Right before spring break each year, collegiettes are inundated with safety reminders, tips and tricks. Don’t drink something a stranger gave you. Use the buddy system. Don’t dehydrate yourself with binge drinking. Use protection.
You get the idea.
But often overlooked are the beauty tips that are actually health rules. Before you head off to the sun and sand, let’s review a few things to keep you looking and feeling healthy this spring break.
1. Sun Safety
In a generation so concerned with aging and youthful looks, sun safety is entirely neglected. On the beauty side of things, lathering on some SPF can save you from a lobster-y red glow. It also keeps away eventual discoloration and wrinkles.
On the health and safety side of things, the obvious risk is skin cancer. Why cut the party short by getting skin cancer young? An intense tan is simply not worth the risk.
This spring break, remember the SPF. Even try a self-tanner before and during the week. The lotions, towels and sprays have come a long way. Generally you can find one that works for your skin type (and it might even smell nice!)
2. Alcohol Awareness
Collegiettes are used to the spring break spiel about dangerous effects of drinking in the sun. The sun, sand and fun can actually dehydrate your body quite quickly, multiplying alcohol’s effect rapidly. Don’t forget to rotate alcoholic drinks with water, and just give it a rest sometimes.
Plus, alcohol isn’t doing much for your looks, or that beach bod, either.
When alcohol dehydrates your body, that includes your largest organ: your skin. This, just like the sun, allows for the early onset of wrinkles. Plus, have you ever felt your most glamorous or glowing the morning after drinking? Sure hasn’t happened for me.
The other obvious is bloating—simply a standard side effect of drinking, especially drinking a lot. Along with bloating is weight gain, especially with all those sugary (and totally delicious) summery drinks you’re going to want to break out during SB13. Not the most conducive thing to bikini-bod confidence.
This Spring Break, just remember the best way to get glamourous, is actually to stay healthy. Some sunscreen, water, and a little collegiette confidence can make this your prettiest, and safest, spring break yet.