Working as a crew member on a super yacht during a busy charter season can be an exhilarating experience.

However, the demanding nature of the job, long hours, and exposure to the elements can take a toll on your skin and overall well-being.

To ensure you look and feel your best throughout the season, it’s essential to prioritize skin and body care.

In this blog post, we will explore some practical tips to help super yacht crew members maintain healthy and radiant skin, even during the busiest times.

 STICK TO A SKINCARE ROUTINE:

Developing a consistent skincare routine is essential for maintaining healthy skin, regardless of your busy schedule.

Consistency is key, so aim for a morning and evening routine.

Keep it simple yet effective by following a cleanse, tone, moisturize routine.

• Start with a gentle cleanser to remove dirt, sweat, and sunscreen from your skin
• Follow it up with a toner to balance the pH levels and prepare your skin for the next steps
• Moisturize daily to keep your skin hydrated and protected from environmental factors
• Don’t forget to apply sunscreen with a high SPF to shield your skin from harmful UV rays
• Consider incorporating a weekly exfoliation and a face mask to remove dead skin cells and promote skin rejuvenation.

Ensure the products you are using have the most natural and nourishing ingredients as possible.

Stay away from products that contain alcohol, parabens, and perfumes.

As much as I tried to stick to my skin care routine morning and evening, some nights I was just too exhausted.

In order to ensure I did not go to sleep without doing my skin care, I used to keep a little basket with my holy grail skin and hair care products next to my bunk.

• Cotton pads: as much as I try to use re-usable cotton pads in my daily life, I also used to have disposable ones for the periods when I did not want to send to the laundry anything that was not strictly necessary
• Cleanser that I could use without water: micellar lotions are my favourite
• Toner in spray: I find the spray format much more practical when I just need to get it done
• Rich moisturiser or face oil
• Lip balm
• Leave in face mask: the difference you will feel in your skin in the morning between applying a leave in face mask or not is just incredible
• Eye gel masks: these work wonders for dark undereye circles! Leaving them on for a few minutes is usually enough. However, I used to fall asleep with them on all-the-time and it was perfectly fine (even better results!)
• Leave in hair mask

I still have a little tray with these products next to my bed at home.

One of those practical habits acquired during my yachting career, that make my daily “after yachting life” so much easier. 

To clean and moisture the skin our recommendation is Malin + Goetz’s duo:

Grapefruit Face Cleanser+ Vitamin E Face Moisturizer

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE SUN:

Prolonged sun exposure can lead to premature aging, sunburns, and an increased risk of skin cancer. To protect your skin, wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, even on cloudy days.

Reapply sunscreen as often as you (realistically) can throughout the day.

Ingredients to avoid in sunscreens:

• Oxybenzone
• Avobenzone
• Octinoxate
• Homosalate
• Octisalate
• Octocrylen

Not only will these ingredients damage your skin, but also your bed linen! And nobody likes yellow, tatty bed linen…

If you are allowed to wear a hat during work hours, remember to do so every time you need to be exposed to the sun.

Our suggestion for an excellent skin  protection under the sun:

Coola – Mineral Face Matte Tint Unscented SPF 30 

PRACTICE STRESS MANAGEMENT AND PRIORITISE YOUR REST AND SLEEP:

Chronic stress can have negative effects on your skin, causing breakouts, dullness, and even premature aging.

Implement stress management techniques, such as deep breathing exercises, meditation, or yoga.

Prioritizing self-care will help you maintain a positive mindset and healthier skin.

One of the things that used to work wonders for me was playing some kind of classic or relax music while I showered.

I also used to “pamper myself” with self-care rituals, when I did not have a life for 3, 4, 5 months at the time…

I “romanticised my day”, as I used to call it.

Indulge in self-care rituals that bring you joy and relaxation.

• Take a long, warm shower
• Light your essential oil diffuser
• Apply a face or eye mask while you get ready to go to bed
• Spray a lovely pillow mist on your bed linen: Bamford B Silent pillow mist is still my favourite. I also used to use it for the guest linen

As soon as you drop guests off and have a little bit of time, treat yourself to a professional spa treatment.

These small acts of self-care can help relieve stress and rejuvenate both your mind and body.

STAY AWAY FROM YOUR PHONE:

Easier said than done when you have not probably had the chance to check in with your beloved ones in the whole day (or a couple of days!)

However, make a conscious effort to be off your phone as much as possible during your time off.

Adequate rest will not only benefit your skin but also improve your overall performance and well-being.

Not only this. Blue light has been proven to cause dark circles and more visible signs of aging.

STAY ACTIVE:

Find time to incorporate exercise into your daily routine, even if it’s just a quick 10-minute stretch session in your cabin before your shift starts.

Some little tips that used to help me not skip this:

• Prepare your work out gear and yoga mat before you go to sleep so they are ready to go as soon as you get out of bed
• Invest in nice work out gear before the season starts: this might not make a difference for some, but wanting to put that nice work out set I bought before the season, actually made a difference for me
• Remind yourself that those 15 minutes stretching will be gone before you know it. Much better spending 15 minutes stretching before your morning shower, than 15 minutes on your phone just as you wake up