Don’t hide your head in the sand

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure meet up with Jen Miller, a freelance reporter, to discuss some of the little known and finer attributes that the often pesky ‘sand’ brings to our beaches. For instance, did you know that all beach sand contains quartz? The odd thing is that the land surrounding some beaches doesn’t contain any quartz. Read her article from NewsWorksNJ to find out how the quartz arrives on some shorelines, as well as why sand is an integral part of the dune ecosystem that we rely on to protect our homes from big storms and waves.

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So what’s up with that sand stuck between my toes?

Sand is basically the tiny particles eroded from the mountains or rock formation closest to the beach you are standing on as well as some other bits and pieces. The three main ingredients common to all the beaches are: quartz, old shell parts, and decayed materials from the sea and land.

I saw the most interesting image of sand gradients going from really dark to really light as one traveled from Maine to Florida. Which makes sense since the chemical make up of those mountain ranges and the biological life in each of those areas is unique.

Someone did ask me if sand was a natural exfoliates our skins – and the answer is basically, yes. There are a lot of natural exfoliates out there and sand is one – in the sense that it helps to remove dead skin cells, like sponges you see for sale. Maybe not the most comfortable – but, certainly one of the most accessible if you get a burn (once mixed with water – it really cools you off, but looks gross).

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