Beach Bag Essentials

Working on your summer beach bag? Check out my must-haves below! (Everything colored gray is a link to find exactly what I am talking about!)

Cute Towel - We all need a towel for the beach so it might as well be cute! I love a good monogram, and etsy has some great options. And round beach towels are a super fun trend right now as well!

Towel Clips - These clips hold your towel up on your chair so it won’t fall down when you’re sitting up. #whydidntithinkofthat??

Coconut Oil - I think by now we all know the countless benefits of coconut oil, but did you know it also serves as an all-natural sunscreen? Coconut Oil has (approximately) SPF 8 and will moisturize your skin while protecting it from the sun’s harsh rays, so lather up!

Wet Brush - As much as I wish I was one of those people who has that “perfectly messy beach hair”...this is not the case for me. I just usually end up looking like a beach troll who doesn’t own a hairbrush. So, to remedy my hair woes, a wet brush is a must in my beach bag. As a matter of fact, I don’t just use this brush at the beach, I use it every single day after the shower. This brush is made to gently comb through and detangle wet hair (and comes in tons of cute colors and prints). It’s a beach day must!

Hat - We all know it is best to keep our faces protected from the sun. There are countless options for shading your face, but when I hit the sand, I generally switch back and forth between a floppy beach hat, fedora, and a cute baseball cap.

Moisturizer - While coconut oil works great for some sun exposure, some beach days call for a little more SPF. Another favorite of mine is Aveeno's Face Moisturizer with SPF 30.

Glass Water Bottle - More and more, researchers are finding plastics with BPA & BPS can lead to serious health effects. (Just google it if you’re interested.) Grab a glass water bottle (and stick it in a cute sand cup holder like this) because, #letsbehonest, nobody wants to drink hot plastic.

Face Spray - I am warning you, use this stuff once and you will feel as if you need it forever. You can find a great face spray here, or just make your own by mixing filtered water with coconut water or rose water and your favorite essential oil! Put it in your own little spray bottle and voila!

Lip Balm - It’s obvious we need to shield our faces and bodies from the intense summer sun, but we often forget that our lips can get sunburned, too! My two favorites are Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment with SPF 15 (it comes in many colors, but my favorite is plum!) while in the sun and then give Harper's Naturals lip balm (it's the best!) a try afterwards.

Good Reads - This one seems like a no brainer, but if it’s not on my packing list, I will most likely forget it. Give me the latest Southern Living magazine and a good book, and I’ll be set all day! Check out TFP’s Top 4 Summer Reads to find your next beach read!

Journal - One of the few times I slow down enough to allow my thoughts to wander is on vacation. So, if you’re like me and like to get everything out on paper, take a journal and jot down your thoughts, any Scriptures and prayers that come to mind, and to-do’s that you can tackle later. As much as your body needs to physically stretch out and rest, so does your mind. Allow yourself to take that time!

One last tip: don’t be so quick to take your headphones to the beach. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that as much as God has blessed us with the visual beauty of this world, He has also blessed us with audible beauty. The thunder of the crashing waves, a flowing mountain stream, a family laughing in the distance, and even the voice and laughter of your loved ones are all audible blessings of beauty. Before you stick your headphones in and to drown out everything around you, take a few moments to allow the peaceful beauty of your surroundings to calm your spirit and remind you of the undeserved blessings we are completely engulfed in as children of God. 

So what are your beach bag essentials? Leave a comment below and let us know!