Keeping up appearances while browsing!
Women sailors, in general, want to look good… the sun and sea can make us very old and we must adapt without having access to beauty salons, skin care products and hairdressers.
We could spend much of our time on a journey with our skin and hair encrusted with salt. But do we really want to be grumpy yachts? Our goal is to keep up appearances as we navigate.
And when the weather isn’t favorable and the rail is in the water, it’s often tempting to just reach out and take a couple of ‘greenies’ to the face and over the body and say… ‘that’s it for me! shower!’
I always felt we needed to get rid of any men on board, hopefully while in a quiet anchorage, and fly a flag with ‘Ladies Secret Business’ for hair color days, facials and waxing. Not that we want to go all ‘coastal glamour’ for most, the ‘au natural’ suits lifestyle and afloat beauty generates the comments… ‘yeah right!
Beauties to the skin!
Even sailing solo some standards must be upheld, when it comes to keeping up appearances while sailing and skin care, this is what a female sailor has to say. Kay Cottee was sponsored by Blackmore Products when she sailed solo non-stop around the world, and in her book ‘First Lady’ she recounts…
“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 two I bathed in salt water, sometimes heating the water on the stove to cool down.” After my bath I lathered up with Blackmore’s Apricot or Avocado Moisturizer (with sunscreen), put on some perfume and lipstick and nice clothes, freshly washed and salted. A great boost to morale.”
Samantha Davis, a solitary sailor sailing the yacht ‘Roxy’ and there is no better example of beauty afloat… was asked; “How do you have skin that looks like a Clarins ad when you don’t sleep and the sun, salt and sea destroy your face?”
His answer… “On one of my first Atlantic crossings, I got salt 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 wipe off the salt and moisturize with an ultra-moisturizing 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 camping solar showers that I fill with water, one with salt water for washing, and fresh water for rinsing; I tie them on the deck black side up so the sun heats the water, or I boil some and add to cold water so it’s hot. Hang them from a sconce, boom or Bimini and depending on the company; if you are in a crowded bay or in the sea, how much body have you discovered. And of course there is always the bucket of confidence and a sponge below, beauty afloat… there are no excuses!!
Walk barefoot on the beach… nature’s best pedicure. And when you get back on board moisturize your feet, trim and paint your toenails, it looks great in sandals. It’s best to keep nails short and unpolished, as they break and tear with normal boat work, and polish chips don’t look good.
And the big topic 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 speed up the aging process and turn skin into leather if we don’t take care of it! A true challenge to beauty afloat! What are some good natural ways to take care of our skin?
• Sunscreen and daily moisturizer with SPF 15 and SPF 30 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 of them have sun protection. And for even-textured skin on your face, many foundations have SPF15 protection.
• And if you get sunburned, use an Aloe Vera gel. If there’s a little stain on the fridge, keep it there, it feels great on a body that gives itself up too much in the sun.
Floating hair!
Having short or long hair to navigate, especially on long journeys through blue waters… it’s up to you! Getting hairdressers who can cut your hair the way you like it in foreign ports is not easy! A bang is easy to cut and wait until you feel comfortable.
With long hair, use a leave-in conditioner and tie it back to prevent it from tangling or catching on accessories while it’s floating. There are many shampoos that work great with salt water. At a destination, I’ll take some shampoo to the sea, soap my hair and as much of my body as possible… hang from the ladder… then dive underwater. My hair comes out soft and clean and feels like it has been conditioned.
Makeup… You choose!
Foundation… lipstick… mascara? While afloat or just for shore trips and socializing. Your choice!
Keep in mind that makeup can melt, especially in the tropics; a sticky blob of lipstick can really make a mess. If there is enough space, place 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 trick.
Women are sailing well past their 50s and 60s these days, so it’s wise to take care of yourself in both fitness and skin care. The best tonic, of course, is great health, an inner glow that goes hand in hand with stress-free living 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 cruising ladies, all carrying our own skincare products, boarded a roomy boat; we are met with the smell of aromatherapy oils and soft music. It wasn’t long before some were having the split ends of their long hair cut, wearing soothing and hydrating face masks that made us look like aliens, and getting shoulder massages from a rookie masseur. All this accompanied by countless glasses of wine and lots of laughter, lots of fun!
*I’ve tried the above on my own with meditation music and scented oils while doing ‘maintenance work’…hair coloring, face masks and nails…makes you feel fantastic.
I’m sure there are plenty of other ideas for keeping up appearances while browsing… and I’m looking forward to making a ‘Secret Ladies’ Business’ banner so there are no interruptions. I was worried some poor sailor would have a heart attack if he showed up on deck wearing a green face mask!
Women are sailing well past their 50s and 60s these days, so it’s wise to take care of yourself in both fitness and skin care. The best tonic, of course, is great health, an inner glow that goes hand in hand with stress-free living and living the life of your dreams!
There is no excuse for being a “dirty yacht” like our chosen lifestyle, we just adjust and improvise. And as women who love to sail, there’s nothing wrong with keeping up appearances while sailing!
