Beach Day and the Science Behind UV Rays and Arousal

Beach Day as Foreplay

Why am I always horny after a day at the beach? Forever curious about what wets my whistle, I did some research and found that there is an actual 

. So let’s take a sneaky peek at the science!

There’s some real scientific evidence behind horniness and sun exposure. 

 (short wavelengths that only reach the outer skin) can elevate sex steroids in the body, leaving us feeling more receptive to sexual behavior and enhancing our libidos. They call this the “skin-brain-gonadal axis.” Interestingly, this transmission is triggered by our skin’s response to UV radiation by activating our 

. Essentially, the more our skinblocks the threat of skin cancer, the hornier we get. Hell yeah. 

In addition to what’s going on on a molecular level, through questionnaires, the study demonstrated that UVB also increases romantic passion in people. After receiving UVB treatments, female participants scored high when it came to feelings like love, yearning, and the belief that their loved one is “the perfect romantic partner.” So it’s not just sexual behavior, but romantic behavior that can be triggered by sun exposure.

Science really is sexy, isn’t it? And yes, almost everything to do with desire and nerve-endings and pleasure and hormones can be explained using charts and bunsen burners and other paraphernalia. But it doesn’t paint the whole picture. If it were just sunlight then I’d be ready after a hike and I personally can’t think of a worst time to fuck (hyperbolically speaking). Let’s pull back and take a wider look at what other factors might trigger your lusty, post-beach hedonism. 

it’s not just sexual behavior, but romantic behavior that can be triggered by sun exposure.

Sunscreen. Sweat. Sea spray. A day in the heat can overwhelm your olfactory with an orgy of aromas. The heat acts like a fragrance warmer and can amplify even the most secret of scents. Take pheromones for example. Though the science is still hotly debated, smelling the love chemicals sweated out by your partner(s) may trigger your libido to run wild.

Personally, I’ve whittled it down to one exact scent: Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen. As it warms on my skin, its deep coconut and banana undertone magnifies and gives me a heady feeling. A sudden visual euphony of entangled oiled bodies plays like a film in my mind. Mix that with the salt air and I’m off in a never-ending sexual daydream. 

I’m a pacer. Reading a book, talking on the phone – rarely will you find me doing anything while sitting still. Beach day means taking a break from movement and laying in the sun. Outside of sleeping, this is a time when I give my muscles zero to do. And it makes me want to fuck. A day at the beach should be worry-free. It’s a time to de-stress, relax, and chill. When I fully relax – my brain calms down, my jaw unclenches, my muscles slacken, and my body is in repose – I feel so connected to everything that it can be exciting. Some call it a deep meditative state, I call it a heightened awareness of all stimuli. Smelling the ocean air, feeling my heart pound in my chest, hearing grains of sand moving in the wind. When I’m in this state, my mind wanders… typically towards sex.

So go ahead, paint me like one of your French girls.

Ever since I witnessed Mrs. Robinson’s extreme tan lines in “The Graduate,” I’ve been obsessed. Like the afterimage in your eye from a flash of light, tan lines tease the bikini that once was. A secret revealed.

Blessed with one melanated parent, I’m quick to brown in the sun. So, stripping off my bikini when I get home is a liberating experience. Seeing how much the sun kissed my skin, how my intimate body parts are highlighted… like a flashing neon sign for a post-beach good time. Seriously, spend time examining the architecture of your tan lines and take pleasure in seeing your body transformed (maybe take that phone out and 

). No tan lines? No problem. Trace the indentations of what you wore all day. The band across your hips, the marks over your shoulders, the lines under your chest. If the UV rays didn’t do it for you, nudity will. 

spend time examining the architecture of your tan lines and take pleasure in seeing your body transformed (maybe take that phone out and record your exploration).

, beach day can turn from foreplay into full play right then and there. The sea spray tickling your skin, the liberatory feeling of immediate gratification, the excitement of getting caught… for my adventurers out there, I salute you. May your orgasms be abundant and your cracks be sandless.

Personally, coming home and taking a cool shower is the last key factor that solidifies my post-beach horniness. As my skin’s nice and warm, the cool water is a sigh of relief. This is the time I trace the lines on my skin, feeling the temperature change from my once bikini-clad areas to my sunkissed skin. Then, I close my bedroom blinds, turn on the overhead fan, pull back the comforter, let my body collapse onto the cool silk sheets, and give into temptation. Nothing like a good fuck after a long day. 

Whether it's the smell of warm sunscreen or the UV rays transmitting signals to your gonads, I urge you to explore what turns you on, beach day or not. It’s a healthy exercise into what informs your sexuality and sexual expression. There’s no shame in naming your pleasure.