My Top Summer Beach Bag Essentials

Thank you, P&G, for sponsoring this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are truly my own.

What’s one place that you never get tired of visiting?? For me, it’s definitely the beach! If I could, I would visit the beach every day! I love that it’s so peaceful and helps me reset my mind, which I find very therapeutic for my happiness – & sanity!

During our summer vacation, we plan at least 2-3 beach trips—one just for me and the hubs and the one for the entire family. Over the years, packing for the beach has gotten a lot easier, but in the beginning, I was a complete wreck lol!

I would literally try to stuff everything in my beach bag! And because my beach bag was completely full, it was extremely heavy, which made it very difficult to lug that bag back and forth to the beach.

Nowadays, I can confidently say that I’ve perfected the items I need to take with me to the beach, without overdoing it. Thanks to Publix, I can stock up on everything that I need for the beach, and I get to save money while shopping with the Publix Stocking Spree Program! The Publix Stocking Spree is a program where you can be rewarded for purchasing the products you already trust and love. All year long, you can receive a $10 Publix gift card every time* you purchase $50 of participating Stocking Spree products. (*Up to 12 gift cards per household per year).

It’s so easy! All you have to do is create your account, and you’ll be able to track your dollars spent and your gift cards earned throughout the year. The more you buy, the more you earn! Click HERE to learn more!

So, whether you’re getting ready for an upcoming beach vacation or trying to master packing the ideal beach tote, check out this list of my top summer beach bag essentials! 

My Top Summer Beach Bag Essentials

SKINCARE PRODUCTS & SPF PROTECTION

As a black woman, I never thought that it was important to protect my skin while out in the sun. I didn’t think that my skin could receive any sun damage—boy was I wrong! A few years ago, I received the most painful sunburn on my face. It was possibly the worst pain that I’ve ever felt—next to childbirth, of course lol! At that moment, I knew that it was time to start investing in some top-notch skincare products that included SPF. In addition to my usual sunscreen, I started using OLAY Complete Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15. I love how the texture is super light, but very effective. I also make sure that I keep a pack of the OLAY Gentle Face Cloths, which comes in handy after a long day at the beach.

LARGE SUPER CUTE BEACH TOWEL

Nothing is worse than struggling to lie on a tiny towel. It’s one of my pet peeves! Whenever I shop for my beach towels, I always make sure that they are nice and big. I also like to pick out cute, unique designs which can help you to quickly identify your towel and prevent grabbing someone else’s towel by mistake. 

ANTIPERSPIRANT

We all know that a great beach day must include the perfect weather—lots of sunshine a zero rain clouds in sight! I love a sunny beach day, but for me that typically means that I need to slather on an extra layer of deodorant! The only deodorant that keeps me dry and fresh is Secret Invisible Solid. I always make sure that I keep one in my beach bag just in case.

And because my husband is extremely forgetful, I make sure that I keep his favorite deodorant on hand, which happens to be Old Spice Sweat Defense. Old Spice is the only deodorant that keeps my husband dry and smelling good! He always buys it in bulk whenever we go the Publix!

WATER BOTTLE & SNACKS

Whenever you go to the beach, it’s extremely important to stay hydrated and nourished. Being out in the sun for several hours can deplete your body from some vital nutrients, so I always make sure that I pack an insulated water bottle and a few snacks. This also prevents you from having to walk back and forth in the hot sand to the concession stand.  

PORTABLE FAN

Isn’t this the cutest?! Usually, I’m able to keep cool from the ocean breeze, but on occasion, I may have to break out my portable fan. I like to keep this little fan on hand to help keep my kids cool just in case they get a fussy. They actually think it’s a toy, so they love to hold it and operate it.  

TAMPONS

There’s nothing worse than running out of tampons at the beach, during that time of the month! I would share a few horror stories here, but I will spare you the not-so-pleasant visuals! From my past experiences, I’ve learned to keep a pack of Tampax Tampons in my beach bag. I mean, you never know when and if your kid will decide to put a few of your tampons in the ocean—leaving you with zero tampons as you frantically dive into the ocean to retrieve those wet tampons in fear of an animal getting a hold of them!

Tampax will always be my brand of choice. I love how they’ve made it their mission is to make period conversations as normal as possible to help end that stigma around periods. Very inspiring!

So, what’s in your beach bag?? Let me know in the comments below!