REV’s Guide To A Sustainable Beach Trip

Whether you’re able to escape to a nearby coast or are planning a seaside trip once you can, it is incredibly important to enjoy the beach with care.

I’m a Californian, born and raised, and grew up with the beach in my backyard. Between my travels and my weekly visits to the beach here in Los Angeles, I have seen the insane amounts of trash left on the sand and plastic floating in the sea. I’ve even seen groups of people throw bottles, cigarettes, diapers, and more, straight onto the sand… 

Each year, “eight million tons of plastic end up in the world’s oceans,” which is “responsible for the deaths of up to one million sea birds, 100,000 sea mammals, marine turtles, and countless fish” [One Planet Network]. This insane number of plastic stems from a multitude of sources, however, trash left after beach trips is one of them. Ocean Conservancy has collected over 300 million pounds of trash in its 30 years of cleaning up beaches. That is just ONE beach clean-up organization. Tourists visiting the Mediterranean “cause a 40% surge in marine litter (95% of it plastic)” [WWF].

Sun Protection

Besides trash and litter, sunscreen pollutes our oceans too. While it is important to protect our skin from the sun’s rays, it is also important to wear a reef safe and nontoxic sunscreen.  Chemicals found in conventional sunscreens contribute greatly to the destruction of our coral reefs. “By the numbers, the problem is daunting: 14,000 tons of sunscreen are thought to wash into the oceans each year; 82,000 chemicals from personal-care products may be tainting the seas; about 80% of corals in the Caribbean have been lost in the last 50 years due to pollution,” along with other things [National Geographic]. Wearing a natural SPF is not only better for your body but it is also much kinder to sea life.

Living Libations

Zinc Lotion is another amazing clean sunscreen that contains five moisturizing plant oils that are blended together to harmonize the sun’s rays with our skin to provide a light and cooling shield. This formula feels wonderful and hydrating on the skin, both on the body and the face.

For days when I’m out in the sun in the morning or the late afternoon, when the sun’s rays aren’t too strong, I love using the Sunshine Oilfrom Living Libations. It contains high concentrations of sun-friendly flavonoids and carotenoids, which help protect the skin from free radical damage and the sun’s rays.

Sun & Earth

Created in Australia, Sun & Earth protects and nourishes the skin while providing a sheer tint. Formulated with wonderful natural, plant-based ingredients, all of their sunscreens (three shades available) are a mix of skincare and sun protection. Olive oil, coconut oil, and cacao oil are blended with zinc oxide to provide a natural UV shield and a treatment for sensitive, inflamed or damaged skin.

Babo Botanicals

For the body, my go-to sunscreen is the Babo Botanicals Zinc Sunscreen. I am weary of sunscreens that disappear entirely on the body, as it can be hard to keep track of if it is still even on. This sunscreen spray leaves a very slight white cast on the body, so you know once it is gone and you need to reapply. The brand also has a completely sheer one for anyone who doesn’t want a cast left on their skin.

Sustainable Swimwear

When it comes to sustainable swimwear, I love Ocin. Not only are they some of the most comfortable swimsuits but they are beautiful too. The brand uses 100% recycled polyesters from plastic bottles from landfills and recycled nylon to create their fabric. They also use ECONYL, which is 100% recycled and regenerated nylon yarns, making their pieces some of the most sustainable choices out there. Read our editorial about some of our other favourite sustainable swimwear brands here!

Plastic Alternatives - Water Bottles

Please skip the plastic water bottle…always…but on your next beach trip, pack your water in the wonderful Ocean Bottle. All of their water bottles are part stainless steel and part ocean-bound recycled plastic. Each bottle they produce offsets up to 18kg of CO2 from recycling and reusing all the plastic that is collected.

Plastic Alternatives - Bags

I bring my Turtle Bags everywhere; they are always stuffed in my handbag just in case, as I avoid plastic bags at all cost! I also always pack my snacks and beach supplies in them too. For bigger things like my Baina towels, I like to bring my Beaumont Organic Rattan Bag – chic and fits everything I need!