Pool vs Beach? Which is best for your skin?

Growing up, my dad always said that swimming at the beach was good for our skin. Pity we didn’t live near the beach and my parents didn’t take me there much. That bitter note aside, I grew up a pale child who enjoyed swimming in indoor chlorinated pools. It wasn’t until I was in my early 20’s and with newfound ‘wealth’ from my part-time retail job, that I flew myself up to the Gold Coast to meet some friends who introduced me to the beach. What a marvel January 2014, when I discovered what the beach was on the gorgeous Gold Coast! As it turns out, chlorine pools and ocean water can have very different affects on your skin. Let’s start with a positive: The act of swimming itself has benefits for healthy skin, which you can enjoy in a pool or at the ocean. Exercise increases blood flow which delivers oxygen and nutrients to working skin cells and additionally removes waste products. Exercise is also beneficial to relieving stress, which is important as stress can cause acne by fluctuating hormones and increasing production of sweat. So whilst the exercise of swimming is great, where you choose to swim can have a negative impact on your skin. Chlorine pools can dry out your skin, which is problematic as you then have to navigate the minefield of keeping skin hydrated without blocking pores by using oily moisturisers. (Thankfully there’s Acne Control Moisturiser!). Furthermore, chlorine pools (think of all the wonderful people at your local public pool) are plentiful with disease-causing bacteria and parasites. Unfortunately, this isn’t conducive to achieving clear skin. I wouldn’t say pools are the worst thing for your skin, but they certainly lack the vitamins for clear skin that can be found in the ocean. Yes- vitamins! Beautiful Hung Shing Yeh Beach on Lamma Island, Hong Kong Going to the beach isn’t just a good time because you typically find yourself there on a sunny day. It also helps that everyone around you is happy not to be at home staring at their bedroom wall, but irrespective of all this, studies have found there are both physical and mental health benefits to swimming in sea water! A number of mineral salts, trace elements, amino acids and other vital elements for healthy skin can be found in beautiful salty water at the beach. These have benefits for your immune system, clear skin, blood circulation and even relive stress as magnesium-rich water can relax muscles. Mineral salt found in beach water has antibacterial and skin healing properties. Great Barrier Reef mineral salt was added to the Skin B5 Skin Purifying Face Mask for this very reason, as all selected ingredients are carefully considered in their usefulness in controlling acne. Think of how amazingly thick and lush your hair feels after enjoying the beach- it’s the same for your skin! Well, save for the hairy part, unless of course, you are naturally hairy- we are body positive at SkinB5! In fact, I recently wrote a blog about manscaping and acne! Who is Nick Bell? Nick contributes to SkinB5 as a writer through his bi-monthly to the blog. A mid-twenties Melburnian cliche, the bearded student suffers wanderlust, a soft spot of his city's cafe culture and a love of cycling. He writes from experience, having suffered acne himself throughout both high school and university, and it's something he still battles today. Nick also writes a personal blog where he is documenting his journey for clear skin with SkinB5, having previously given up after years of ineffective products and medications.