If you're anything like me, you plan to spend as much time as is humanly possible frolicking around on the beach this summer. There's sun, there's water... and there are plenty of half-naked people to watch running around. What could be better? Well, getting a bit of a beauty treatment while you're at it, for one thing.
The truth is, there's a lot more at the beach than just jellyfish and sand flies. There's also the equivalent of an entire spa right at your fingertips. You just have to know how to take advantage of it!
1. Soak up the sun gradually.
This is number one on our list for a very good reason: if you don't wear sunscreen on the beach, you're taking huge risks with your health. And you're also aging your skin so badly that you'll hate yourself for it in 15 years. You can wear sunscreen and still get a beach-babe glow to your skin. You just need to do it gradually. Spend time in the sun, but be sure to do it while wearing a high SPF sunscreen that will keep your skin safe. Over time, you'll get just as brown and beautiful as if you'd spent hundreds on expensive self-tanners... and you'll do it just as safely.
2. Get highlights.
Want there to be a little more truth to your description of yourself as a "blond bombshell" on your internet dating profile? The sun can do it for you without frying your hair with peroxide, ammonia, and other nasty chemicals. Just play and bathe in the sun and you'll see its effects in no time. Really want to lighten up in the sun? Mix a little lemon juice with water and spray it on your hair before going to the beach to speed up the process. Just be sure to do it on dirty hair so your natural oils will protect your strands from the drying effects of the lemon. And be sure to deep-condition afterward.
3. Get a free full-body mineral dip.
People pay a fortune for fancy lotions and things with sea salt and minerals in them. If you go to the beach, you can get all this same stuff for free! The salt in the water cleanses your skin of dirt and impurities, and kills off bacteria while it's at it. It also helps condition the skin to be stronger and more resistant.
4. Learn a sport.
There's a lot more to do at the beach than simply lie on a towel and watch all those body-builder types strut by in their Speedos (though that can be entertaining for a long, long while!). Learn a sport! Not only will water sports like surfing, windsurfing, and waterskiing be just about the most fun you ever had, you'll get a great workout while you're at it (especially in the lower body). Afraid to get up on a board? Then just swim for an hour or so for a great beach-side calorie burn.
5. Run around in the sand.
There are a lot of reasons to run in the surf along the beach, and burning a lot of calories isn't the only one. If you do it often enough, running barefoot in the sand can replace your need for pedicures forever more. Why? Because the sand acts as a natural exfoliant, rubbing away dead skin and discoloration with every step. Do this often enough, and you'll soon have feet that are pretty, clean, and baby-soft.
Not much of a runner? Play some games in the sand, like beach volleyball or ultimate frisbee for exactly the same effect.
Why go to an expensive spa and pay loads of money for pedicures, hair lightening, and mineral treatments when you have all of those things for free at your local beach? Don't pay for what you can get for free at home. Strap on your flip flops, grab your towel, and go and play in the sand. It's free, beautiful, and a lot of fun, too.
