MY VACATION BEAUTY BAG "MUST-HAVES"

 

Packing for a trip is always an undertaking.  We agonize over what outfits to bring, how many pairs of shoes to take, and of course what makeup to haul in our makeup bags.  I, like most people, tend to overdo it, and never use half of the products I packed!

When packing skincare and makeup, we feel we need of all the lotions and potions we use on a daily basis, especially the item we might need in an emergency.  We end up bringing everything in our bathroom cabinets, and have much more then we will ever need on our trip.  Going on vacation is all about letting go and relaxing.  This doesn’t mean you have to abandon your beauty regime – just consolidate and simplify.

When going on a vacation you always want to be prepared.  Your skin may have different needs in regard to the stress of travel, hot or cold climate change and different eating habits.  So you want to plan and pack accordingly, and only bring the items you need for your getaway.

Follow these essential travel rules along with few extra tips to insure you will be prepared for anything, your packing will be easy, and your beauty bag will be light:

• Get a manicure and pedicure a day or two before you go on holiday.  Take the nail color used on your nails and pack it along with a clear top coat and a nail file all together in a plastic baggy for quick touch-ups to ensure your nails will look fabulous for the duration of your trip.

• Get your eyebrows, bikini line, underarms and legs professionally waxed a week before your vacation. This will ensure smooth, radiant skin without razor burn or irritations, and no need for a razor or refills.  No fuss and no worries about shaving while you’re gone.

• Pack a high SPF cream for the face and body, along with an after sun lotion that will double as a body lotion.  Protecting your skin from the sun’s rays is a key factor to beautiful skin and your health in general.

• Buy travel size containers for shampoo, conditioner, and your favorite hair care products they will take up less room in your bag, and are easy to refill for your next vacation.

• A mini cleanser, toner, and moisturizer with SPF 15 and eye cream are the ideal size for a vacation.  A complete skincare.

• A Light weight with buildable coverage foundation is perfect. Or if light coverage is fine for you a BB cream with SPF is perfect to wear during the day.

• A nude color lipstick and/lipgloss is a great universal color and is beautiful on everyone.
• Take your favourite neutral color shadow quad.

• Easily applied eyeliner adds great definition to your eyes.

• A waterproof mascara will last all day long in any climate.

• A translucent powder  to set your foundation and is great for touch ups throughout the day.

Now your beauty bag is complete with only the must-haves you need to look and feel great on your next vacation!

Travel Cosmetic Bag

EXFOLIANTS: Scrubs and Chemical Exfoliants

 

Why You Need to Add an Exfoliant

Even if you cleanse, tone, apply a sunscreen in the morning and a moisturizer at night, there's still one thing missing that could make all the difference in the world to get you the skin you want: an exfoliant! 

 

Facial Scrubs and specially formulated exfoliants are essential for skin care routine.

Without question, a well formulated AHA (alpha hydroxy acid such as glycolic and lactic acids) or BHA (beta hydroxy acid, also known as salicylic acid) product is much more benefial than a regular scrub.

A Regular Scrub

Chemical Exfoliants

Regular exfoliation can help remove dead skin cells, help keep pores clean and improve blood circulation, which will give your skin a healthy, more youthful glow. Exfoliation also helps your moisturizer and skin care treatments penetrate better.

When it comes to exfoliation, you have several choices: 

1) You can make an appointment at a dermatology clinic or a trendy spa for a pricey skin-shedding regimen, or

2) You can buy top-shelf designer skin treatments that retail for more than $100 per tiny tube, or

3) You can spare your pocketbook by giving yourself an exfoliating treatment at home, using natural ingredients that you can find at your local supermarket, health-food store or even online. Some of these ingredients, in fact, are the same ones used in pricy, brand-name exfoliants. (Honey, lemon juice,yogurt, baking soda, ground fruits seeds and nuts, sugar, oatmeal, papaya, ground coffee, sea salt)

 

 

 

 

How Exfoliation Works

After an exfoliation treatment, new skin develops. Your new skin absorbs moisture more easily. Maintaining moisture helps slow the wrinkle process and produces a more glowing appearance.

When you gently get rid of built-up skin cells you can undo clogged pores, stop breakouts, smooth out wrinkles, even make dry skin become a thing of the past!

 

 

Exfoliation Scrubs 

Granules found in exfoliant scrubs vary in size. Scrubs containing larger granules may be appropriate for less sensitive skin, while smaller granules are more appropriate for sensitive skin. Equally important, people with skin disorders, including those with acne or blemishes, have to be extremely cautious when selecting an exfoliation scrub. Dry skin can also be irritated by exfoliation scrubs.

From natural substances such as botanical extracts and almond shells, to alpha hydroxyl acids, every ingredient works differently. Use caution when applying a particular exfoliation scrub for the first time. Some ingredients, though natural, may be too harsh for your particular skin type. You'll have to experiment and make adjustments until you find the right products for your skin.

 

AHA and BHA Exfoliants

There are two primary topical ways to exfoliate skin, either with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), or with beta hydroxy acid (BHA). There is only one BHA (beta hydroxy acid) and that is salicylic acid, but there are five major types of AHAs that show up in skin-care products which are glycolic, lactic, malic, citric, and tartaric acids. Of these, the most commonly used and most effective AHAs are glycolic and lactic acids. Both of these have the ability to penetrate the skin, plus they have the most accumulated research on their functionality and benefit for skin.

What glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acids both do is "unglue" the outer layer of dead skin cells, allowing healthier cells to come to the surface. Removing this dead layer can improve skin texture and color, unclog pores, and allow moisturizers to be better absorbed by the skin. Both AHAs and BHA affect the top layers of skin, and they help to improve the appearance of sun-damaged, dry, and/or thickened skin.

 

Because AHAs and BHA work through chemical processes, they can penetrate the skin and produce better results than cosmetic scrubs, which work only on the exposed surface of the skin. And, there is no risk that AHAs and BHA will cause you to lose too much skin.  

 

What's The Difference between AHA and BHA Exfoliants?

Great question! When properly formulated, both AHAs and BHA are brilliant options for exfoliating the surface of skin, but each has its special qualities you'll want to consider when deciding which one to use:

• AHAs are preferred for sun-damaged and dry skin because they exfoliate on the surface of skin and have the added benefit of also improving moisture content. (8% AHA Gel) 
• BHA is preferred for oily, acne-prone skin and for treating blackheads and white bumps because BHA can get through the oil that's clogging your pores, normalizing the lining of the misshapen pore that contributes to acne. The BHA products are designed specifically for oily/combination skin, blackhead-prone skin, and for those with acne.

If your skin is sun-damaged and you're also struggling with acne or clogged pores, add a BHA product to your routine. If you'd like to use an AHA and BHA at the same time, that is an option, though not really necessary. Some people find they work well when they're applied at the same time, but if you want to give this a try it is best to apply them separately, one during the day and one in the evening.

How Do I Use an AHA or BHA Exfoliant?

• You can apply an AHA or BHA product once or twice a day.
• You can also apply either of these around the eye area but not on the eyelid or directly under the eye.
• Apply the AHA or BHA product after your face is cleansed and after your toner has dried.
• Once the AHA or BHA has been absorbed, you can apply any other product in your routine, such as moisturizer, serum, eye cream, sunscreen, and/or foundation.
• If you're using a topical prescription product (retinoids), or any of the topical prescription products for rosacea apply the BHA or AHA first.

 

Should I Use a Scrub to Exfoliate?

Scrubs are certainly an option for exfoliating your skin, but they have limitations you don't have to worry about with an AHA or BHA exfoliant. Scrubs only deal with the very top, superficial layer of skin while most of the unhealthy, built-up skin cells are beyond the reach of a scrub. What is most problematic is that many scrubs have a rough, coarse, uneven texture that can cause skin damage by tearing into the skin as it abrades away the surface, causing tiny tears that damage the skin's barrier. Scrubs often cause more problems than they could possibly solve.

If you do want to use a manual scrub, you can simply use a gentle washcloth with your daily cleanser, which works just as well to exfoliate the surface of skin as any cosmetic scrub you can buy. As a bonus, washcloths are softer (thus gentler) and of course they don't contain pore-clogging ingredients that oily, acne-prone skin doesn't need.

 

Is it Possible to Exfoliate Too Often?

Exfoliating your skin is great, but how often to use one that works best for your skin type takes experimenting. It is possible to overdo it, and your skin will tell you if you've gone too far. For some people once a day works best, for others every other day, or once a week. However, exfoliating does not negatively affect how healthy skin cells are generated in the lower layers of skin. If anything, exfoliating unhealthy dead skin cells on the surface of skin can improve collagen production, increase skin's ability to hold moisture, and allow pores to function normally!

CLEANSERS: Best 5 Facial Cleansers

Drugstore Cleansers

 

Cleansing is the most important part of the daily skincare routine. If you quit this step, you can never benefit enough from your skincare products as much as you are supposed to.

However, there is no need to spend a lot of money on a cleanser with special ingredients in it because you're just washing the product down the drain.





You can get a basic cleanser from any drugstore. Look for a mild, soap-free cleanser that's formulated for your skin type.

 

Here you will find the best facial cleansers for different skin types: dry, oily, combination, sensitive and blemished. 

1. Best Cleanser for Dry to Normal Skin: Cetaphil Cleanser

Baby-mild product that even dermatologists swear by. Why is this $10 cleanser such a must-have? It is creamy, simple and isn't loaded with chemicals or perfumes that can irritate the skin. Cetaphil cleanser is one of the best drugstore buys out there.

 

 

 

 

 

2. Best Moisturizing Cleanser for Dry Skin: Pond's Cold Cream

For years I thought of Pond's cold cream as "The Cleanser of Choice for Grandmothers".Turns out Pond's is also "The Cleanser of Choice for Chic French Women". For years the French have opted for super moisturizing cold creams. You simply massage this in and then wipe off with a tissue or a warm washcloth and you're left with super soft skin. It removes makeup without leaving skin feeling "tight." Plus, water can contain hard contaminants that are harsh on skin and at least one prominent dermatologist I know strongly advises against rinsing the face with water. It gets 5 out of 5 stars.

The Secret of Kylie Minogue

3. Best Cleanser for Oily Skin: Clinique Wash-Away Gel Cleanser

Gel cleansers work well for oily skin because they absorb excess oils. This classic cleanser can be a bit drying, so test the product before you buy.

 

 

 

  

4.Best Cleanser for Acne: Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash, Acne Treatment

Neutrogena is one of the best drugstore beauty brands, hands-down, and you can't go wrong with this simple acne wash for acne-stricken skin. People love it because the salicylic acid gel is gentle and soothing -- spiked with aloe and chamomile. It also dries out breakouts without drying out sensitive, irritable skin.

 

 

5.Best Cleanser for Sensitive Skin: Olay Foaming Face Wash, Sensitive Skin

This basic drugstore cleanser works well for sensitive skin because it contains no harsh ingredients that will inflame skin.

 





Cleansing is very important to maintain healthy and glowing skin. Your skin is the main organ which is exposed to pollution, dust and harmful radiation. So, it is always essential to cleanse your skin regularly using skin cleansers to get rid of impurities. You must choose skin cleansers depending on your skin type.





Removing Makeup

There are loads of makeup removers in the market especially formulated to remove heavy makeup. However, you can remove your makeup with cleansers. I, personally, remove my daily make up with my liquid wash away cleanser and rinse off with tap water. 

If you prefer waterproof make up, you must use makeup removers which are especially formulated to remove waterproof makeup.

 

 



As the eye area is delicate, removing eye make up with harsh cleansers can be irritating. You can use eye makeup remover which helps remove your eye makeup, whether be waterproof or not, gently. 





Never skip this step! Cleanse your face twice a day. In the morning and in the evening. A clean face, without impurities and makeup, can breathe and renew itself better. And it is the way to flawless beautiful skin.

Retinoids, Vitamin C and Glycolic Acid: How to Combine Anti-aging Products

Combining Different Antiaging Products

Tretinoin (retinoic acid) and Glycolic acid (AHA) are both powerful anti-aging skin care ingredients that make very noticeable improvements in the appearance of the skin by:

• Lighten age spots
• Smooth and exfoliate the skin giving it a more luminous character
• Work to reverse wrinkles by building new collagen just underneath the surface of the skin.

The ultimate anti aging skin care product combination is to use both of these and throw in a strong professional level vitamin C product every 4th day. Each of these ingredients works to rejuvenate the skin by a different mechanism, and thus combination therapy yields more age reversal that using just one alone.

Unfortunately, all these highly effective anti-aging ingredients are irritating.  Only people with really tolerant skin can combine tretinoin and glycolic acid therapy.  People with sensitive skin  have to pick either tretinoin OR glycolic acid.  People who can’t tolerate using tretinoin with glycolic acid can sometimes tolerate using just one of these ingredient with a topical vitamin C product.  This is because the vitamin C is not exfoliating.  Vitamin C is, however, irritating to exfoliated skin so it is still a little tricky.

The reason that it’s tricky to combine these wonderful and effective anti aging ingredients is that the glycolic acid and the tretinoin are both very exfoliating.  Exfoliated skin has a more refined and luminous appearance, but also  absorbs things faster.  Because the glycolic acid and the vitamin C both have an acid pH, they can be irritating to exfoliated skin.  In addition, tretinoin causes a ‘break in’ rash when a person first starts using it.  The skin adjusts in about a month and the rash typically goes away, but skin with retinoid rash gets really irritated from the acid pH of the glycolic acid or the vitamin C products.

GOLDEN TIP

When people want to try to combine anti-aging home therapy, the best way is to start on the tretinoin at night for at least 2 months. When the skin has adjusted to the tretinoin, add professional level glycolic acid during the day.

When the combination is tolerated and can be applied every day, then throw in the vitamin c serum.

To help the skin tolerate this powerful anti aging treatment, it is better to add an antioxidant cream.

Antioxidant Creams

 

Of course, any exfoliating anti aging treatment means that a person MUST wear a 5% or more microsized zinc oxide sunscreen every day, all year, regardless of their planned activities.  Because exfoliated skin allows more damaging sun rays to enter the skin, it is better to wear hat and try to keep the face out of direct sunlight as much as possible.  This is important for skin cancer prevention, and it’s also critical for "anti-aging skin rejuvenation" to be effective.

The combo anti-aging skincare regimen is:

Morning

1. Wash with a gentle cleanser 
2. Hydrating Antioxidant cream
3. Glycolic acid product or vitamin c serum
4. Moisturizer if needed (eg. A Daily Moisturizing Face Cream)
5. Sunscreen

Night time

1. Wash with a gentle cleanser as above
2. Hydrating Antioxidant Cream
3. Daily Moisturizing Face Cream of choice if needed
4. Wait 15 minutes then Tretinoin (begin every 3rd night and gradually work up to every night)

If a person cannot tolerate both tretinoin and glycolic home therapy, then they can combine tretinoin at night, Vitamin C Serum during the day and have occasional glycolic acid peels done carefully by a skin care professional.  

WARNING: The exfoliation achieved with tretinoin makes the peels tricky and the skin care professional needs to be experienced with this situation.  The risk is that the peel may be go too deep and injure the skin, potentially causing scarring.  

RETINOIDS: Anti-aging Vitamin A

Retinoid

Studies have shown that the vitamin A derivatives known as Retinoids (retinoic acid) unplug pores, help clear up acne, reduce fine lines, boost the production of collagen, lighten brown spots and freckles, and improve skin texture.

Before and After Using Retinoid Creams

The retinoids – which have even been shown to help treat precancerous skin lesions -- is sold by prescription only under names that include Renova, Retin-A, and the generic Tretinoin.

A retinoid should be the foundation of any topical antiaging regimen.

Men and women should make a retinoid part of their evening regimen beginning in their 20s.

The downside is that retinoids can initially cause dryness, flaking, and redness.

Dermatologists say that starting out slowly, applying a pea-sized amount of retinoid every second or third night, can help your skin adjust to the powerful ingredient.

Or consider an over-the-counter cream, gel, or serum containing retinol. This nonprescription version of a retinoid works more gradually and gently but is still effective in rejuvenating your skin.

Serum Containing Retinol

Vichy LiftActiv Retional HA

Bombarding your skin with lots of different ingredients can be irritating. What’s more, used in combination, some ingredients will cancel out each other’s benefits.

For example, the acid in salicylic or glycolic acid breaks down ingredients like retinol, hydroquinone, or Vitamin C. More is not necessarily better.

 

The products necessary for beautiful skin aren’t glamorous, and include a simple cleanser, sunscreen, moisturizer, and a retinoid or retinol.

Skin Benefits of Tretinoin (Retinoic acid)

1.  Increased collagen stimulation: Avoiding Wrinkles

Tretinoin directly stimulates collagen formation by inhibiting collagen breakdown.  It increases extracellular collagen formation by 80% in the papillary dermis when used for 1 year!  The clinical effects relate to smoother and softer skin texture with a decrease of fine lines and wrinkles. So, it is one of the best anti-aging cream we can find.

2.  Protection from sun exposure

Tretinoin prevents breakdown of collagen from ultraviolet exposure.  It is still important to sun protect with an effective sunscreen.  

Apply Retinoids at Night and Sunscreen in the Morning

3. Treatment for Acne

Topical retinoid medications are useful for treating blackheads and whiteheads by helping to open clogged pores. Examples of these are tretinoin (brand name Retin-A), adapalene (brand name Differin) and tazarotene (brand name Tazorac).

Before and After Using Tretinoin

4.  Improves Pigmentation

Tretinoin increases cell turnover thereby removing epidermal cells containing pigment (melanin) giving a less pigmented appearance.  This increase of cell turnover also allows better penetration of a topical bleaching agent (hydroquinone) when used in combination.

It is important to remember to clean the face 20-30 minutes before application of tretinoin since application while the face is damp will increase sensitivity.

The third generation retinoic acids are the newest additions, adapalene (Differin) and tazarotene (Tazorac).

Adapalene (Differin) has less retinoid dermatitis than tretinoin, but it works primarily for acne and does not help a lot for photodamaged skin.

 Tazarotene (tazorac) has similar results as tretinoin in that it helps improve wrinkling, pore size, textural irregularities and hyperpigmentation.

So my recommendation is to use a form of retinoic acid at night before you sleep. There are generics available for Retina-A (tretinoin).  Apply a thin layer of tretinoin to your face and neck to help stimulate dermal collagen and help with cell turnover.

From time to time, your skin will peel, in which case, skip one night and reapply the next night.  To some degree you can think of topical retinoids as your own chemical peel.