The Worst Beach-Day Mistakes for Women Over 50

3. Brassy, sun-fried hair and faded highlights.

Stop mentally replaying your glory days of Sun In, or of lemon juice and peroxide streaks enhanced by a day at the beach. What worked at 16 does not work at 50, and the sun, salty seawater and chlorinated pool water can all oxidize and fade your gorgeous highlights and chemical color. Don’t let them. A swim cap can help prevent the dreaded “pool hair” syndrome that gives faux blonde hair (and some naturally blonde or gray hair) an orangey or greenish tint.

Still, beachgoers often skip the swim cap and sun hat, leaving their hair color and their scalp vulnerable. One solution is spraying your hair and scalp with a moisturizing, SPF-loaded hair mist like Coola Scalp & Hair Mist Organic Sunscreen ($28, ulta.com), with monoi oil, or Sun Bum SPF 30 Scalp & Hair Mist ($17, cvs.com), with aloe vera. This gives your hair a sexy gleam and hydration boost, and works in and out of the water before you slip on a clip, scrunchie or hair band. Note to swimmers wearing swim caps: Apply these sprays under a swim cap for extra color protection.

Trading your baseball cap for a hat with an extended brim is also a good idea. It will keep your hair, scalp and face out of the sun’s reach. Good choices include Sonoma Goods For Life Women’s Wide Brim Bucket Hat in White ($24, kohls.com), Gap Straw Bucket Hat in True Black ($19, gap.com) and Banana Republic Women Packable Canvas Sun Hat by Hat Attack in Natural ($92, bananarepublic.com). Sorry, baseball cap fans, but your hat leaves your ears, sides of your face and nape of your neck exposed, making a wide brim the beach rule.

(From left) Avoid tan lines with Tanologist Sunless Self Tanning Mousse in Medium Express Tan; Miraclesuit Solid Europa One-Piece Swimsuit in Framboise Pink; Lands’ End Women’s SunShade UPF 50 Long Sleeve Relaxed Rash Guard in Coral Rubies.

AARP (Target, Nordstrom, Lands’ End)

4. Letting tan lines wreck your swimsuit choice.

For a long time, women over 50 loved wearing strapless suits above all others. The suits displayed their necks and shoulders, made women of every size and shape feel glam, and never left strap marks. However, the downsides included constant sun exposure, a crepey, sun-damaged cleavage on display, and frequent tugging to prevent wardrobe malfunctions. Then preferences changed. Sexy one-shoulder suits, racy high-neck styles and an endless variety of Vs, scoops and bare, strappy backs took over. This means tan lines are back in business.

Your solution? Take a preventative approach by applying a gradual tanner or regular self-tanner and an SPF 30+ sunscreen. This helps keep your skin tone uniform and even, regardless of the suit design. For a real tan-line emergency — for example, when you have strap lines and want to wear an off-shoulder dress — apply an express tanner like Tanologist Sunless Self Tanning Mousse in Light Express Tan, Medium Express Tan or Dark Express Tan ($19, target.com) to bump up the color in those lighter strap-mark areas. An hour or two and some careful blending is enough to blur the shade difference. You can also avoid neckline drama by slipping on a long-sleeved rash guard with UPF 50, like the Lands’ End Women’s SunShade UPF 50 Long Sleeve Relaxed Rash Guard in Coral Rubies, White or Turquoise ($40, landsend.com), also available in plus sizes, or the all-in-one the UV Skinz Women’s Long Sleeve Half Zip Swimsuit in Caribbean Tropics or Woodblock Tropics ($95, nordstrom.com). Both provide extra protection, especially during the intense midday sun.

(From left) Lighten the load with totes like the Lands’ End Large Mesh Beach Tote in Sweet Mango Stripe; Sun Squad Beach Tote Bag With Zippered Bottom Tan Stripe/Navy Sun; Gap Logo Tote Bag in Thyme Green.

AARP (Lands’ End, Target, Gap)

5. Hauling a heavy, messy beach bag or two. 

Lugging multiple or heavy beach bags is a real pain in the neck, not to mention the shoulders and the back. You don’t need to drag a shoulder bag, a tote and random shopping bags through the parking lot and the sand.  This is a good time to edit down all the extras and choose updates that do more with less. Try a whole body deodorant stick, a sand-resistant yoga mat to nap on instead of a soon to be soggy beach towel, and baby powder to make brushing off end-of-day sand and grit easy.

The best beach bags are large but light, and are easy to keep clean with a shake, a sponge or a machine wash. They include Lands’ End Large Mesh Beach Tote in Blue Stripe or Sweet Mango Stripe ($60, landsend.com); the Gap Logo Tote Bag in Thyme Green, Khaki Tan or Bainbridge Blue ($39–43, gap.com); and the Sun Squad Beach Tote Bag With Zippered Bottom Tan Stripe/Navy Sun ($12, target.com). My best tip is to get a tote bag insert organizer, like the waterproof Rexmica Clear Beach Bag Organizer Insert ($14, amazon.com), to keep wet and damp items separate from dry ones, and small valuables like your phone, wallet, cards, glasses and keys safely together.

6. Overdone makeup.

Who wears makeup to the beach anymore? Some women over 50 never leave the house without it, but spending the day in the sun, especially under casual conditions, is not ideal for makeup. Some women say, “But I’m wearing waterproof mascara, matte lipstick and long-wear foundation! That won’t smear or sweat off!”  Maybe, but in broad daylight on the sand it will look dry, cakey and as overdone and out of place as pantyhose, heels and a silk blouse. Others say, “I blend all natural-looking creams — blush and bronzer — right over my serum, moisturizer and sunscreen.” Sure, it looks great for the first 15 minutes, but just wait till things heat up. That glowy look will slip and slide to mush.

The solution? No one needs eye makeup at the beach. Let modern, oversized cat-eye sunglasses, like Banana Republic Lily Sunglasses by Raen in Tortoise ($150, bananarepublic.gap.com) with 100 percent UVA/UVB protection, stand in for liner, shadow and mascara, and provide all the shape and definition you need. Then pivot to a tinted sunscreen in a wide variety of shades, like Merit The Uniform Tinted Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 45 ($38, kohls.com); RMS Beauty SunCoverup Super Tint Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen ($49, nordstrom.com); or Well People Bio-Tint SPF 30 Tinted Moisturizer ($30, amazon.com). For some healthy color, try a multitasking lip/cheek balm with built-in sun protection, like Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Color Balm SPF 50 Sunscreen ($42, nordstrom.com), available in six shades.

(From left) Wear a coverup that truly covers like the Old Navy Women Split Neck Crinkle Gauze Mini Swing Dress in Black Jack; J. Crew Trapeze Midi Dress in Ramie in Black; Shade & Shore Women’s Gauze Tunnel Waist Midi Cover Up Dress in Black.

AARP (Old Navy, J. Crew, Target)

7. See-through, do-nothing cover-ups.

That’s how women over 50 describe the various pareos and short, lacy, sheer coverups you see everywhere now. Ignore all of these. I have five words for you: roomy, flowy, lightweight, pull-on, black.  This sums up everything you want in a beach cover-up. You’ll feel comfy, and the sophisticated inky hue guarantees no transparency despite the lightweight fabric. My advice? Think outside the box and include loose dresses, pull-on wide-leg pants, and midi or maxi skirts in airy fabrics like cotton gauze and ramie as cover-ups. 

Try midi-length cover-ups with a deep-V neckline like Cupshe Women’s Black V-Neck Cover-up Dress ($38, kohls.com) or Shade & Shore Women’s Gauze Tunnel Waist Midi Cover Up Dress in Black ($25, target.com), or an actual dress, like the J.Crew Trapeze Midi Dress in Ramie in Black ($133, jcrew.com). If you love a black swimsuit, consider wearing yours as a bodysuit, adding a black skirt like the Gap Factory Women Smocked Gauze Maxi Skirt in Black ($30, gapfactory.com) or wide-leg pants like Gap Factory Women Mid-Rise Gauze Pull-On Wide Leg Pants in Black ($30, gapfactory.com) for coverage below the waist as well as a sleek, ready-to-go, monochromatic outfit.

(From left) Showcase your nails with Essie Expressie Vegan Quick-Dry Nail Polish in Daily Grind; Olive & June Quick Dry Nail Polish in Gelato; Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Hershey’s Nail Polish Collection in Cotton Tails; Shade & Shore Women’s Neida EVA Two Band Footbed Sandals in Red.

AARP (Target, 2; Olive & June; Ulta)

8. Icky sandal situations.

Let’s put ungroomed feet with polish in the TMI (too much information) zone. Even the most eye-catching, arch-saving, waterproof sandals, like Shade & Shore Women’s Neida EVA Two Band Footbed Sandals in Silver or Red ($10, target.com), can’t make up for them. One smart solution is to get a salon gel pedicure. It’s pricier than a regular pedicure, but it will last half the summer and give you satin-smooth feet. Or take a DIY approach by soaking your feet, filing your nails and jumping on the milky polish trend. Whiter than nude but less glaring than refrigerator-white, quick-dry formulas like Essie Expressie Vegan Quick-Dry Nail Polish in Daily Grind ($10, target.com), Olive & June Quick Dry Nail Polish in Gelato ($8, walgreens.com) and Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Hershey’s Nail Polish Collection in Cotton Tails ($8, ulta.com) look great on every skin tone and give feet a clean, fresh look.

Don’t just strike a pose — a little action makes for livelier social media photos.

AARP (Stocksy, Getty Images)

9. Unflattering beach photos on social media. 

Like it or not, post-beach postings on social media are one of the day’s takeaways. Everybody does it. Not everybody looks great in these photos, however, but that can be easily corrected. I’ve done thousands of swimsuit photo shoots on everyday women and models over 50, so here’s what to do. Instead of posing with your hand on your hip like a beauty contestant, keep it real. You might be looking over your shoulder, coming out of the ocean, interacting with other people, leaning casually on a wall or chair. Avoid snapping at midday, when the sun casts harsh shadows and emphasizes facial lines and discolorations. Early morning and late daylight are best. Change your body language by always moving a little. Avoid standing or sitting with your hips to the camera and your legs side by side — it adds width to your body and looks stiff and boring. Angle your head and body a little (three-quarters is always better), and vary how you use your arms and legs. Try lying on a beach towel and propping yourself up on your elbows