kit. You just need to spend 30 seconds the night before your beach day to throw 2 tea sachets into a pitcher with 2 qts of water and let it steep overnight. Pour it into a chic bottle and take it to the beach for a refreshing, energizing pick me up!
Now, this wouldn’t be an epic beach bag without a delicious snack, right? Along with fueling yourself with a delicious drink (re: cold brew tea), keeping your energy going with healthy, organic snacks is just as important! Opt for one of these seven summer superfoods or for extra convenience, try a whole food bar like LaraBar (dairy-free, soy free, gluten free, vegan and kosher). Healthy and tasty, these snacks will keep you and your belly happy!
When all's said and done, and you have to be back at work on Monday morning, it’s important to keep those good beach vibes flowing; but, you don’t have to kiss goodbye to the last of your beach days just yet. To recreate those gorgeous beach waves in your hair, try Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray to add some volume to your tresses. For that mid-day pick me up, Bobbi Brown’s Beach Fragrance, with its notes of sand jasmine, sea spray and mandarin, will have you feeling like you’re back at the beach even if you’re stuck in the office. And for a visual reminder to keep the beach mindset going, add this Nina Twist Cuff from Kalaki Riot, where their motto is balancing everyday life with an island mentality - count us in!
Last thing? Pack up your beach bag and go enjoy yourself - a fun day of relaxation, Vitamin D, and a totally rocking beach bag filled with the best essentials awaits you!