Ready to enjoy the beach life ahead of you? Soaking up the long days and great weather is one of the most amazing parts of the summer, but it doesn’t come without its perils. The most important one is sun radiation, which is responsible not only for sunburn, but also dark spots and photoaging—not to mention, of course, the role it plays in skin cancer. Fortunately, there’s a way to enjoy your summer at the beach without getting sunburned or aggravating dark spots and wrinkles—wearing sunscreen! We have chosen the best of the best for every situation, thus making sure you will find your next favorite sunscreen. Come along and discover the best sunscreens for beach vacations!
On this post:
The best body sunscreens for the beach
This is one of the main issues with the summer: we wear less clothes, so the skin of our body is more exposed to the sun. There are sunscreens for every issue and, although we have already compiled a list of the best body sunscreens, we are choosing some specifically for the beach.
What does this mean? It means we’re selection sunscreens with a couple of specific features: they must be both water-resistant and easy to apply on wet skin. By selection products with these features, we’re ensuring the product offers long-lasting sun protection when you are in the water, and that it be reapplied as soon as you get out, even if your skin is still wet.
Regarding water-resistant sunscreens, you can find some that are labeled “water-resistant” on the packaging, which means they last up to 40 minutes in the water and guarantee at least half the protection labeled on the packaging. Sunscreens labeled “very water-resistant” last up to 80 minutes. Of course, these will also be sweat-proof sunscreens, because they will work the same way with sweat.
Lastly, there is one extra feature you may want to include in your sun protection: sand-resistant sunscreens. These not only prevent you from looking like a sand-crusted human but also ensure sand doesn’t remove your sunscreen.
The best face sunscreens for the beach
When it comes to the face, there is one extra thing to consider: dark spots. Logically, you can also get dark spots on your body, but melasma is very common on the face. Therefore, getting a sunscreen that fully protects from UVA is a must-have, because UVA radiation is responsible for most of the pigmentation associated with dark spots. Additionally, you also have blue light interfering with melasma, and no, not the one from your phone—the one from the actual sun.
As with body sunscreens, it’s mandatory to have water-resistant sunscreens for the face. This comes down to ensuring your sunscreen doesn’t immediately dissolve the minute you get in the water. At the beach, it’s not enough to apply your sunscreen—it’s essential to make sure it stays put!
Lastly, sunscreen sticks are a great way to reapply your protection, as long as they are not at risk of melting. If you can secure somewhere with a comfortable shadow you can lay your bag below 35ºC (95ºF), you can take a sun stick to the beach. If it’s scorching hot, you might want to avoid them altogether, or you’ll risk finding a pool of melted sunscreen in your bag.
The best hair sunscreens for the beach
Sunscreen for the hair? Yes please! Your hair strands also suffer from taking all that summer heat. The UV radiation breaks down the hair proteins and can even change its color. In fact, those who suffer the most are people with white/gray hair and light hair (natural or bleached). This is because dark pigment in the hair helps to protect the hair itself. Moreover, if there’s a pool involved, things get worse. Chlorine dissolves the hair lipids, making it brittle and dry. Of course, a big hat does wonders for your hair and you should use a wide hat with UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor). However, when you can’t use it, there are a few products that will help protect your hair.
Most of these products tend to be on the oilier side, to coat the hair against aggression. However, you can find a few lotions and non-oily sprays if you prefer a lighter version.
The best lip sunscreens for the beach
“Do I actually need a lip sunscreen?”, we hear you ask. Well, it’s a great idea, indeed. Given the widespread use of face sunscreens, a large portion of skin cancer is nowadays showing up on the lips. So, yes, we do consider lip sunscreen an amazing idea.
The most common thought is “but can’t I use my face sunscreen on my lips?” and the answer is: maybe. Most sunscreens taste poorly, to put it mildly. Sunscreen filters are usually sour, and the rest of the formula doesn’t usually help, because it’s not actually meant to taste good. On the contrary, sunscreens designed for the lips commonly have a more neutral taste—in fact, some of them even come in flavored options!
One trick we usually recommend is that you search for sunscreen in a tube instead of a stick. This is because, once again, these sticks aren’t meant to be exposed to extreme temperatures—anything above 35ºC/95ºF is probably too much already.
The best sunscreen for kids and babies at the beach
Protecting your kids is, of course, extremely important throughout the year. But when on vacation, choosing the right sunscreen is vital. Not only because they are more exposed, but also because, 9 out of 10 times, it’s a nightmare to apply sunscreen on an excited kid (data extracted from my own experience). Moreover, we must consider that kids spend a lot of their time at the beach in the water, rolling in the sand, or just running around and sweating.
So, what are the secrets to properly apply sunscreen to a child and make sure it stays put? First, look for a sunscreen that is very resistant to water. Second, look for a sunscreen that’s sand-resistant, so it’ll withstand all that rolling around. Lastly, and this is key for scenarios of extreme sun exposure, look for a colorful sunscreen. Don’t worry, we’re not going to paint the kids all over with the sunscreen! There are some sunscreens, formulated for children, which come out of the bottle with a fun color (blue or purple) that disappears when absorbed. This ensures you have applied the product to all the necessary areas, making it harder to miss spots. Bonus points for making it easier to apply, because you’re turning them into Smurfs, unicorns or trolls–whatever tickles them fancy, really.
All in all, choosing the right sunscreens for the beach is all about achieving maximum protection. Not only making sure that the formula itself already protects against radiation, but making sure you apply it all over and it stays put. You can explore thousands of sunscreen options in the shop to ensure you find the perfect one for you!
