New Years Eve behind is us, yet there’s still a big chunk of winter up ahead, and a lot of sun-seekers are aiming to go southward to escape the long, cold German winter. South Africa, Cuba and Thailand are popular destinations that not only elevate the soul from a dreary winter mood, but also help to soak up some sun. Instead of just throwing a bikini and some sunglasses in a bag two days before your trip, it’s wise to prepare your skin sooner rather than later for the impending boost of sun.

Your skin probably hasn’t seen any sun for month. Perhaps it’s looking pale, dehydrated, feeling sensitive. It’s most likely not prepared at all to handle a sudden burst of heat, ocean water and UV light. Not to worry though, what follows are a few tips to prep your skin in a quick and easy way for a summer vacation during winter time.

Four to five weeks before the trip: slowly building up protection from the sun

Our body has the amazing ability to produce the skin’s own sun protection, to a certain extent. To maximise this effect, you need to eat specific types of fruits and vegetables that basically generate protection from the inside out. 

About four to five weeks before your trip, start ingesting beta-carotene on a regular base. This not only strengthens your skin’s own protective mechanisms, but the pigments from plants containing beta-carotene get stored in the skin, in this way intercepting some of the sun’s UV radiation in the skin’s upper layers. Make sure to stock up on beta-carotene-rich produce, such as sweet potatoes, carrots, fennel, lettuce, chard and endive.

A month before your trip is when extra vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium and lycopene should make their debut. Try to increase the following foods in your diet: salmon, trout, almonds, red pepper, cooked tomatoes, broccoli, currant, guava, mango, acerola, apricot, pink grapefruit, blood orange, coconut oil, sesame seeds, whole grains and millet.
A welcome side effect of this diet is that it helps eliminate free radicals that build up during sunbathing. A build up of free radicals can otherwise end up damaging the skin in the long run, leading to a loss of elasticity.

Recipe for a warm salad with lots of beta-carotene

You’ll need the following ingredients for the salad:

• 1 sweet potato
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• 300 gr of butternut pumpkin
• 1 clove of garlic
• thyme
• rosemary
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 50 g red cabbage
• 250 g green Thai asparagus
• 200 g of broccoli
• 100 g mushrooms
• 100 g okra
• 100 g green beans

For the dressing, you’ll need:

• 50 g chopped pecans
• 50 ml of apple juice
• 50 ml olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of maple syrup

Preparation:
1: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
2: Wash the vegetables, then clean, peel and cut them into bite-size pieces.
3: Mix the sweet potato, carrot, onion, pumpkin, garlic and herbs in a baking dish suitable for an oven. Sprinkle the mixture with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and let it book for about 20 minutes.
4: Add the remaining vegetables and let it all bake together for another 15-20 minutes.
5: Mix all the ingredients for the dressing, and season the warm vegetables with it to taste after taking them out of the oven.

If you find yourself short on time for cooking or changing your diet accordingly, you can also get some of these additional vitamins as food supplements at your nearest pharmacy.

The countdown continues: three to four weeks before greeting the sun

Laying on the beach as pale as can be is not the most desirable way to start your holiday in the sun. Luckily, there is such a thing as self-tanners that can come to the rescue. Even though a self-tanning product does not offer protection to sun damage, it can however make you feel more confident lying down between all those already bronzed sunbathers.

Personally, I recommend Eco by Sonja for a natural, golden tan. Sonya Driver, who is Australian, developed a whole range of healthy tanning products after her sister got diagnosed with skin cancer. Since there were no natural tanning products on the market at that time, Sonya decided to develop her own, creating new products down the line. The Eco by Sonja range now includes The Invisible Tan for skin types with an olive undertone, and the Organic Winter Skin, which is tailoring to the lighter types of skin, and can even make an existing tan last longer. You can read more about an Amazingy self-tanning test here.

Two weeks before your trip: start strengthening your skins protective abilities

It’s great if you can manage to enhance your diet with lots of fruit, vegetables, vitamins C, E and beta-carotene, but unfortunately, that won’t quiet cut it. About two weeks before your trip, you should start adding a few more specific ingredients to your diet, because your body is going to need a whole lot of calcium. Why? Calcium strengthens your skin cells in a way that makes them a lot less susceptible to any kind of irritation. Sheep’s milk for instance contains high amounts of calcium, as does Emmental cheese, kale, arugula (rocket) and sesame seeds.
Again, if you feel like you can’t incorporate all these foods into your diet, a trip to the pharmacy for the necessary supplements might be helpful.

One week to go: start paying attention to your beauty regime

To make sure your skin will be tanning evenly once you’ve reached your sunsoaked destination, regular peeling beforehand should become a steady item in your beauty routine. Old, dead skin cells get thoroughly removed, leaving behind shiny, rosy skin— ready to get tan.

The Pink Himalayan Salt Scrub by Eco by Sonja is a great natural product for pre-tanning scrubs. The coarse salt scrub, mixed with lemongrass, coconut oil and macademia oil, not only exfoliates your skin, but moisturizes it at the same time. Another bonus: the dry peeling paste is suitable for both your body as well as your face.
Another peeling to definitely try out is Kimberly Sayer’s Gentle Almond Lavender Face Scrub. 
The exquisite mixture is extremely gentle on the skin. The organic ingredients of almond flour, jojoba beads and comfrey and oat extracts remove dead skin cells in a way that makes your skin more receptive for nurturing after care. At the same time, the active ingredients in this facial scrub also protect the skin from harmful UVA radiation.

Taking care of that hair

It’s best not to dye your hair right before your holiday. A bleached blonde coup will only get more damaged by a combination of salty water, chlorine and strong, sunny rays. You might look like a cool surfer, but the downside is that your hair will be as dry as hay.
 You can add some extra love and care to your hair by regularly using a hair mask, rewarding you with strong and shiny locks even after your holiday. Rahua’s Omega 9 Hair Mask is injects your roots with life and shine, while at the same time promoting scalp health. Just leave the mask in for about 10 minutes, then rinse.

Hairlessness, and pedicures

Getting waxed should be the next thing on your to-do list, as you can’t hide that winter fur under your jeans at the beach. Those pesky hairs could completely ruin your bikini look. Don’t forget to take care of your nails as well; your feet and toes will be shown day after day in cute sandals after all. NCLA Nail Lacquer’s Swim Club Collection rises to the occasion, with the delicate minty tone of Take a Dip Nail Polish looking especially ravishing in the sand.

A priority during your holiday; keeping hydrated

After the cold winter air outside and the dry heated air indoors, your skin will be thirsting for some humidity. Very dry skin can handle a rich cream even when on holidays, whereas oily skin types fare better with oil-free creams. Kimberly Sayer’s Ultra Light Facial Moisturiser with SPF 30 is an incredibly lightweight, protective day cream that gets absorbed by the skin quickly. The cream contains a natural sunblock that guards the skin against sun damage by UVA/UVB rays, without leaving a white film.

Sunbathing, the right way

Do as the locals, and get used to relaxing with a siesta indoors between noon and four in the afternoon. The reason for this being that the sun is at its most powerful during these hours. The strength of the sun’s rays is even more enhanced by the reflection on the water. Keep in mind that umbrellas and most sunshades do not, in fact, offer any protection from UV rays.

The right type of clothing

For trips taken during the day time, it’s highly recommend not to go with your ‘hottest’ outfit, but instead the ‘safest’ one from your wardrobe. Anything that covers your body can be considered to fit this description. This includes long-sleeved cotton tunics and wide-brimmed hats. Keep in mind that these items also only offer a partial protection against the sun and that wearing sunscreen is therefore always advised.

Haircare during your holiday

Right after a refreshing dip, hair care should be one of your first priorities. Rinse it thoroughly, without using shampoo, as this could damage your hair even further. In the evenings, apply a hair mask that minimizes sun damage, such as Rahua’s Finishing Treatment, which is rich in anti-oxidants such as green tea.
In addition, I recommend the Lindengloss Conditioner by Less is More, together with the Rose Serum, the Lavender Smooth Balm and Herbal Tonic from the same range.
Alana, our naturopath has an extra tip: You can already apply a bit of Rahua’s Finishing Treatment on your hair before swimming, covering your hair with a swimming cap. After bathing, you can simply remove the cap and rinse out your hair.

The right type of sunscreen

It’s best to take a sunscreen with a physical filter with you on your trip. It’s not necessary to use products with SPF 30 or even 50, as generously reapplying a cream with a lower SPF can lead to better protection. You can read here why. Eco Cosmetics carries a Natural Sun Oil with SPF 30 that comes in a small package, but lasts a long time. The added bonus to this oil is that it gets quickly absorbed by the skin and leaves no white film behind.

As for using leftover sunscreen products from last year – don’t do it. Sunscreen can actually go ‘bad’, offering a very small amount of protection after a certain amount of time after opening. 
As for when to apply sun screen, try to do it at least 30 minutes before leaving your hotel room, and be sure to apply it generously! An easy to remember rule of thumb is using 30ml each time for your face and body, making a bottle of 200ml last for about a week. And don’t forget to apply moisturizer to your ears, nose and feet as well.

After-sun care

Your skin will definitely need some extra love, care and moisture after sunbathing. Eco by Sonya’s Coconut Body Milk comes to the rescue – the fusion of aloe vera and coconut soothes irritated skin, while jojoba and macademia oil provide extra nourishment, which also makes your tan last longer. 
Eco Cosmetics offers pure relaxation for your skin with their After Sun Lotion, revitalizing your skin with aloe vera, while sea buckthorn extracts protect and nourish sensitive skin, leaving it feeling soft and smooth.

911 for sunburns

If you’ve still managed to get a sunburn even after following all of the above mentioned tips, applying some of Dr. Alkaitis Organic Soothing Gel to the affected area can be a major relief.
 The mixture of aloe vera, vitamin B and C, combined with French lavender and wild chamomile offer a highly anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory effect to damaged skin.
Cold compresses can help as well, together with applying some yoghurt, and most importantly; drinking enough fluids. In addition, some doctors recommend taking a daily dose of 1000mg of 
acetylsalicylic acid to speed up healing after a sun burn.

Before heading off to your well-deserved vacation, try to strengthen your body’s defences both from the inside and outside with the help of nutrition and the right type of cosmetic products. Most importantly, try to avoid getting sunburned at all costs.

What are your personal tips for travellers who are heading to the sun during wintertime? Share them in the comment section below.

*English translation by Csilla Liptai