Back to the Beach

An essential grooming guide for looking your
bikini-best

By Michele Deppe

Glorious days spent at the beach revive your spirit and soul. But the sun, sea, and sand can be damaging to your health and your looks. Get ready to go as bare as you dare, and protect your skin and hair, with our hot tips!

Summer Haircare
Sweltering heat can strip your hair of life, shine, and body, but a few simple steps can keep your tresses supple and shiny. “Bring a leave-in conditioner. Smooth it on, and give your hair a drink,” advises Tim Rogers, a celebrity hair stylist and spokesperson for Charles Worthington London. Be sure your conditioner contains a sunscreen or wear a hat for UV protection. “Sun exposure also increases free radical damage, causing premature aging in your hair, just as in your skin,” Rogers explains. To prevent UV rays from breaking down the protein structure in the hair, re-spritz your hair with a leave-in conditioner containing sunscreen whenever you reapply sun block to your skin.

What about brightening your locks with lemon juice? “Don’t,” advises Rogers. “The sun will fade your hair color, and this bleaching action damages your hair, weakens the structure of the cells, and causes permanent damage. It’s best to forget about lemon juice and leave it to your salon professional to add highlights.”

Hair requires a little extra TLC at the beach. “Always thoroughly remove the salt from your hair by shampooing at the end of your beach day,” says Rogers. “Even better, take a bottle of fresh tap water with you to the beach to rinse the sea salt out of your hair each time you get out of the water, and remember to reapply leave-in conditioner.” A perfect conditioner for the beach is “Color Smart Protective Luminating System, Reflective Shine Spray” (by Matrix, $15.99) which comes in a spray bottle and protects against UV rays without weighing hair down.

To avoid damage from pool water, use a clarifying mix of apple vinegar and cold water to strip away chlorine says Rogers, and follow with a moisturizing conditioner, such as “Results Moisture-Seal Hair Healer Intensive Leave-In Conditioner” (by Charles Worthington London, $6.99). If your hair has already turned an unappealing shade of green, apply concentrated tomato juice to your hair, to neutralize the green cast. Or, remove build-up with a special product, such as “Malibu 2000 Crystal Gel Treatment” ($5.00 per application).

Perhaps you’ll avoid the water and settle back with a good book. In that case, says Rodgers apply a light-serum from roots to ends to tame frizz, add moisture, and achieve a sleek summer look. One to try: UV Rescue Protective Oil Leave-in Smoother (by Redken $10.45), which contains UVA/UVB filters and gold mica particles for high shine.

Silky Legs
For sleek and stubble-free skin, the two easiest and quickest methods are shaving and depilatory creams. One caveat: chlorine, saltwater, and sunscreen may sting after a fresh shave, so make sure you’ll have an hour to recover before you fan out your beach towel.

The Razor’s Edge
One benefit to shaving is the chic polish it imparts, thanks to the removal of flaky surface skin cells. If you tan, don’t worry, it’s not possible to “shave off your tan” since the pigment in your skin is much deeper than the topmost layer exposed to a razor. A few shaving do's and don'ts:

DO shave at the end of your shower. Water increases the skin’s elasticity and plumps up your hair, and having cream or gel keeps it that way, for a closer, more comfortable shave.

DO use a fresh razor. Pitch your disposable razor after a week.

DON’T shave the same area more than once. If you’re using a fresh razor, you’ve done the job. Raking back over the same area may irritate your skin.

DO shave your bikini area horizontally, from the outside of the thigh working in, to minimize risk of developing ingrown hairs.

DON’T apply anti-perspirant or deodorant after shaving. Consider shaving underarms the night before.

Beauty Buys to Try:
Skip the more expensive just for women shaving-aid products. Save your cash and buy shaving cream or gel for men, there's little difference except the price.

My favorite razor: Schick Quattro for Women High Performance Razor ($9.49 for razor with two refills), the first four-blade razor designed for women. I like the aloe and Vitamin E moisturizing strips and the pivoting head that maneuvers around the ankles and knees.

Cream it Away
Depilatory creams are effective on the bikini line, but the harsh chemicals they contain may be irritating. On the other hand, you don’t have to be concerned with cuts, nicks, or the risk of ingrown hairs.

I like the Veet Hair Removal System, with Rasera tool ($9.00). It works in only three minutes and isn’t the worst smelling (but that isn’t saying much when you’re talking about depilatory creams). An innovative feature, a bladeless shaver, eliminates the need to use a washcloth to “wipe” hairs away. If you're not sure how your skin will tolerate the product, do a patch test on a small area first.

Perfect Pedicure
Those little piggies have been hiding all winter. To get them sandal ready, I gathered tips and trends from the "First Lady of Nails” Suzi Weiss-Fischman, executive vice president and artistic director of OPI, a leading nail care company. Her advice:

• To keep your feet their naked best, pedicure them every three to four weeks.

• “Darks shades continue to be strong. But calm, pure, poetic, shades—the sheer whites and beiges we’re seeing in fashion—are very much in. Coral is the bright color choice, and it looks great on toes."

•Always use a base coat; it's especially important to minimize staining when you use dark shades.

•Avoid trimming the skin with implements unless you have a hangnail that needs to be removed in order to keep your skin from tearing further. “Gently push back the cuticles, and it shouldn’t be necessary to cut them.”

•The way you trim your toenails is very important. “Keep the nails filed straight so that you don’t get painful ingrown nails. If you do have ingrown toenails, don’t try to push away skin and cut the nail; instead, see your doctor."