“Let’s go to the beach each, Let’s go get away…”
Summer will be here before you know it, and that means planning at least one trip to the beach, right?! Whether you drive an hour to the Cali coast for a day, or fly out to your Florida vacation rental for a week, heading to the beach is a fundamental summer activity.
However, many beaches are negatively affected by the visiting hoards of people. Chemically made sunscreens or trash such as plastic bags and bottles are harmful to marine environments. This list of environmentally friendly beach essentials is perfect for any eco-conscious trip to the shore!
1. Reef-Safe Sunscreen
With global warming increasing the temperatures of the ocean’s surface, coral reefs have been bleaching and dying. It’s now more important than ever to switch over to a reef-safe and chemical-free sunscreen! Two excellent reef-safe companies are Stream2Sea and Badger Balm.
Stream2Sea is a mineral sunscreen that’s non-greasy and is water-resistant for up to 80 minutes. It’s made of an antioxidant blend of Green Tea, Tulsi, Wakame, and Olive Leaf. The best kind of Badger all-natural sunscreen is the new clear unscented cream. It’s 40 minutes water-resistant and also packed with antioxidants. Plus, it’s biodegradable!
Buy Stream2Sea Sunscreen here and use my code AJAUNTWITHJOY for 10% OFF.
Or buy Badger Sunscreen here and use my code AJAUNTWITHJOY for 15% OFF!
2. Natural Bug Repellent
There’s nothing I find more annoying than sandflies or mosquitos. They’ll totally ruin any plans you have for suntanning or beach bonfires. Unfortunately, most bug repellents have DEET or synthetic chemicals. But Badger again goes above and beyond in the all-natural body products world by creating an organic bug repellent spray. It naturally repels bugs with the scents of citronella, wintergreen, and rosemary essential oils.
Buy Badger Bug Repellent here!
3. Detangling Wet Brush
The Wet Brush is already famously known for how easily and pain-free it detangles without splitting ends. Their Earth Collection brush is made of bamboo, which is both sustainable and waterproof. It’s the perfect choice for wet or wind-blown hair!
Buy Wet Brushes Bamboo Brush here!
4. Polarized Sunglasses
Polarized sunglasses help with both UV protection and reducing strain on your eyes from the sun and water glare. Nectar Sunglasses are not only polarized, but they help repopulate honeybees in the US! For each pair sold they donate to their partner, The Bee Cause. This cause puts honeybee hives into schools across America to educate kids on their importance and conserve the bees. Plus, the stylish sunnies are also incredibly affordable!
Save the bees (and your money) by using my discount code AJAUNTWITHJOY at Nectar Sunglasses here!
5. Reusable Water Bottle
Staying hydrated at the beach is an absolute necessity. And packing a reusable water bottle is a great way to reduce your use of plastics while keeping plastic bottles out of the ocean. S’well bottles are by far the most gorgeous choice, and they’re also eco-friendly. They keep cold drinks cold for 24 hours and hot drinks hot for up to 12. They’re condensation-free too, so you can pack it without anything in your bag getting wet from the bottle. S’well has also partnered with UNICEF, American Forests, and Drink Up, so each bottle sold donates to these organizations!
Buy a S’well Bottle here!
6. Sustainable Swimsuit
More and more swimwear companies are starting to offer sustainable or upcycled options. And the styles just keep getting better and better! The simple styles of Koru Swimwear are made of luxury Italian fabric developed from discarded fishing nets. La Isla is another sustainably-focused brand, based in California and with a sexier edge. They also support and partner with the Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society.
7. Sand Cloud Towel
Probably the most well known beach product across social media is Sand Cloud Towels. Each one is crafted with purpose and with every towel sold, Sand Cloud donates 10% of profits to preserving marine life. They support organizations such as the Marine Conservation Institute, the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, and more! Plus, they’re so stinkin pretty that all of your friends will be asking to borrow it for beachy photoshoots!
Get a Sand Cloud Towel here and use code GET20 for 20% OFF!
8. Eco Lunchbox or snack containers
Going to the beach is usually at least a half day activity. That means needing not only plenty of water, but snacks and food as well. And if you’re anything like me, you don’t want to be paying for pricey beachside restaurants or for overpriced junk food off the pier. I’d rather pack my own food — and that means being conscious of what I’m packing in. Get rid of harmful ziplocs and plastic bags by storing your food in Eco lunchboxes or snack containers!
Buy a reusable Eco Lunchbox or some snack containers here!
9. Recycled Beach Bag
You’re gonna want to bring along a beach bag to store your snacks, towel, sunscreen, extra clothing, and other necessities in. To remain eco-friendly, any canvas or reusable bag will do. But if you want to go a step above and keep with the ocean theme, get a Sea Bag. Sea Bags are handcrafted from recycled sails on a working waterfront in Maine! They come in all kinds of patterns and graphic designs, their handles are made from hand-spliced rope, and the company’s attention to detail is next level. (ProTip: They also make wine bags. *wink*)
Choose your own recycled Sea Bag here!
10. Solar Powered Wireless Bluetooth Speakers
Wireless Bluetooth Speakers are an essential beach day item. The eco-conscious girl will love this energy-efficient solar powered option! It’s made of natural bamboo and will also charge your smartphone or tablet! When no sun is present you shouldn’t be at the beach anyway its battery life will last about 8 hours.
Buy these solar powered wireless bluetooth speakers here!
11. Firewire Surfboard
If you’re someone who can’t just lay out and tan all day, an active sport such as surfing might be right up your alley! You can surf sustainably with Firewire Surfboards. These high performance boards are made from recycled materials and the latest in green chemistry. They are ECOBOARD certified and even the packaging they come in is reusable and eco-friendly!
Buy a Firewire Surfboard here!
12. Funboy Pool Float
Is it just me, or am I the last person on Earth to own one of those gigantic swan pool floats?! It seems like everyone and their mother has some kind of cool float! Unfortunately, almost all pool floats are made with PVC’s. The company FUNBOY has found a way to give back with theirs though! For every FUNBOY pool float purchased, they give clean drinking water to one person for one year through their charity partner, RainCatcher!
Planning a beach trip for this summer? Here are some great resources!
Florida Vacation Rentals : Tripping.com
Airbnb Rentals : Sign up for a $40 OFF Credit here
HipCamp Stays : Sign up here for $20 OFF your campground or RV site
What are YOUR top beach essentials? Tell me in the comments!
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Comments
yesss! love this list :) will definitely come in handy this summer. I especially adore that you found an eco-friendly floatie company! I had a giant inflatable pretzel that popped last summer (haha so sad!) so I’m definitely on the lookout for a new one. Those swans look ahh-mazing!
Oh no! haha You should totally look into a FUNBOY pool float then! The floats themselves aren’t exactly eco-friendly as most floats are made with PVC’s, but at least the company gives clean drinking water to someone in need for a year with the purchase of one of their floaties!
Ooh so many things I’d like, think the solar speakers are going to have to go on the birthday list! Thanks for sharing Joy :)
Right?! These speakers are pretty awesome! Glad you liked the post!
This is such a great post! I had never heard of the sand cloud towels but now I have and want one! And as for the swan, I totally wanted one.. until I saw how many options there are. I ended up with a toucan one… which is fantastic and different.. but it’s black and therefore burning hot when in the sun for awhile.. worst idea ever.
Bahahaha! Oh no! Yeh I probably wouldn’t have thought about the floatie being black and making your booty hot LOL I’m trying to decide on getting a floatie too, so now I know not to get a black one!
I tried the Honest sunscreen and liked it, but my fave is Stream 2 Sea which is safe for both you and the environment. Just tried it recently! I shared your post in my weekly roundup which goes live tomorrow at 2pm (Florida time). Thanks for sharing, I am definitely adding some of these to my shopping list!
Thanks for the share! Yeh, the Honest sunscreen is also good for the environment, though I recently heard it can be a little harder to rub in (though I guess that’s kind of typical since it’s chemical-free). I’ll have to look into the Stream 2 Sea kind! I’m getting the Badger biodegradable sunscreen soon for my next trip!
Thanks for sharing! This will definitely come in handy this summer. I love the eco-friendly floaties haha!
Hahaha glad you liked the post! The floatie itself ins’t technically eco-friendly (most aren’t because nearly all are made with PVC’s), but I liked that this company gave back in some way. I’m trying to decide on which floatie to get myself!
These are definitely beach essentials! Excellent post. I am saving it for my summer holiday!
Thanks! I love my sand cloud towel and my reef-safe sunscreen the most out of these! Hoping it helps you plan for future beach trips!
Love this post.
Thanks so much!
I absolutely love this list, I have some of the things on it and there are some that are on my “need to buy/birthday list”.
That’s awesome! It’s so cool that you have some of these eco-friendly items already! Which items are on your birthday list?!