Dan's Papers - August 10, 2007 -What's In Your Beach Bag?

In the summer time, it's necessary to have your beach bag filled with the latest in beauty essentials. With exposure to the sun's harsh rays comes dry hair, burnt skin and possibly even future wrinkles. To prevent this from happening and to keep you looking young and rejuvenated, there are five products that we suggest adding to your beach bag so you can enjoy the sun without all the negative repercussions.

To protect your hair from the harsh effects of the sun, there are two products to add to the bag. Ocean Potion came out with a Shine & Shield Color Safe UV Hair Mist that is sure to protect you from UV exposure. It contains heat-activated conditioners that are specially formulated to improve the hair strength of primarily chemically treated hair, but the product can also be used on all hair types. This product has a hair protection factor (HPF) of 25 and smells like the tropics so its great for the beach. Ocean Potion is available for $7 at your local Rite Aid.

The other product for hair protection is Oscar Blandi's Capri Sun Shield Spray. Like Ocean Potion's hair mist, Blandi's Capri protects hair from the sun but this product has the added bonus of protecting your hair from chlorine by using grape seed extract and other anti-oxidants. Capri will leave your hair shiny, moisturized and won't make hair color fade. This product can be found at Sephora for $20.

Next to toss in are three types of sunscreen that will cater to the men, women and children in the family. Anthony's Logistics for Men line carries an SPF 15 Sun Spray that is fragrance free and good for all skin types. The bottle states its purpose very clearly - "Spray on Stuff; screen the sun; save the skin." That's all a guy needs for sun protection, and it soothes with aloe vera helping to give a sun-kissed look. Sephora and Bath & Body Works carry an array of Anthony products so check them out. On the women's side, DuWop created Revolution Face, which is a tinted moisturizer with light reflecting pigment. Revolution Face comes in eight different shades to complement any skin type. This moisturizer contains SPF 15 and is light so your face will glow and leave little trace of make-up. Sephora also carries this product for $29. For the kids, Apivita formulated a hypoallergenic face and body milk with SPF 30+ called Propoline. This product uses all natural ingredients from Greece that help protect the skin from damaging UV rays and the sunscreen is also water resistant. Apply an ample amount so your kids won't end up looking like a red tomato at the end of the day. Apivita products are available at Bath & Body Works.

The final addition to that beach tote is 3Lab's WW Cream. This is an anti-wrinkle cream created by all natural ingredients. After a day in the sun, it would be wise to apply this product as it boosts skin hydration and is said to effectively reduce facial wrinkles. This upscale anti-aging cream is available at Saks for $400, so if you're looking to make an investment on your skin's future, pick up a bottle!

These are just some beach bag suggestions that would be great additions to that most likely already full tote, but when it comes to protecting your skin and hair, nothing is ever too much.