Personal Care on Charter Part II: Evading Insects & Sunburn
You’ve left port on your sailing holiday, a cooling breeze fills your sails as the afternoon sun beats down as you make way to your first anchorage. As the heat of the day builds, you pass around the sun cream and engage in reciprocal smears to protect the skin that likely has not seen much serious sun for a while.
You drop anchor for lunch and a swim, eager to soak up the sun’s rays for an invigorating fix of vitamin D. Life is good, and it gets better with a glass of wine. As the sun starts to set, you notice your skin is red and getting redder by the minute. You forgot to repeat the sun cream application, and now you're starting to glow.
Skin care is Important before, during and after UV exposure
Did you know, there's a slow change in your skin cells from exposure to UVA and UVB radiation, one that progresses long after you've moved to the shade. The good news is that science has come up with a solution to the prospect of burning up all night and peeling skin for the rest of the week.
Following ground breaking research by Professor Douglas E. Brash of Yale School of Medicine and his team, it is now well understood how skin cells change after exposure to sun. Their findings informed chemists on methods of intervention to arrest this radiation effect: not with a cream but as a wash.
The Alix range of personal care products is based on this methodology, with a natural product that uses a five-fold defence system to halt and relieve this slow change in cell structure that causes damage to our skin.
Alix Evening After-Sun Body Wash employs a combination of powerful, reliable antioxidants and anti-inflammatory materials proven as effective in the treatment of sunburn.
As explained in Part I of the Alix story, at Sail Connections we used to include Alix products in a free charter pack supplied to our charterers. We learned that many people equated free with cheap, and were not placing the value on this gift that it warranted, manufactured as it is from the best quality ingredients money can buy. A product formulated by one very clever guy and a gift of appreciation of genuine benefit to all who sail with us.
We still provide the gift pack, but asking first that you read this series of articles for an appreciation of the contents’ true value.
Be prepared for bugs that bite
The chemists at Alix have also produced an effective insect repellent. It’s a mix of essential oils in concentrated form mixed with a dispersant so they dissolve in water. When the insects are biting, just take an empty glass spray bottle, mix this concentrate with water, and spray it on.
Mosquitos and other insects are not normally a problem while aboard a boat at anchor. Tropical mosquitoes cannot fly very far. Its said ‘the one that gets you most likely grew up in the plant pot on your veranda”. When anchored off shore you are well out of harm's way, as they simply cannot get to you. And they are not strong fliers. While in a marina berth simply using the boat’s fans will keep them at bay.
So it’s fair to say that when on board it’s not too hard to put distance between you and the local flying nasties. But ashore in the evening it can be a different matter.
Mosquitoes pretty much cover the planet and there are many varieties, some more sinister than others. Tropical destinations present the highest risk of attracting something to ruin your sailing holiday. The authorities at popular tourist islands go to great lengths to keep them at bay, and are largely successful. But it’s always wise to carry protection, not just from mosquitos, but from bugs in general.
The Alix essential oils insect repellent is not a marketed product. It’s a proven solution we formulated for our holiday home guests and include in the Sail Connections charter pack giveaway. We recommend using an insect repellent that works best for you and it's wise to carry a variety of product. The Alix product is a less aggressive mix of smells you will find pleasant and refreshing while the bugs certainly don't.
We encourage you to take advantage of our Charter pack offer including a range of Alix products, put together solely to make your sailing holiday charter just that little bit more fantastic.
