August Style Board

 

Welcome to the August Style Board! With our summer vacation to North Carolina coming up followed by the summer winding down, I plan to be at the beach or on the boat as much as possible! That means my August style board mostly consists of swimsuits, cover-ups, sunglasses, a floppy hat and lots of sunscreen! Today on the blog I am sharing my favorite beach must do’s and haves!

August Style Board

SUNCARE

First and foremost, protecting your skin is a must. Unfortunately just putting on any ole’ sunscreen doesn’t cut it anymore. It needs to be the right sunscreen to get the maximum protection. Find a broad spectrum sunscreen that protects against both UVB and UVA rays.  UVB rays are the ones that give us a sunburn and the UVA rays are the ones that penetrate deep in the skin and can cause premature aging and wrinkling with the potential to contribute to the development of skin cancer. No thanks!

When outdoors, use a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF 30 (but don’t go higher than SPF 50 as it does not afford that much more protection) and reapply every two hours. That is sometimes a hard one for me! Also, avoid aerosols.  It did not take long to discover that aerosol sunscreens may not be so great for us, so for now, refrain!  Besides aerosols, many sunscreens can often have ingredients in them that are not good for us or the the environment.  Take a look at the list of sunscreens and lip balms with SPF  that ARE approved by the EWG.

Happy to see some of my favorites made the list!

Vanicream Broad Spectrum SPF 30.

I learned about this sunscreen a few years ago when my mother, who has had to deal with skin cancer over time, was given this product by her dermatologist. I don’t necessarily love it for everyday application because it goes on thick but if I know I am going to be out in the sun all day, there is nothing else I will use. Besides offering great protection, it is water resistant for up to 80 minutes, non-Comedogenic and free of dyes, lanolin, fragrance, parabens, formaldehyde, & other preservatives.  It sometimes can be tricky to find so call your local drugstore ahead of time to make sure they have it on hand. For my local followers, I find it at Ross Cosmetics.

Supergoop! Shine on Lip Screen SPF 50.

My lips burn and dry out easily in the sun. This product takes SPF lip balm one step further by offering a powerful UV shield to your lips. This topcoat defends lips from dehydration and photo-aging with antioxidants and sunflower seed oil. It goes on clear with a nice gloss finish.

I also love the Supergoop! ‘Forever Young’ Hand Cream with Broad Spectrum SPF 40  from this line.

Our hands are probably exposed to the sun more than any other area on our body and can easily show premature signs of aging. While it is easy to find face moisturizer with SPF, finding a handcream with it is not so easy. I love having this in my beach bag or purse to nourish and provide sun protection to my hands all day long.  Just a side note on the hand cream. They offer two sizes of this product. One that is purse friendly but only 1 fl. oz. (they really need to up that!) and then 10 fl. oz. with a hand pump which kind of makes it hard to reapply when not at home. I hope Supergoop! adds a nice in between size soon!

(P.S. One more side note. This is not Gwenyth Paltrow’s Goop!)

Sun Bum Sun Care.

I swear this brand was created just for me as this line of sun care products was specifically formulated for people who live and love in the sun! This is the broad spectrum sunscreen my whole family uses and loves! I love this product! Their line of suncare is approved and recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation. It is Paraben Free / Paba Free / Gluten Free / 100% Vegan / Oil Free – Will Not Clog Up Your Pores Or Cause Breakouts-Hypoallergenic/Vitamin E Enriched/Cruelty Free. Wow! Phew! Most importantly for my kids though, it smells sooooo good and they do not need to be prompted too much to reapply! Win, win! I stock up on this at my local Ulta!

M-61 Hydraboost Body Butter.

Despite protecting my skin the best I can while in the sun, I definitely like to use something for after the sun. This body butter feels great to put on after a shower at the end of a beach day.  This is good for all skin types and packed with all sorts of yummy things to sooth and hydrate the skin: vitamin B5, vitamin E, natural tamarind seed, aloe, coconut oil and shea butter.  This is a new product Blue Mercury has launched but you also can find it at Macy’s!

BEACH ACCESSORIES

Floppy Hat and Sunglasses.

I do not leave for the beach or the boat without my sunnies and a floppy hat. A floppy hat not only shades my face from the sun but it also protects my scalp which is another area often over exposed to the sun! This hat is sold out but I linked another fun option.  Also, if you follow me on Instagram, I will let you know if it comes back in stock (I lost out once only to find it again a week later at Nordstrom on-line).

S’well Water Bottle.

Another must while out in the sun, is drinking plenty of water. I love bringing my S’well bottle to the beach (and everywhere else!). The largest size holds 25 oz of liquid and will keep your drinks cold for 24 hours. Plus, when you throw it into your beach bag, it will not sweat over your things!

Beach Sarong and Bag.

I love that this sarong has multiple uses. It can be worn a 100 different ways and makes a nice lightweight beach blanket too. It is super easy to roll up and throw in your beach bag or suitcase. This beach bag holds a lot and is made out of a nice canvas. It also comes with an interior zip pocket and pocket mirror. It folds flat nicely so another good one to pack in a suitcase!

Swimwear (bikini top and bottom).

I spend a lot of time in a suit! I really seek out ones that hold their shape nicely and do not fade over time with sun and chlorine exposure. So I have had a lot of luck with the Seafolly line of swimwear. The one I am wearing I have had for over three years!

Products are underlined and linked above or linked on the widget below!

I will give be giving a re-cap of our vacation later this month.

Feel free to leave questions or comments! I hope everyone fully enjoys the last month of summer!  Thanks for stopping by!

L,M