Archive copy by Jenni Baden Howard

The countdown is over, your summer holiday is finally here and you’re (almost) packed and ready to go. Now all you want to do is kick back, relax and make the most of every long-awaited minute, without worrying about the hot weather beauty bugbears – think humidity-struck hair behaving badly, hot and bothered skin and make-up meltdown – that often set in before you can say “I’d love my hair to have more volume, but this is ridiculous!” In addition, you want feel as relaxed and positive about your body as possible, wherever you happen to be on your weight loss journey. Thankfully, there’s a holiday beauty solution to every challenge posed by the sun, sea, humidity and more. Don’t set off before reading our expert guide to looking and feeling your gorgeous, glowing best, all holiday long …

Feeling hot, hot, hot

Holiday SOS: you knew it was going to be hot, but – phew! – it feels like you’re stepping into a sauna every time you leave your hotel.

Expert solution: there’s a lot you can do to avoid getting hot and bothered when temperatures soar. In addition to being vigilant about sun protection (see Red Alert, below), keeping your holiday wardrobe as cool and comfortable as possible – opting for natural fabrics to help deflect UV rays - will make a big difference to how you feel. Head indoors or for the shade, at least, when the sun is at its hottest – between 11 am and 3 pm – and create your own, portable shade with a fabulous, wide-brimmed sunhat. Taking plenty of dips in the sea or pool – seek out the shady spots - will help you keep your cool, as will splashing cold water on your face or pressing a cold, wet flannel against your face. Alternatively, spritz on a soothing facial spray such as The Body Shop’s Vitamin E Mist (£6), which make-up artist Chase Aston swears by. ‘I use it all the time on shoots abroad,’ says Chase, who has worked with Cameron Diaz and Kate Moss. ‘Nothing cools me or the models down better. For an extra-cool spritz, I pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes before use.’ Look out, too, for The Body Shop’s brilliant Aloe Vera Cooling Body Gel (£7.50), made with Community Trade aloe vera from Guetamala, which can be used to refresh hot skin at any time. After your evening shower, slather on an extra-cooling aftersun formula, such Soltan’s nourishing, non-greasy After Sun Spray (£4.99, at Boots).

Red alert

Holiday SOS: you swore you weren’t burning, but by sunset your shoulders are looking pinker than your fuchsia sarong.

Expert solution: as prevention is better (and less sore) than cure, be super-sensible about sun protection – even on overcast days, when UV rays still penetrate the clouds - by using a high protection, broad spectrum. ‘You can enjoy the sun just so long as you protect yourself,’ says Dr Joe Walls of the Tesco Health Counsel. ‘You need a good, high SPF product to protect against burning UVB rays and deep-penetrating UVA rays in the water as well as on land.’ Try Tesco’s new, water-resistant Ultimate Sun Protection Spray SPF 30 (£3.29) and Stick (£3), formulated in Australia, or Nivea’s new Nivea Sun Light Feeling Sun Lotion SPF 30 (£11.29), which provides UVA and UVB protection in a comfortably-sheer formula (perfect when mercury rises). To soothe sunburned skin, take a cold bath and apply a cooling aftersun or calamine lotion. Keep well-hydrated and seek medical advice if you start feeling unwell or your skin is badly burned or blistered.

Body talk

Holiday SOS: you need a body confidence boost before baring more skin on the beach or poolside.

Expert solution: prepare-to-bare angst affects most women before a holiday, however close they are to achieving their weight loss goal. Thinking positive and walking tall will go a long way in making you feel more calm and confident as you sashay onto the sand or bag the best sunlounger. Here, a few well-performed, posture-improving exercises are worth a hundred frantic, last minute sit-ups and will give the impression of a longer, leaner silhouette. Self-tanners are another superb way of creating a smoother, leaner look – try Clarins’ classic Self Tanning Milk or the Gel, which is ideal for fairer skin tones (£15.50 each). ‘For great, longer-lasting colour without patchiness, always exfoliate first,’ advises Beverley England, Clarins’ UK treatment specialist. ‘When applying your self-tanner, blend really thoroughly to avoid streaking and wait about 6-8 hours before showering or swimming. Your ‘tan’ should last up to 5 days and will stay in tip-top condition if you moisturise daily.’ Bear in mind, too, that waxing will whisk away your faux glow, so get this done a day or two before your holiday, and before you get tanned-up.

Big trouble

Holiday SOS: high humidity equals huge hair – your holiday ‘do’ has tripled in volume since breakfast, and not in a good way.

Expert solution: the dreaded puffball effect is caused by moisture in the air penetrating the hair shaft. ‘It’s the perfect condition for frizz,’ says international haircare authority and super-stylist Trevor Sorbie, who recommends stashing a few specialist frizz-fighters in your suitcase. Try Trevor Sorbie’s Professional Moisturising & De Frizzing Shampoo and Conditioner (£4.99 each), and the Deep Intensive Conditioning Treatment (£4.99), which makes a fantastic pre-holiday treat. Why not let a hair mask work its wonders while you’re packing? ‘Wrap your hair in a towel and leave the treatment on for half an hour for maximum benefit,’ says Trevor. Frizz-taming styling products are a great idea, too - we love Charles Worthington’s super-effective Q&A Bounce Back Curl Defining Cream (£4.49).

Going flat-out

Holiday SOS: overloading your tresses with products has left them lank and lifeless.

Expert solution: while lavishing locks with leave-in conditioners and protective sunscreens is a great idea, a build-up of product – combined with perspiration - can result in lank, flat-as-a pancake hair. Effective daily shampooing using either a detox or daily use formula will help to remove product residue (along with chlorine) and leave your hair revitalised and healthy-looking. Both Paul Mitchell’s Shampoo 3 (£6.99, for stockists, tel: 0845 6590012) and Phytologie’s Phytoneutre Rebalancing (Detox) Shampoo (£9.50) fit the bill perfectly (for stockists, tel: 020 7620 1771). If your hair is prone to greasiness, avoid oil-based protective products and opt for lightweight serums or spritzes – applied sparingly – instead (see Fading fast, below).

Fading fast

Holiday SOS: your don’t want your honey-coloured highlights to become history after day one in the sun.

Expert solution: the sun’s rays are powerful enough to alter the chemical structure of tresses and, in turn, their colour. Hair which has been chemically processed is particularly vulnerable to damage and colour fade, so it makes sense to protect it in the same way that you do your skin. Look out for haircare products with built-in UV sunscreens, such as Boots’ convenient, mist-on Sun, Swim & Gym Hydra Spray (£3.49), which also provides an ‘invisible screen’ against chlorine, and John Frieda’s new Frizz-Ease Thermal Protection Serum (£5.99), which will also help the frizzies at bay whilst shielding locks in the sun. You can even find shampoos and conditioners containing UV filters, such as Charles Worthington’s perfectly portable, holiday-bright Take Aways Sun-Shine Sun Wash UV-Protection Shampoo and After Sun Repair UV-Protection Conditioner (£1.65 each). Another tip: put off having your hair colour done until after your holiday. Not only will you avoid spoiling the result, your colourist will be able to fix any post-holiday colour concerns (semi-permanent rinses can be used to tone down bleached-out streaks, for example).

Tress relief

Holiday SOS: your mane is starting to look more beach-trashed than tousled.

Expert solution: along with the moisture-sapping heat and powerful UV rays, beach hair also has to contend with the dehydrating effects of salt water which can ruffle the cuticles and leave it tangled. ‘Always rinse salt water thoroughly from your hair using plenty of clean, fresh water,’ says Trevor Sorbie. ‘If you have no access to water, bring your own to the beach in an empty water bottle. For curly or wavy hair, apply loads of conditioner and comb it through, then divide your hair into sections and use your fingers to twirl it into ringlets. Your hair will look great and be protected all day long.’ Longer hair deserves special care. ‘Limit the amount of hair which is exposed to the elements by slicking long hair back into a ponytail,’ advises Trevor. ‘This will reduce the surface area of exposure by more than half. Then you only need to concentrate on the delicate ends, using moisturising haircare products that offer UV protection.’ Try combing tresses back with a dash of Trevor Sorbie’s Professional Straightening Balm. ‘This will give you control, UV protection and shine without a rock-hard finish,’ says Trevor. Similarly, Kiehl’s much-loved Crème With Silk Groom (£16.50) styling cream is richly nourishing yet non-oily and contains a sunscreen (at www.spacenk.com).

Make-up meltdown

Holiday SOS: you’ve only just left your hotel and your make-up is melting faster than your pistachio gelato.

Expert solution: getting colour to stay put in the heat needn’t be a make-up mission impossible. ‘First and foremost, avoid heavy coverage,’ advises Maybelline New York make-up artist to the stars Fiona Jolly. ‘A tinted moisturiser or light foundation, cream blush and waterproof mascara are ideal in hot climes.’ Fiona recommends Maybelline New York’s Dream Matte Mousse Foundation (£6.99) – ‘to avoid “foundation slide”,’ as she puts it – and Cream Blush (£5.99) and the ever-popular Great Lash Waterproof (£4.99) mascara. ‘Keep lips light and matte – glosses have a tendency to melt in the heat and bleed off your lip line,’ she adds. Try Max Factor’s Lipfinity Everlites (£9.99), for great, long-lasting colour with a refreshingly sheer texture (use the optional glossy top coat for a touch of glam after sundown). For on-the-spot shine-busting, Fiona recommends keeping a pack of oil-absorbent blotting papers to hand. ‘This is much better than applying layer upon layer of powder,’ she explains.