Spring break season is here! For many of us, getting a break from the cold and enjoying a few days in warmer weather with our toes in the sand is the perfect way to break up the last few weeks of winter.

Once the perfect destination has been decided and travel plans are in place, it’s good to think about what we can do to make the most out of our trip. Here are a few tips that can benefit everyone…

1. Boost immunity. There’s nothing worse than getting sick on vacation. Prevention is key, and there are many things you can do before and during your trip to stay healthy.

• Increase your fruit & vegetables. Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants and VitaminC, both are excellent immunity boosters.
• Limit sugar & processed foods. These foods actually compromise your body’s immune system and make it harder to fight off viruses.
• Take supplements. Vitamin D3, VitaminC, Vitamin B12, and Zinc are all powerhouse supplements for boosting your immune system and helping you feel better faster if you do catch a bug.
• Get enough sleep. Sleep is so important to help our body fight off any virus it may come in contact with. Using melatonin and magnesium to help stay on a regular sleep schedule while traveling is really helpful, especially after a day of over stimulation or when in a different time zone.

2. Stay hydrated. When on vacation, it can be easy to become dehydrated. Not only are we busy and may not be drinking enough water, but we may also be having more caffeine, cocktails, or sugary drinks than usual. All of these contribute to dehydration. Being even mildly dehydrated can cause fatigue, headache and overall not feeling well.

3. Protect from sunburn. A bad sunburn can ruin a vacation. It’s painful, interferes with sleep, and limits what you can do for the rest of your vacation. And it doesn’t have to be 80 and sunny to get badly burned. An overcast 65 degree day can be just as harmful to unprotected skin exposed for a few hours. A sunburn can even happen on a day skiing if your face is exposed and unprotected.

Sunscreen is the solution but the kind of sunscreen you use is very important. Choose a mineral based sunscreen instead of chemical based.

Mineral sunscreen contains zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These are small particles that sit on the skin’s surface and physically prevent UV rays from penetrating the skin.

Chemical sunscreens, on the other hand, allow UV light into the skin. Once the light is absorbed into the skin, the chemicals in the sunscreen (the AAD lists oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, and octinoxate) create a chemical reaction in which UV light is converted to heat, and the heat dissipates from the skin. A clinical trial published in May 2019 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) revealed that several of these sunscreen chemicals are absorbed into the bloodstream at levels far above the amount at which the FDA requires topical medications to undergo safety studies to determine possible toxic effects. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recommends avoiding chemical sunscreens with oxybenzone because of concerns that this ingredient may disrupt hormones and cause allergic skin reactions. 

Also, a review published in January 2019 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that common chemical sunscreen ingredients such as oxybenzone may bleach and damage coral reefs. Many places are now banning the use of sunscreens with certain chemical ingredients.

But the ingredients in mineral sunscreens — zinc oxide and titanium oxide — have been generally recognized as safe and effective by the FDA.

One of my favorite sets for vacation is the FunSun Sunny Days Ahead Set. It includes:

• 2 FunSun Mineral Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 30. Excellent sun protection without feeling greasy or harmful chemical ingredients.
• 1 FunSun Instantly Soothing Gelee with Aloe Vera Leaf Juice. Helps to hydrate and cool skin after a fun day in the sun.
• 1 FunSun Tinted Self-Tanning Lotion. Gives you a beautiful sun kissed tan with out the harmful affects of the sun.
• 1 BeWell Vitamin D3 & K2 Spray. Boosts immunity and protects your skin from the sun from the inside out!
• 1 EnergyFizz Ginseng Fizz Sticks, Pineapple Flavor. A delicious vacation flavored drink with healthy energy enhancing ingredients and sweetened with stevia. Perfect for getting that extra hydration and afternoon pick me up.

If you’re going somewhere fun for spring break, I hope you have a great time. It’s always fun to hear where others are going, so share your plans in the comments! If it’s a staycation for you this year, I hope its a relaxing and peaceful week.