What to Pack in a Beach Bag: My Sun and Tattoo Essentials

I do not go to the beach all that often, but when I do, I tend to take more or less the same things.

A towel, sunglasses, a cap, a book, my little Kodak and, most importantly, proper sun protection.

Which is quite funny when I think about how I used to approach the beach a few years ago.

Back then, my aim was far less sensible: I wanted to tan. A lot. And quickly.

My Relationship with the Sun Has Completely Changed

I loved staying out in the sun for a long time.

I could happily sit in full sun with one objective: getting as tanned as possible. Naturally, I was also convinced that SPF 50 would stop me tanning.

So, as you can imagine, sun protection was not always my priority.

Today, it is quite the opposite.

Now I protect my skin, wear a cap and have even become the person who asks for a parasol.

I do not know whether age has made me less tolerant of the heat or summers have simply become harder, but I can no longer spend hours baking in the sun.

And as the years pass, I can see much more clearly what the sun actually does to skin.

My Nuxe SPF 50 Sun Oil

So it's the first thing I put in my bag.

At the moment, I use the Nuxe SPF 50 sun oil.

I have always loved the scent of Nuxe products. It instantly makes me think of summer holidays.

And I really like the body oil format.

SPF 50 is now non-negotiable for me. I would rather protect my skin properly than chase three extra shades of tan in one afternoon.

I often put my Merit perfume in my bag too. I mentioned it in my current perfume favourites, because it is the fragrance I wear most at the moment.

The Sun and My Tattoos

There is another reason my habits changed completely: my tattoos.

The sun really does them no favours. With repeated exposure, colours can lose intensity and the skin ages more quickly. After spending hours creating or receiving a tattoo, it would be a shame to let it bake in the sun every summer.

I explain this in more detail in my article about tattoo aftercare, including healing and how to preserve the result over time.

Unfortunately, I have my own example of what not to do. At least I can show my clients exactly why their tattoos need sun protection. I had to find one advantage.

For care once a tattoo has fully healed, I have also written about using Cicaplast on tattoos and when I actually use it.

My Sunglasses

Of course, I always take a pair with me.

The problem is that I own plenty of pairs and still somehow feel that I never have enough.

I go through phases of obsession with sunglasses, as I do with quite a lot of things.

I wear the same pair for weeks, sometimes months, until I can no longer bear to look at them.

And then, I put it away.

Then I tell myself I will be delighted to rediscover them one day. If I wore them that much, they must be good.

Some time later, I adopt a new pair and the entire cycle begins again.

At the beach, I simply choose whichever pair works best with what I am wearing.

A Cap

I do not always carry a cap in everyday life, but I absolutely do for a day in the sun.

A cap, a parasol and a Spritz.

My Little Kodak

This is probably the most enjoyable thing in my bag.

I often take my Kodak with me when I go somewhere.

Of course, I could take every photograph on my phone, but I love the grain of the Kodak.

The images immediately feel different.

They also do not disappear among the hundreds of pictures I take absent-mindedly on my phone. It feels like having a separate little collection of memories.

I actually love it when a photograph is not perfectly sharp or perfectly exposed.

Those are often my favourites.

Always a Book or Magazine

I almost always take something to read.

It is probably my favourite thing to do once I am settled on a sun lounger.

I find it much easier to read at the beach because, for once, there is nothing else I need to do.

No laptop open beside me, even though I would probably like one. Just my book. My phone is never very far away either, obviously.

And a Large Parasol, Please

That's probably the biggest change.

A few years ago, I would have chosen the spot with the most sun. Now I ask for the parasol.

I still enjoy the sun, of course. I swim, stay outside and tan slightly without trying, but I no longer want to lie in direct sunlight for hours.

I would much rather leave the beach without feeling as though I have spent the afternoon inside an oven.

So, What Do I Actually Pack for the Beach?

Not very much, in the end.

My towel, my Nuxe SPF 50 sun oil, my sunglasses, a cap, my book and my Kodak.

The biggest change is not really what is inside my bag. It is how I enjoy being in the sun.

It only took a few years, and a few tattoos with too much sun exposure, to understand that I could enjoy summer without trying to turn myself into charcoal before 5 pm.

Better late than never!