Oh summer! That glorious sun inspires a lot of guys to go to the beach. Whether you live near the ocean and go there regularly or travel a long distance for a vacation on the sand, time at the beach is a lot of fun. However, men should know that all that sun, sand, and surf can potentially affect penile health, especially when it comes to dry penile skin.
saltwater
As numerous skin care magazines have pointed out, salt water can have tremendous benefits. For example, seawater kills bacteria and can balance pH levels. It can also help treat wounds. And some sources believe that ocean water helps fight eczema.
However, it is important to realize that many of the benefits of seawater come from the presence of magnesium, not the salt, and that too much salt can counteract some of the beneficial aspects of seawater. When salt comes in contact with the skin, it dries it out, and fast. Even more problematic, the salt from an ocean bath is not easily removed. Drying off with a towel doesn’t help much, nor does simply standing under the shower, even if the shower lasts for quite some time. Regular bar soap helps remove the salt, but not all of it. Foam cleansers tend to do a better job.
dry penis skin
The salt water factor becomes more of a problem when it comes to the penis. Unless a guy is swimming at a clothing-optional beach, the salt will not only stick to the penis, but also to the swimsuit and form-fitting mesh sock inside. In other words, the penis is essentially “packed” in salt until you take your suit off for the shower.
As mentioned above, simply taking a shower or even using a regular bar of soap will not remove all of the salt. Foaming cleansers are recommended, but many of them contain ingredients that may be too harsh for sensitive penile skin.
For other parts of the body, exfoliation is recommended to help remove excess salt. But exfoliating the penis is definitely not an option!
sand
And then there is the problem of sand. Whether a guy chooses to stay on dry land and work on his tan or plunge back and forth into the ocean, sand inevitably finds its way into the bathing suit. Unlike salt, sand is granular enough to cause irritation. So while salt water creates dry skin on the penis, sand irritates the skin and creates a rash. Sand washes off more easily than salt, but it can damage the skin before a man takes a shower.
Tanned
Men who prefer to do without a tan line are also at risk of dry skin problems on the penis. Nude sunbathing requires care and attention. The last thing a guy wants to do is lie on his back in all his glory and fall asleep for an hour or two. Even with sunscreen applied, he’s likely to get a nasty burn on his penis, and all that sun will also help dry out the skin on his penis.
Take care
Men can take a few steps to help prevent and treat dry penile skin after a day at the beach. For example, if you spend a lot of time at the beach, take a couple of showers and change into a new swimsuit after each one. This helps decrease salt in the skin in the long term.
Dry penile skin from a day at the beach can also be minimized if proper penile skin care is already part of a man’s daily routine. Using a top notch penis health cream (Healthcare professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven to be gentle and safe for skin.) can be of great help in this area. Select a cream that contains a combination of a high-end emollient (something like shea butter is ideal) and a natural moisturizer (vitamin E works quite well). The combination of these agents helps create a moisture lock that keeps skin moist for longer. The cream should also include a good antioxidant, such as alpha lipoic acid. This can fight free radicals that otherwise cause oxidative stress and thus prematurely age and damage the skin on the penis.