Sailing women, in general, want to look good … the sun and the sea can be very old and we have to adapt without quick access to beauty salons, skin care products and hairdressing.
We could spend much of our time on a journey with salt encrusted skin and hair. But do we really want to be grottie boaters? Our goal is to keep up appearances while sailing.
And when the weather is not favorable and the railing is in the water, it is often tempting to just reach out and take a couple of ‘greenies’ to our face and over our bodies and say …’ that’s it to me! shower! ‘
I always felt like we needed to get rid of any men on board, hopefully while at a quiet anchorage, and fly a flag with ‘Secret Women’s Business’ for hair color, facials, and wax days. Not that we want to go to all the ‘shoreline glamor’ for most of the ‘au natural’ fits the lifestyle and beauty afloat brings the comments … ‘yeah sure!
Deep skinned beauties!
Even sailing solo, some standards must be maintained, when it comes to keeping up appearances while sailing and taking care of your skin, this is what a female boater has to say. Kay Cottee was sponsored by Blackmore Products when she sailed non-stop around the world alone, and in her book ‘First Lady’ she tells …
“I always tried to keep the standards on board as high as possible … I was careful to maintain personal hygiene as well, and every day or the second day I would take a salt water bath, sometimes heating the water on the stove to cool down After my bath, I would lather up with Blackmore’s Apricot or Avocado Moisturizer (with sunscreen), put on some perfume and lipstick, and nice clothes, freshly washed and salty. A huge boost to morale. “
Samantha Davis was asked, lonely female yachts sailing on the ‘Roxy’ yacht and there is no better example of beauty afloat …; “How do you have skin that looks like an advertisement for Clarins when you are not sleeping and your face is devastated by the sun, the salt and the sea?”
His answer … “On one of my first Atlantic crossings, I got burns on my face from the salt water,” he grimaces. “I ended up with blisters, scabs and scars on my cheeks. So now every day I clean the salt and moisten it with an ultra-hydrating cream!”
Some yachts are equipped with showers and hot water with plenty of room to move; It is not mine. If you have a yacht without the luxury of a shower, you can improvise.
I have two solar camping showers that I fill with water, one with salty water to wash and fresh to rinse; I tie them on the deck with the black side up so the sun can heat the water, or I boil a little and add it to cold water so it’s warm. Hang them from an accessory, boom or Bimini and depending on the company; If you are in a crowded bay or in the sea, how much body do you have? And of course, there is always the bucket of confidence and a sponge, beauty afloat … no excuses !!
Walk barefoot on the beach … nature’s best pedicure. And when you get back on board, get your feet wet, trim and paint your toenails, it looks great on sandals. It’s best to keep your nails short and unpolished as they break and tear with normal boat work, and chips are polished and don’t look good.
And the big problem when it comes to beauty afloat is our skin! You are at the mercy of the elements for long periods of time. Salt water, sun and wind can accelerate the aging process and turn skin into leather if we don’t take care of it! A real challenge for beauty afloat! What are some good natural ways to take care of our skin?
• Sunscreen and daily moisturizer with SPF 15 and SPF30 applied several times a day and definitely after swimming. Give it a pat!
• If you like that sun-kissed glow, there are a variety of moisturizers that can give you a gradual tan, not all have sun protection. And for even-textured skin on your face, many foundation makeups have SPF15 protection.
• And if you end up with sunburn, use an Aloe Vera gel. If there is a small stain in the refrigerator, keep it there, it feels great on a body that is exposed to too much sun.
Hair afloat!
Have short or long hair to navigate, especially in long passages of blue water … the choice is yours! Getting hairdressers who can cut your hair the way you like it in foreign ports is not easy! A bangs are easy to cut and wait until you feel comfortable.
On long hair, use a leave-in conditioner and tie it back to avoid tangling or getting caught in accessories while afloat. There are many shampoos that work brilliantly with salt water. At a destination, I will take some shampoo in the sea, lather my hair and as much of my body as possible … I will hang from the ladder … then I will go underwater. My hair comes out smooth and clean and feels like it has been conditioned.
Makeup … your choice!
Foundation … lipstick … mascara? While afloat or just for shore trips and socializing. Your choice!
Be aware that makeup can melt, especially in the tropics; a sticky bead of lipstick can really get messy. If there is enough space, put your favorite lipsticks and glosses in a small plastic container and store in the refrigerator. Or if you have some makeup that could be affected by the heat, a small esky / chilly bin lunch box will do the job.
Women are sailing well past their 50s and 60s these days, so it is wise to take care of yourself in both fitness and skin care. The best tonic, of course, is great health, an inner glow that accompanies living stress-free and living the life of your dreams!
Ideas!
* In Bay of Islands, New Zealand, the VHF came to life; an invitation to a ‘Wild Women’s Spa’ aboard a neighboring yacht.
A group of cruise ladies, all with our own skin care products, boarded a spacious ship; we find the smell of aromatherapy oils and soft music. It wasn’t long before some had their long hair split ends cut off, soothing and hydrating face masks that made us look like aliens, and a novice masseur massaged their shoulders. All this accompanied by countless glasses of wine and lots of laughs, lots of fun!
* I have tried the above on my own with meditation music and scented oils while doing ‘maintenance work’ … hair dyes, face masks and nails … it makes you feel fantastic.
I’m sure there are plenty of other ideas to keep up appearances while browsing … and I’m really looking forward to making myself a ‘Women’s Secret Business’ banner so there are no interruptions. I was worried that I would give a poor visiting sailor a heart attack if he appeared on deck with a green mask on !!
Women are sailing well past their 50s and 60s these days, so it is wise to take care of yourself in both fitness and skin care. The best tonic, of course, is great health, an inner glow that accompanies living stress-free and living the life of your dreams!
There is no excuse for being a ‘seedy yacht’ as the lifestyle we choose, we just adapt and improvise. And as women who love to sail, there is nothing wrong with keeping up appearances while sailing!