I know this was supposed to be my “Summer of Skin Care,” but all last week it was more like “The Summer Vacation of Minimal Skin Care,” haha!
SO different than our last trip to visit family in Hawaii. I took all of my favorite skin care products at the time and put them into these tiny sample jars I got from Nordstrom. Then I meticulously labeled each jar and kept up with my regular multi-step skin care regimen the entire trip.
Skin care-wise, this time I only brought makeup removal wipes (which I ended up not really using because I wore so little makeup), face wash, sunscreen and moisturizer, and I took my chances that if I were to get a bad pimple or something, I would either deal with it when I got home, or I’d pick up something from a drugstore. I also temporarily stopped following my anti-aging routine.
It was weirdly liberating to not have all of those little jars with me because I always bring them on trips, but after a week without my skin care bells and whistles, the sky wasn’t falling! Clearly, this concept of traveling light has been BLOWING MY FREAKING MIND, as you can tell.
Here are the skin products I did bring and how they worked for me…
Tula Purifying Facial Cleanser
Skin care brand Tula puts probiotics (like the good bacteria in your tummy!) in all of their products, and I really liked using and having their Purifying Facial Cleanser with me…although I have no idea if the probiotics have anything to do with how well it works. It smells a little like cucumbers and kept my skin clean and clear without stripping it.
Drunk Elephant Umbra Tinte Physical Daily Defense SPF 30
I’ve talked about this tinted sunscreen before and its gorgeous glowing finish. It’s good for everyday OR vacay.
Caudalie Vinoperfect Overnight Renewal Cream
This is super thick, rich and a little on the heavy side for humid Hawaii, but it kept my skin hydrated when I started wearing it overnight and the air conditioner was running, which had been drying out my skin early on the trip.
Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby Sunscreen
Initially got this for the Coywolf and used it on her, but El Hub and I liked it so much that we also used it on ourselves. It’s a thick, gentle mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide, and it takes a while to rub in, but I didn’t mind at all because it felt like it was really really protecting my skin, AND it was the most waterproof sunscreen we had. Way better than Coppertone Water Babies.
Malie hotel toiletries
I’m usually pretty picky about hotel toiletries, but I was all about the Malie products at Ko’Olina. They were totally on point.
Malie is a local luxury organic brand from Kauai, and they add organic aloe to their products. I used their Mango Nectar Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Cream and Luxe Creme Soap and loved them all.
They smelled like fresh mango and made my skin and hair soft and wonderfully moisturized. Plus, the products didn’t feel heavy or sticky at all.
My inner Filipino grandma wanted to hoard the bottles and bring a bunch of them home from the trip, but since they were liquid, they had to go in my designated Ziploc liquids bag, which was already stuffed, so yadda, yadda, yadda… I didn’t bring any of them home. 🙁
They also have a bunch of other scents that I want to try next!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I’m super curious about probiotics in skincare because I find them so helpful when I take them as supplements! I have some breakouts that seem to be fungal-based, and I wonder if the probiotics would help.
I’ve had to pare down my skincare because my skin just doesn’t like a ton of stuff on it right now!
Hi Chelsea,
I read an article a while back on a beauty industry site that mentioned probiotics as being the next big thing in skin care. Tula’s the only probiotic line I’ve tried so far (I’m now testing a glycolic serum from the line) and so far I like it. The products I’ve tried seem very gentle!
Isn’t it fascinating how skin reflects what you eat and drink? When I’m dehydrated and eating junk food, I definitely notice a difference.
I’m curious about the Tula skincare line. Going to go look them up.
I think if you are adressing your Skins Needs, there is no harm in streamlinig it for a certain amount of time. A good cleanser, a good SPF and (in my case) a Serum and a face oil would be what i would bring.
Does the Tula cleanser foam up? I’m looking for a new cleanser now that the one I use has been discontinued. I find foaming cleansers a bit drying for my skin.
I’m cruising the Malie website now. Tempted by some of the scented bath soaps. I haven’t been to Hawaii since Dear Daughter was in junior high. Dear Husband needs to take me back soon.
Hi Tatiana,
Nope! It’s a gel cleanser which stays gel-like as you work it into the skin. I like it for a first AM cleanse or second PM cleanse because it doesn’t remove my waterproof mascara. It smells good, too… Kinda like cucumbers.
I’ve been looking for Bay Area Maile retailers and there’s quite a few here, mostly at spas. If/when you go back to Hawaii let me know, so I can give you a list of fun things to do. 🙂
Ooh! Sounds just like my type of cleanser. And it’s not overly expensive either. Well at least compared to some I’ve been looking at. I’m not holding my breath until Dear Husband decides to take another vacation. I may have to return to Hawaii with my daughter. You stayed on Oahu? That was the first island I had ever visited. At the time Dear Husband’s boss had a house in Kailua and he let us stay there. I cried when we had to fly home, that’s how nice the house was.