Winter Travel Skincare

When I packed (last-minute, of course) for Canada, I really had select what I consider to be winter essentials to cram into a teeny suitcase.

I recalled my spring break in New York and realized how fricking dry my skin gets in the chilly weather. So of course, my travel stash has a strong emphasis on moisture-retention and hydration.

Starting with cleansing, I chosen a cream cleanser, because cream cleansers are known to be richer than other face washes. I picked up Salma Hayek's Nuance Chamomile Facial Cream Cleanser in hopes that it won't overstrip my skin's oil, which is my body's natural way of maintaining moisture.

Next up is exfoliation. I find that daily exfoliation has a larger role in skin clarity for me than even cleansing. I have oily/combination skin and my skin regenerates quickly. I find that if I even skip a day or two of exfoliation, my skin gets scaly quick (especially my nose) from dead skin cell buildup and bam! Clogged pores galore. :(

If you live by daily exfoliation too, try to look for a gentle physical scrub, meaning fine grains. I'm
using up my St. Ives Green Tea Scrub, which works pretty well.

Before I left, I was sure that a hydrating serum would be my savior in the weeks to come. I was dead wrong.

Serums always end up costing more than the rest of my skincare, sometimes combined. Eeek! I always figured they were worth it. But sometimes, I wonder if serums are some sort of marketing ploy to convince us it was worth paying an obscene amount of money for a tiny bottle with a glass dropper.

There's a weird glorification of serums, and we expect some magical transformation from it like it's a potion from Harry Potter. I'm not saying serums don't work, but they aren't the ones doing your heavy lifting. It would be like saying toners clean better than face wash or that Garfunkel is more important than Simon. It's moisturizers FTW, baby.

I'm using Genie in a Bottle Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Serum. It's pretty cheap for a serum, only around $8 for a set of four 1-oz bottles and I got it in a BOGOF sale. Score. It offers a boost of hydration. But I'm fine if I hadn't brought it with me.

Before I left, I picked up a tube of German-made Nivea Creme to try because of the raves I read online, especially, Rae's. I was after an uber rich moisturizer that would work in sub-zero (seriously) conditions. The stuff I used in California just wasn't going to cut it. I'll write more about it soon but it's an amazing moisturizer. Because I'm traveling, it doubles as a day and night face cream. It keeps my wind-chapped face supple. My face is cold and numb here, but it sure ain't dry!

Most importantly, I brought sunscreen with me. Even though I only see the sun every three days (never thought I would miss it), I want to practice constant vigilance against sun damage wherever I go. Plus, the Badger SPF 30+ Baby Sunscreen is super rich and thus functions as an additional moisturizer. I would never use this in California, but it works perfectly here.

Lastly, I brought along an eye cream, because the skin around your eyes is extra delicate and prone to damage. I usually use anything my mom gives me. Currently I have RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream.

Sorry for my serum rant, I don't know what came over me, lol.

Do you have any skincare travel staples or recommendations? Your thoughts!

ByTowne Cinema

We went to this theater last night to watch Shame. Man, is that so not a date movie! Hope you all have had a wonderful weekend!