I know everyone is fawning over autumn now but I’m enjoying the last bit of the monsoons. It’s great for my skin because I don’t need a lot of hydration and it’s so cool and pleasant. In the last couple of months, I’m been on a lot of impromptu roadtrips and small getaways where I’ve consistently reached for the products I’m going to talk about. These don’t feature very often in my regular skincare routine as I keep them handy for travel. I thought I should do a post dedicated to these since they aren’t talked about much on the blog or over on my instagram.
I’m a skincare minimalist when I travel, just the duo of a cleanser and moisturizer is good enough. I do carry an acid toner or an AHA mask if it’s a lot of days that I’m out but I usually just stick to a very good multi-use cleanser and a basic moisturizer. Maybe a spot treatment cream if I already have a breakout but other than that, this is it.
I’ve had this tub of Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm for over a year now and I’m slowly making my way through it. First of all, this is amazing at taking off every last bit of dirt, grime and makeup. I sometimes do two washes with just this to double cleanse and even use it in the morning. The fact that it’s a solid balm in very sturdy packaging makes this indestructible. I’ve been to hot and humid climates and the balm hasn’t leaked or turned oily either (I had this problem with my Banila Co. Cleansing Balm). Even though I prefer cleansing oils to use everyday, I can’t deal with the faff of protecting the nozzle or dealing with leakage. Just give me a cleanser in solid form. It’s also something that’s easy for others to use, I make my husband use this all the time! In future I might like a travel size version of this if they make one, that would be perfect.
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Soothing Protective Care is formulated for sensitive skin. This particular one is for normal to dry skin which is perfect for me. It’s very creamy and light, it does take a while to sink in but I don’t mind it too much. Did I mention this is also fragrance free? There are variants for different skin types in this range as well. Why did I pick this exact one though? The packaging and decent price. It’s 50ml which doesn’t take up too much space. It won’t shatter or leak (like my daily Clinique moisturizer might). Again, this isn’t a product I use everyday. I do keep this in my handbag every day but I rarely feel the need to use this. That might change come winter though.
Shiseido Perfect UV Protector SPF 50+ PA++++ is my holy grail sunscreen and has been so for quite a while. It’s runny, very very light, easy to apply and most importantly, has zero whitecast with no sheen. It’s the sleek packaging makes this great to carry around and the nozzle gives great control over the product. It’s a chemical sunscreen that’s also water resistant and has an element which gets activated when you sweat. Can’t ask for anything more if you’re out on a hot sunny day. It also has a very smoothening effect on the skin and which creates a very silky base to apply makeup. From an ingredients perspective, this does contain alcohol which I try to avoid but I’ve used this for over a year now and repurchased it twice, I don’t think it’s caused any sensitivity or problems.
The area around my lips is very sensitive to the sun and I’ve been looking for lip balms with SPF for a while. I found the SebaMed Lip Defense SPF 30 and it’s perfect! If I’m going to a sunny place, this is the lip balm I tend to use. It’s not very balm, quite solid but does the job. Not as moisturizing as my Nuxe Rêve de Miel or TBS Vitamin E Lip Balm.
I used to use the same Shiseido sunscreen for my body but I was looking for alternatives. Around a few months back I discovered The Face Shop Natural Sun Eco Clear Sunscreen Stick SPF 50+ PA++++. This is also a chemical sunscreen, I love that it’s clear, there’s absolutely no white cast, it’s pretty easy to apply everywhere. It does take a bit of muscle to work it in and it leaves the tiniest hint of a sheen but I can deal with it for my arms and legs. It’s very lightweight, non-sticky, the texture feels like nothing. It’s small stick and easy to run through it quickly if you’re using it everyday though.
When it comes to a body lotion, for the last few months I didn’t want something akin to a body butter. I love my Aesop Rind Concentrate Body Balm way too much, which means I tend to use it sparingly anyway. Making it my “travel-only” body lotion was the logical choice. I love the citrus scent this has, it’s a tad stronger than what I usually like but very pleasant and fresh. The balm itself is the very creamy and just the right medium consistency I was looking for.
While this isn’t strictly skincare (does the scalp count?), I can’t live with dry shampoo. The travel size Batiste Dry Shampoo are always by my side. Yes, I hate the white powder too but if you massage it in well, it goes away. I’ve tried a lot of different dry shampoos over the years and I always come back to this. It truly makes my hair look super clean and matte.
Lastly, Jo Malone Basil and Neroli is my favourite perfume discovery this year, it’s a very fresh and clean scent. I already repurchased a larger bottle that I use everyday and I save my smaller 30ml bottle for travels.
Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm – Nykaa, Nordstrom, Sephora
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Soothing Protective Care – Nykaa
Shiseido Perfect UV Protector SPF 50+ PA++++ – Nordstrom
Seba Med Lip Defense SPF 30 – Nykaa
The Face Shop Natural Sun Eco Clear Sunscreen Stick SPF 50+ PA++++- Nykaa
Aesop Rind Concentrate Body Balm – Aesop
Jo Malone Basil and Neroli – Nordstrom, Sephora
Batiste Dry Shampoo – Nykaa
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