We all know that feeling of being a bit grubby, you’ve spent hours on a bus then a boat to get somewhere and now you’re ready to party and socialise but you feel stuck because you didn’t bring your make up with you or any of your fancy products or clothes.
Don’t stress, natural beauty is appreciated here on Koh Phangan and the only ladies you’ll ever see that are dressed up to the nines with a full face of slap are those at those ‘special bars’ down the road.
It is nice to still feel beautiful though and there are certain things you can do to keep you feeling spritely on the outside but also most importantly on the inside.
You might be here for a few months so it’s not affordable to go buying new products like makeup or clothes (which if you didn’t know, are available here) and in fact there are much more important and exciting things that you can be spending your money on here on the island!
We have come up with some tips, some from experience (we think we’ve got a lot of that!), some from research and some that we have learnt from Thai culture, so that you can all look and feel beautiful during your time on Koh Phangan.
One of the most obvious ways to save money is by using things that are free, what is free here? The sea and the beach. To keep your skin radiant and fresh after a hot days sweating you can exfoliate in the ocean! Go and take a seat in the shallows, take a friend for some company and you can both do it together whilst having a chat! Use the sand from below the water to exfoliate dead skin from your heels, hands legs and body, rub the sand in soft circles so as not to irritate too much.
You can also make a nice skin exfoliator from salt, essential oil and coconut oil which you may have all of anyway. Talking of coconut oil…
You should get some! It is very affordable here, you can buy just a small bottle for your time here from 100 Baht and use it for pretty much everything! It is wonderful on skin, let it sink in at night and wake up with lovely soft skin, you can remove makeup with it as it is gentle and some people like to use it in their hair as well.
Another thing you can do that is free and may in fact save you money is to cut down on your alcohol! We know it’s easy here to get carried away and there’s always an excuse for a quick beer here and there but alcohol can dehydrate you and after long periods of time drinking this will leave your skin a bit dull and poo-poo. You probably won’t be wearing any foundation so you want your skin to be at its best so have a little break from the booze and make sure you are always drinking plenty of water!!
Wearing sunscreen every day is a must! No one looks nice with bright red sunburn and your older self will thank you for this as too much sun damage can age your skin. Keep your sunscreen in the fridge for a refreshing boost, keep all your items in the fridge actually as they could melt!
If your eyes are feeling and looking a bit puffy then you could always ask the bar where you're staying for some ice. Put this ice in a cloth and hold it on the puffy area for a quick fix which will wake up your eyes for an alert fresh look!
Keep hold of any free coffee sachets you pick up along your way as you can use them for a circulation booster on your thighs which is great at eliminating the look of cellulite. Rub the coffee into thighs for a few minutes then rinse off, the staining shouldn't be too chronic and you’ll be ready for your bikini!
Remember to eat lots of fruit and vegetables! Lots of Thai food has a plentiful load of veg in and you can get lots of fruit on the go from the many stalls on the island. You can visit the local veg shops and pick up your own fruit and vegetables, be thrifty when eating, you may be able to use a kitchen somewhere so you can make sure you are getting all your nutrients which will keep your wonderful beauty flowing.
You can get papaya very easy here and not only is it delicious but you can use it on your skin! Remove the skin and mash the fruit into a pulp before applying to the skin, leave a while then wash off for a radiant glow!
Remember to exercise! This will help you feel great and continue to look good, get that blood pumping around you and your skin will look healthy to match.
You can walk on the beach or go for a run, swim in the sea or the pool and don’t forget we have free fitness classes at Phanganist Hostel every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday for everyone so there’s no excuses!
When it comes to your hair it can be hard to maintain certain styles without all your usual products but you don’t need them anyway! Learn some new hairstyles or share ideas and skills with fellow travellers. Braids are a great way to keep your hair up with the advantage of looking cool at the same time!
If you’ve been able to bring some hair straighteners/iron with you then did you know that you can use them to iron your clothes?! You won’t get the fully pressed look of a usual iron but they are great to iron out small patches of creases so you can get a more polished look for your nights out from the clothes which are scrunched and rolled in your trusty backpack!
Don’t forget to share, sharing is caring for all you ladies (and men!). We hope this helps and gives you some ideas that you don’t need to spend a fortune to look beautiful, in fact we think you are beautiful whatever you look like!
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