It’s that time of year, time to get your tan on, that is! You’ll either be battling one of two scenarios: Catching a tan on a pasty body that’s been covered up from all of the cold, or two, replacing that spray tan with a real sun kissed look!
Perhaps you really just want to relive your youth and go play in the water, building sand castles and collecting seashells while catching a tan at the beach, there’s nothing wrong with that and it sounds fun if you ask me!
Whatever your reason for going to the beach to get a good tan going, you’ll need to pack up a cute beach bag with all of the beach bag essentials!
Just what do beach bag essentials consist of? All of these!
- Homemade sunscreen: Forget that store bought stuff that’s full of chemicals, make your own sunscreen. It’s better for your skin, and not such a high SPF that you won’t tan!
- Tanning oil: If you are adamant about using store bought products, then bring some kind of tanning oil to really get your bronze on! Don’t be afraid to slather it on good.
- Towel: Even if you aren’t going into the water, you’ll probably be rinsing off all of that sand in the courtesy showers, so you’ll still need a towel. It’s a good idea to bring a second one to place on the car seat for the ride home, too.
- Blanket: You’ll need a blanket to set up and lay out on! Bring a couple if some friends will be joining. Laying out a blanket is like beach code for marking territory, so the more blankets you lay down, the bigger your party spot!
- Umbrella: It’s the beach, it gets hot! You might want something that can help you to escape the blazing heat for a few minutes, and the shade of an umbrella is great for this! It’s also good for keeping your food out of the direct sunlight.
- Radio: You’ll probably want some good tunes to listen to above the screaming children, so bringing a radio or your iPod is a good bet. Be mindful of your beached neighbors though!
- Books/magazines: Okay, it can get pretty boring laying out; you’re just laying there! So instead of falling asleep and waking up to look like a flipped pancake, bring something good to read to keep you awake and alert.
- Sunglasses: Proceed with caution or you’ll be needing concealer for raccoon eyes!:
- Snacks: Snacks are a total must-have for any beach trip, so pack a few of your favorites to get you through the beach day, and maybe a sandwich for lunch time.
- Water: If you are tanning solo, a couple of bottles should suffice!
When packing up all of the beach bag essentials, just keep in mind everything you plan on doing while at the beach and plan off of that. If you are just planning on catching some rays while relaxing on the beach, then these ten items are all you’ll be needing for the perfect day tanning under the sun!