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Surfing Beauty
Skin Care
One thing which may not improved by a life of surfing is your skin. Exposure to the wind, the sun (hopefully) and saltwater can wreak havoc on the delicate skin of your face, and weather-beaten surfers are a common sight. Luckily, there are steps you can take to avoid suffering too much at the hands of the elements and prevent your baby doll complexion being a thing of the past!
Always rinse your face with fresh water as soon as possible after a surf. Saltwater dries out the skin, so make sure you have always enough water with you to drink, splash on your face and rinse out your hair.
Sun Screening
Skin is resilient and grows accustomed to surrounding conditions, but one thing you can never take for granted is its resilience to the sun. Just because you don’t usually burn or you take a really deep tan doesn’t mean the sun is not doing damage, the damage usually goes deep and lies very much unnoticed until much later in life. U.V.A rays cause the collagen in your skin to break down, making it thinner, helping wrinkles to form, causing premature aging and in the worst case causing cancer.
It’s really important to apply strong, waterproof suncream before you set off for the beach, even if it’s not all that sunny. You’ll still tan through sun cream, especially as the surface of the water reflects and intensifies the sun’s rays, and as saltwater adds to the ageing effect it may save you from looking prematurely old. It’s a good idea to apply cream as soon as you decide to go surfing as this will give it time to soak into your skin.
Everyone who has plastered their face in cream at the last minute as an emergency before charging off down the beach knows the discomfort of suncream which hasn’t soaked in properly running into their eyes – its ages before it stops stinging. This also probably means its washing off, which isn’t good. Pay special attention to your nose, forehead and neck, and don’t forget your ears – they burn easily and look ridiculous bright red. Protect your lips with a high protection lip balm. If you’re lucky enough to be surfing without a wetsuit, it’s a good idea to put sun cream on before your bikini or boardies, rather than just smearing it on around the edges. Everything moves about in the water and you’re bound to miss bits. Patchy, sunburnt skin is never a good look.
There are many great over-the-counter sun screens to use, and some alternative options such as zinc oxide. Check out the best option for you skin type and remember, it needs to be water-proof.
Go Natural
The girls at Saltrock have got together and come up with some hints and tips and some natural suggestions to help combat some of the problems we all have:
Chapped lips. A simple remedy for this is to apply olive oil as frequently as you feel necessary, which will have your lips feeling soft in no time at all.
A good complexion requires the right diet. Great skin boosters include:
To replenish the skin on a daily basis, try the ‘lime juice formula’. Add the juice of one lime to a glass of whole boiled milk and stir in a tea spoon of glycerine. Stir well and leave to rest for 1/2 hour, then apply to your face, hands and feet before you go to bed.
If you suffer with oily skin try mixing the juice of one lemon with ice water, splash onto your face and massage for 5 mins before rinsing off.
To treat dry and rough skin, add one egg yolk to a few drops of lime and a tablespoon of olive oil, apply to face and leave to dry completely before rinsing in cold water.
To bring dull, greasy skin back to life, mix 1/2 teaspoon of lime juice and one teaspoon of cucumber oil with a few drops of rose water, apply to face and leave for 15 mins before rinsing off.
To make tired eyes feel great again simply add 4 teaspoons of lime juice to a cup of iced water. Saturate 2 cotton wool pads in the mixture and place over closed eyes for 10 mins.
For puffy eyes, try putting 2 used but cold teabags over each eye for 10 minutes.
Remember, plenty of water, and lots of raw fruit and vegetables. You are what you eat! What goes into your body is reflected on the outside.
Hair Care
Sun and saltwater can fade and damage hair by drying it out and making it look dull and brittle. After a surf, always rinse your hair with fresh water as soon as possible. If there are no showers where you surf, take enough water with you so you have some to tip over your head after your surf.
Also remember, excess washing strips you hair of its natural oils and if you are in and out of the water you’re bound to be washing it pretty often. We also have some handy tips and suggestions from the Saltrock girls, to keep your hair looking great:
Simply apply a small amount of high factor sunscreen to dry hair and brush it through. Gives your hair extra protection, especially if you are in the water.
An alternative option is to rub a small amount of your usual conditioner into the ends of your hair and don’t wash it out. Leave it there while you surf and it will form a barrier, preventing the salt damaging your hair.
To tame frizzy hair, try rubbing a small amount of coconut oil into your hair, but not too much which will make it greasy. (Remember this will not protect you from the sun)
To cleanse your hair of shampoo and styling product residue mix one tablespoon of baking soda with one cup of water and rinse your hair with it. (Make sure you are careful to get none in your eyes, if you do rinse well with clean water)
To bring life and shine back to dull hair, mix one juiced lemon with one cup of water, apply and rinse. (Again, watch your eyes)
To add bounce and shine, rinse with 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar mixed with 2 cups of water (again watching your eyes)
Try adding essential oils such as Ylang Ylang to shampoo and conditioner as a way of rejuvenating your hair.
Finally if you are fed up with waiting for your hair to grow, try applying Ylang Ylang mixed with Rosemary oil, it is believed to stimulate hair growth! (Yet to be proved, but always worth a try!)
MIND, BODY AND SOUL
Yoga
Yoga means union, and is a form of exercise based on the belief that the body and breath are intimately connected to the mind. By holding the body in steady poses and controlling the breath, ‘asana’ yoga creates harmony between the mind, body and soul. Yoga consists of five key elements: proper breathing, proper exercise, proper relaxation, proper diet, and positive thinking and meditation. The exercises are designed to ease tense muscles, tone up internal organs and improve the flexibility of the body’s joints and muscles. Yoga improves suppleness and strength and gives you a great looking toned body, but at the same time it is very relaxing and a great way to de-stress and unwind. Whether you incorporate yoga into your life on a daily basis, once a week, or before or after you hit the beach, there is no doubt there are huge benefits to be gained from yoga. It’s a great way of keeping fit and supple when you’re not hitting the water and not to mention it is also the best way of keeping your mind in tune with your body.
The Yin and Yang of Beauty
We all want is to look our best as much as we can, sometimes that is not as easy as it seems when we are in and out of the water, in all kind of climates, constantly exposed to the elements of the sun, sea and sand. When your yin and yang are balanced your skin and hair at their best. With the lifestyle a surfer girl leads, one of the best ways to get that balance is to start from the inside so here are some tips on what might be out of balance with you and how to rectify it. Sometimes it is the smallest changes that make the biggest difference.
One of the easiest ways to tell what you are lacking in is in your skin. A person with oily skin and a tendency to suffer with pimples usually has an excess of Yang. To combat this you need to start having ‘cooling foods’ such as carrots, cucumber, peppermint, apples and bananas, and trying to add a bit of honeysuckle here and there, it’s a bit more unusual but great for ‘cooling the fire’.
Someone with dry skin and possibly a tendency to gain weight has an excess of Yin. The right foods for you would be avocado, papaya, Soya beans, ginger, royal jelly and sunflower seeds, that little lot will soon ‘warm you up’.
Basically: Yin is the cold or cool energy within; some good cooling foods are Aloe Vera, honey, cucumber and peppermint. Yang is the hot or warming energy within, some good warming foods are chili, beef and cherries.
If you have sensitive skin, your large intestine is probably out of balance and you need to work on detoxifying the body. Green mung beans, honey, and honeysuckle are all great for this. Plus obviously drinking plenty of water.
So with a few small changes and alternative additions to your diet you can get your Yin and Yang perfectly balanced, have your insides feeling great and your outside looking even better.