Skincare at the Seaside — Salt, Sun and After-Sun

For many people, a seaside holiday is the most beautiful time of the year. For your skin, it's a marathon of extreme conditions: seawater with a salt concentration of 3.5%, sand that acts like sandpaper, a UV Index of 8–10+ and wind that speeds up evaporation. Without the right strategy, you come back from holiday with skin that's dehydrated, irritated and damaged by UV.

Sea salt — a natural "scrub" or a threat?

Seawater contains an average of 35 g of salt per litre (mostly sodium chloride, but also magnesium, calcium and potassium). This concentration is higher than in bodily fluids (9 g/l), which means that sea salt acts on the skin osmotically — it draws water out of the cells of the epidermis.

The effects of bathing in the sea:

• Short-term benefits — minerals (magnesium, zinc) can soothe inflammation. Studies show that water from the Dead Sea (a salt concentration of 34%) helps with the symptoms of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.
• Dehydration of the epidermis — after 20–30 minutes in seawater the lipid barrier is softened and osmosis draws out water. When you come out of the water, your skin feels tight and taut.
• Irritation — salt crystallising on the skin once it dries acts like microscopic abrasive crystals. Combined with UV and wind, that's a recipe for redness.

The key rule: after every swim in the sea, rinse your skin with fresh water and apply moisturiser. Don't let the salt dry on your skin.

Sand — a mechanical scrub you never asked for

Grains of beach sand measure 0.1–2 mm and have a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale (quartz). When you rub a towel over sand-covered skin, you're giving yourself an aggressive mechanical scrub — removing not just the sand but also the horny cells of the epidermis.

How to minimise the damage:

• Don't rub the sand in — brush it off gently or rinse it away with water.
• Don't use a towel to wipe sand off your face — the skin on your face has a thinner epidermis than your body.
• A lounger or a mat — a physical barrier between the sand and your skin.

UV at the seaside — double exposure

Water reflects 20–25% of UV radiation and sand reflects 15–20%. On the beach you get UV not only from above but also from the surfaces around you. Combined with the lack of shade (open space), the sea breeze (which lowers the perceived temperature and gives a false sense of safety) and swimming (which washes off your sunscreen), the risk of burning is much higher than in the city.

Water-resistant SPF — what does it really mean?

A "water resistant" label doesn't mean the sunscreen is indestructible:

• Water resistant (40 min) — the SPF holds at 80% after 40 minutes in the water.
• Very water resistant (80 min) — the SPF holds at 80% after 80 minutes in the water.
• Once you're out of the water — reapply. No sunscreen is 100% waterproof. Rubbing with a towel removes another 40–60% of the protection.

Read more about SPF protection in our guide to UV filters.

When to apply SPF at the beach?

• 20–30 minutes before exposure — chemical filters need time to absorb. Mineral filters work straight away.
• Every 2 hours — even without swimming. UV degrades chemical filters on the skin.
• After every swim — and after drying off with a towel.
• Even in the shade of a parasol — sand and water reflect UV under the parasol. In the shade you still get around 50% of the UV dose compared with direct sun.

After-sun — what to use after sunbathing?

Your evening routine after a day on the beach is the moment for repair. But be careful — not everything in your makeup bag is suitable for sun-irritated skin.

YES — use after sunbathing:

• Aloe (aloe vera) — contains acemannan and salicylic acid and has proven anti-inflammatory effects. Aloe gel cools and soothes redness. Best with at least 90% aloe, free of alcohol and dyes.
• Panthenol (dexpanthenol, 5%) — provitamin B5, speeds up regeneration of the epidermis. Clinical studies confirm its effectiveness in healing first-degree burns.
• Allantoin — soothes irritation and supports cell renewal.
• Ceramides — rebuild the lipid barrier damaged by UV, salt and wind.
• Hyaluronic acid — hydrates the dehydrated epidermis.

NO — avoid after sunbathing:

• Retinol — absolutely not. Retinol on UV-damaged skin is extra stress. It increases photosensitivity and can intensify inflammation. Retinol returns to your routine no earlier than 5–7 days after your last intense sun exposure.
• AHA/BHA acids — exfoliating UV-damaged epidermis worsens the barrier and can lead to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
• High-concentration vitamin C (15–20%) — L-ascorbic acid can irritate already hypersensitive skin. Lower concentrations (5–10%) are safer.
• Products with denatured alcohol — they dry out and sting on irritated skin.

A complete beach routine — day and evening

Morning (before the beach): gentle cleansing → niacinamide serum → light moisturiser → SPF 50+ water resistant (a generous layer)

On the beach: reapply SPF every 2 hours and after swimming → SPF lip balm → hat + UV400-filter sunglasses

In the evening: cleansing oil (removes SPF) → cleansing gel → aloe gel or panthenol serum → ceramide cream. No retinol, no acids, no vitamin C above 10%.

Looking for a reliable after-sun that actually contains aloe and panthenol rather than just marketing? Check the ingredients in the PurScore search engine — we'll show you what percentage of aloe your after-sun gel really contains and whether the panthenol is at an effective concentration.

You'll find more about soothing and regenerating ingredients in our ingredient database.