Ah, Vacation

Its a time when one normally relaxes, gets away from it all, takes a time-out from day-to-day life.  After the stress of packing and dealing with airports that is. Speaking of packing and the stress of dealing with airports, nothing has exacerbated both more than the liquids restriction.  Now I have to 1) check my bag for most trips and 2) pay to do so.  Argh!  To avoid paying to check my bag on shorter trips, and to dodge having to haul a second suitcase devoted to skincare, I've learned to multi-task and make some substitutions that help me to squeeze through the security line for a two-day trip with a quart bag only.  Really!  Alas, for a longer vacation, I still have to check.

MULTI-TASKING ALLSTARS:  Replace eyemakeup remover and makeup remover with wipes.  I use the Neutrogena ones, and avoid Comodynes like the plague (they make me and everyone I know break out.)  Kiehl's Formula 133 does double duty as rinse out and leave in conditioner, and even helps to control frizz.  The best multi-tasker of all?  Aquaphor.  One tiny tube lets you leave behind lip balm, hand cream, foot cream and cuticle oil. 

JUST DON'T PACK IT: Shower gel.  Shaving cream.  Use the soap in the hotel, its fine.  Really.  Instead of your exfoliators, rub clean skin with a wet washcloth.  Full size anything? No way, decant it.  Buy travel size?  Don't waste your money (or despoil the environment.)  Re-use the containers you have, please!

Golf: the Ultimate Sun Challenge

Much to my dermatologist's dismay, I play golf. I also surf and go to the beach, but when I surf, I wear a wetsuit. When I go to the beach, I hide under an umbrella. When I play golf, I bake in the sun for 18 long holes. (Long because my golf game is terrible, I should probably work on that.....) Golf courses are frequently hot, thus I sweat, making sun protection even more of a challenge. So I modify my sun protection routine to acknowledge what I'm up against. I start with a layer of chemical sunscreen. By "layer", we're talking about a full ounce for the whole body. That's a shot glass full of sunscreen. I personally like the Anthelios line, as it is the only line cleared in the U.S. with Meroxyl, one of the broad-spectrum sunscreens available in Europe, but not in the U.S. unless your dermatologist moonlights as a smuggler. Plus, unlike the chemical sunscreens commonly available in the U.S., it isn't a known hormone disruptor or suspected carcinogen.  (*Heads up:  if you're buying Anthelios in the U.S., read the label carefully.  Only a few products in the line have Meroxyl.  The rest have....Oxybenzone.  Anthelios makes separate lines for the U.S. and the rest of the world;  the line for the rest of the world does not contain Oxybenzone and has a far higher SPF than the Meroxyl formulations available in the U.S.  Irony of ironies that the safer, better sunscreen is barely available in the U.S., but the known endocrine disrupter and weaker protectant is in virtually everything.)  For more information on sunscreen ingredients, check out the comprehensive www.ewg.org.  Use a CREAM not a spray, unless you're reapplying. It is almost impossible to get thorough coverage that's effective to the advertised SPF using a spray alone, thanks to the tendency of aerosols to distribute the product in every direction, not just to your skin, not to mention up your nose and into your lungs.  YUCK. Neutrogena and Coppertone make great sport sunscreens as well, both of which are far more economical than Anthelios, BUT they do contain Oxybenzone, which expose users to the aforementioned health concerns.  Read your labels, and look for Meroxyl, Avobenzone, Titanium Dioxide, or Zinc Oxide.

After I let the chemical sunscreen soak in for 20 minutes (chemical sunscreens must absorb for 20 minutes to achieve full effectiveness) I add a layer of sweat-resistant physical sunscreen. Check out Blue Lizard Australian Sport or Solar Sense Clear Zinc; both water and sweat resistant, plus go on clear so that you won't look too much like an actor in a Kabuki play. Then REAPPLY every two hours. I do use a non-aerosol spray (more on these later) to re-apply, but I make sure that I'm re-applying a significant amount each time. Don't forget a full-brimmed hat!

The One Product I'd Take to a Desert Island

If (perish the thought) I had to take only one product with me to a desert island, it would be sunscreen. Preferably an inexhaustible supply. There is no more important bottle in your beauty closet. And if you don't have a bottle (or six) in your beauty closet, then stop reading now, because the sun will destroy all of the work that even the most expensive products can do to keep your skin healthy and youthful. And then there's that whole pesky cancer thing. Now that I've set myself up with "one product", I have to add a disclaimer. There is no one sunscreen that works for every occasion. So for this post, I'll cover sunscreens for daily walking-around purposes. And no, unless you commute via subway, don't go out for meetings, and don't go to lunch, the sunscreen in your facial moisturizer isn't sufficient. Even if you do commute by subway, if you go out to lunch, you do need to reapply! And don't even get me started on sunscreen in foundation; it isn't close to enough on its own, plus most women don't wear foundation over their entire faces, let alone on their necks and decolletes. OK, rant over. For the moment.

 FACE, NECK, DECOLLETE: My top pick is Neova DNA Damage Control Everyday SPF 43. We're woefully limited here in the U.S. as regards effective broad-spectrum sunscreens compared to those available in Europe, but transparent Zinc Oxide is pretty fantastic on the broad-spectrum front. Plus it is great for sensitive skin, and works instantly. This particular sunscreen also has anti-oxidants and active enzymes that work to repair your skin while protecting from further damage. For those who have acne, I LOVE EltaMD UV clear. More transparent Zinc Oxide, AND anti-acnegenics. For eyes, I swear by Shiseido Sun Protection Eye Cream SPF 32 (yes, yet more Zinc Oxide....) Protecting your lips is a must; they burn extremely easily. There are many, many lip balms, glosses, sticks on the market with SPF, so just choose one you like and reapply frequently. My one suggestion would be to avoid products with parabens, you do eat everything that goes on your lips, after all. I like Jane Iredale Lip Drink and Coola LipLux; the first organic, the second paraben free, both smell good. Tip: don't let the Jane Iredale melt; when it re-solidifies, it will forever after leave a weird white sheen on your lips.

 BODY: For body, I have yet to find anything as good as EltaMD daily body moisturizer SPF 30+. I've tried Yes to Carrots, and frankly, I hated it. Its just impossible to rub in, and the texture is somewhere between lumpy and grainy. The upside? Its about a quarter of the price of the EltaMD, which is absurdly expensive. I used to love the Alba Botanicals Daily Shade moisturizer, despite it being a chemical sunscreen, as it had a gentle AHA and antioxidants and an inoffensive scent, was affordable, and came in a half-gallon size. Sadly, they changed the scent this year such that it now smells like Vaseline Intensive Care, which I personally can't stand. As soon as I find something affordable that works as well as EltaMD's, I will post it immediately!

HANDS: At least as exposed as our faces, and ultra-thin skinned. So why are there so few hand-specific products out there?? For a while, Peter Thomas Roth made a great one, called "Hands That Lie". Loaded with anti-oxidants, lightening ingredients, and SPF 15. Very moisturizing, not greasy, and it didn't take off nail polish. (Why do so many sunscreens have this effect?? No clue.) Neutrogena makes their classic with SPF, but while being small enough to get past the TSA, the texture is so thick it takes way too long to absorb. B.Kamins makes a cream with SPF that is easier to apply than Neutrogena's, but is too greasy for year round use and has the unfortunate tendency to remove one's nail polish. I still have three tubes of Hands That Lie stockpiled, so I will revisit this one when it starts to become critical... Next up: the ultimate sunscreen challenge, the golf course.

Finally, my friends get what they want

which is a place where they can get all of the skincare tips they've been chasing me for, all in one place. After a recent incident when, during a business meeting (!), a woman reached over and actually ran her thumb down my cheek to see whether I was telling the truth about not wearing foundation, I thought it was time. So I will be periodically posting my reviews, obsessions, diversions, etc. Hope to hear from you!