When I first started traveling over a year ago, my skin was an absolute wreck. It was either dry after a long plane ride or oily from the new climate I was traveling to. And because I was eating out and not as clean as I had been, I was breaking out like crazy. I will be the first to admit that some of my skin eruptions and sensitivity was due to a new routine – earlier mornings, more wine and desserts, less sleep, change in the hotel water’s pH and dehydration due to hours spent on planes. After a few weeks of dealing with my unruly skin, I started looking for a routine that would work well on the road.
When I am at my apartment, I have a lot of products at my disposal and can adjust my routine based on the skin issues I am having. I don’t have that luxury when all of my toiletries need to fit in a quart-size bag and be less than 3oz. The road warrior’s motto on travel is less is more. So, my quest began to find products that would meet all of my requirements. The cleanser was easy – I had been using the Michael Todd Charcoal Cleanser for a few months and loved how squeaky clean my face felt after a nice washing. I was lucky enough to get an e-mail from Michael Todd when they were having a Living Social deal on their Acne/Sensitive Skin Discovery Kit. It was the perfect price and the perfect size to travel with and the bottles were re-fillable!! I find that sticking with this organic cleanser at home and on the road gives my skin the consistency it needs and gets all of the grime off my face before I hit the pillow.
Next, I needed to find the best serum and moisturizer to place in my cosmetic bag. I recently became a big fan of layering and believe that serums are great because they are smaller molecules and can penetrate the skin more rapidly. On certain nights at my apartment, I will use up to 8 products to achieve my optimal result. But, on the road, I need one serum that will multi-task and improve the appearance of my skin by morning. A lot of the serums I fell in love with were too large to take in my carry-on, so the hunt began to find a great Vitamin-C based serum which would help to brighten the appearance of my skin and keep my skin looking young by encouraging the production of collagen. After a few hits and misses, I came across the
Valentia Even Glow Serum (c/o) which is made of 20% Vitamin C! My first reaction was that this antioxidant treatment had a great scent, which transported me back to my childhood growing up in Florida by the orange groves. After the first use, I noticed an improvement of the feel of my skin – it felt so much more hydrated. After a few more days, I noticed a significant change in the appearance of my skin – it was so much brighter and some of my dark spot were less noticeable. I have been traveling for the past month with the product and have noticed a significant decrease in the amount of breakouts I have had and I am feeling more confident wearing less makeup during the workday. (This is huge for me – I used to not go to brunch on Sunday in college without at least foundation, blush and mascara). And maybe one of the best things about this product is that I can buy it on Amazon! Yeah for 2-day shipping with my Prime membership and since I have added the product to my wish list, I am receiving periodic e-mails from Valentia with skincare tips and tricks. I can’t wait to try the homemade mask this weekend! The bottle I have been using is 1.18 ounces – way under the 3-ounce limit and a great size for traveling. I can’t say enough great things about this antioxidant serum! I hope that as we get in to the fall and cooler weather months, that my skin continues to cooperate with my travel schedule! I have a feeling that if I continue using this treatment, the look and feel of my skin will only get better! If you want to purchase the Valentia Even Glow Serum, go to Amazon and use coupon code: O6FGHOKC to get 20% off. If you purchase it, make sure to add the item to your Wish List, as well, to get fun and informative e-mails from Valentia!!!
To finish off my look for the night, I normally add JosieMaran 100% Light Argan Oil (I switched to the light version for the summertime, but also love the traditional oil and will switch back when the weather allows). It keeps my skin extremely moisturized and can be used to calm my frizzy hair or moisturize my cuticles.
I would love to hear your skincare secrets! Let me know in the comments below!
FYI – Parts of this post were gifted to me in exchange for this post. Please know, I will always provide you with my honest opinion of these items and will never recommend a product that I did not 100% love.
I love anything Josie Maran! I will have to try the other serum, thanks for the reviews! Have a great weekend!
xo, Whitney and Blaire
Peaches In A Pod