Travel skincare essentials!
We are already in August. June and July have passed me by and suddenly we have arrived at mid-summer. It’s been a long time since I have spoken about skincare on this blog and that is due to the fact that my skincare regime basically went out of the window whilst I have been here in Italy. Over the last year due to stress and not maintaining a proper routine, my skin became the worst it had been in years. Extremely dry and difficult to look after, new spots appearing everyday and honestly there’s nothing worse for your confidence than bad skin. About 2 months ago a Korean friend of mine was visiting me here in Venice and she was surprised to learn that I had given up on the Korean beauty multi-step cleansing that everyone seemed to follow in Korea. At that time I had gone back to washing my face at night with whatever was around and patting it dry. No wonder my skin became dry, blotchy and just plain awful.
After she left I thought about it. Why had I let myself go? I ran out of Korean beauty products and I hate online shopping so I just used my products and never bothered to restock. I decided then and there that I needed to get back into having a skincare routine to keep healthy glowing skin. I could also reduce the amount of make-up I need to wear in the summer if my skin was better and when I do decide to wear makeup it could sit better on my face.
There was a huge problem: If I no longer had access to Korean beauty what alternatives were out there? Overpriced European and American products?
I had to go on a mission to find new products to use to give my skin a natural summer glow. I complied a list of my summer travel essentials which I have taken around with me throughout the summer to ensure my skin gets back to a healthier place.
Before I get into my list of new products that I have been taking with me for my Italian summer travels I should probably introduce the two most important elements of any skincare regime. The first and most important skincare product is free, it’s WATER. Trust me, 8 glasses a day will keep you running to the bathroom but you will feel better and your skin will appear more hydrated. I now try to drink 4-5 cups of water each day and 2-3 cups of green tea to switch things up.
The second most important skincare product is SUNSCREEN! I use SPF 50 because I use a lot of products with glycolic and salicylic acid and those products can leave your skin a little more sensitive to the sun. Even if you are not using acid based skincare we should all wear sunscreen for UV protection, even those of us who are lucky enough to have enough melanin to prevent us from getting sunburned. According to research not only can UV rays actually accelerate the ageing process, the rays can be harmful to our skin.
Now onto the products I am using now.
Pixi skintreats Glow Tonic exfoliating toner.
This is the magic that largely saved my skin. I used it once morning and night for about a month, within just a week my skin was already looking better. Less outbreaks and my skin did actually start glowing. My bottle is practically empty and so I’m going to have to upgrade from travel sized and have one to keep at home.
Omia Laboratories Serum
After using a toner I always follow up with a serum, after running out of the green tea seed serum from innisfree I had to look around for a new one which led me to find the one I am currently using in the Italian drugstore Tigota. It’s an Italian brand based in Rome and so far it’s definitely been hydrating my skin. The texture is very different from serum I’m used to, its more like a lightweight moisturiser.
Kiehl’s Ultra facial cleanser
This is an oldie but goodie. I have used Kiehl’s several times in the past and I’ve never been disappointed. I used the once with salicylic acid before which was quite strong so I switched back to the Ultra facial cleanser because I found it to be milder on my skin.
Cosrx One-step original clear pad
I have mentioned these before, and yes they are from Korea (courtesy of my friend Jess) I was able to get a hold of these. After washing my face I like to go over once more with the clear pad to get rid of any remaining residue on my face especially if I am not toning. This is good for when I feel a little bit lazy and I won’t see my regime through to the end.
There you have it. These are the skincare products which have rescued my skin and completely transformed it within eight weeks. I have noticed such an improvement to my skin lately and feel more confident to wear less make up during these long sweaty summer days. I hope some of these products might also work for you. If you have any other amazing travel essentials please let me know.
