Travel Skincare: Skin freaking out from travel, need recs on a budget!

[visivo]

Hiii, it's been ages since I've been really active here, as I stopped wearing much makeup at all.

Right now, I need skin advice, badly. I have a very multi-level situation that takes some background explanation, but if you don't care about the details, by all means skip to the bold parts to see what I'm looking for and suggest away! I'd be so grateful.

Mostly my skin cleared up hugely when I stopped wearing makeup daily (which is almost silly to point out in specktra forums!) a few years ago. Since then, I've tried to be diligent about skincare and at least wearing sunscreen every day but now I am traveling I wash with very basic soap and rarely remember sunscreen or choose not to because of heaviness and not wanting to deal with that detail.

Basically, I have been traveling for six months, living all over. Skincare has taken a back burner to everything else, what with budgeting, moving around a lot, sometimes not having access to proper skincare (let alone potable water!). The other problem is the amount of sun I've gotten. I feel like I look well older now and my skin feels less elastic, more lined, and uneven in texture where it used to be near-perfect. I still have issues with blackheads and those look like crap now too since I haven't been exfoliating often and air quality sucks in big cities (ugh, London!).

Tangent: >>It's been wonderful not worrying about makeup and skin and just living freeeeely and feeling pretty and happy and glowy anyway. I swear I looked perfect about two months in, what with all the rest, fresh air and healthy livin'. But boy does that not last long! I had a facial in Hungary a month or so ago and the esthetician treated me like a noob, telling me all these things about how to care for my skin properly, how to wash my face properly (!) I didn't think I was that bad! Little did she know a year ago I had porcelain (well freckled) skin nicer and better-maintained than hers! I spent loads on skincare and took great care of myself. But sometimes you have to chill out and be a hippy about your skin for a bit, wash your face with a bar of soap (gasp) and worry about other things.<<

But most importantly, now is the time I should be most careful with sun protection, and I'm just not doing it. What I need is a sunscreen that is light/sinks in, is noncomedogenic and doesn't cost an arm and a leg (like, 30 USD or less maybe?). Maybe a moisturizer with SPF?

My boyfriend and I have settled in Japan for a bit and that means access to almost everything imaginable in the beauty/skincare sense, but most imports are expensive. I normally live in San Francisco though so if you have US products you recommend, that's great.

I also think I need something with an AHA since the Neutrogena toner I've been using isn't cutting it for blackheads and is too drying to use allover. For the record, things like tea tree, salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxides are too drying for my combo skin, so I can't use those. I remember trying something with glycolic acid when I was younger and it was too strong. The things I have been interested in are lactic acids and citric acids. Does anyone know any awesome AHAs or anything they think would be helpful? I don't care whether it's in face wash form or a cream.

If anyone has had similar experiences and knows how to turn their skin around and repair the heck out of it for a fresh start, please tell! I need salvation. I'm prepared to wash, exfoliate, tone, moisturize and serum (or whatever!) til my skin is pampered and regenerated

Sorry this is so long and windy, I just felt it needed explanation as to how my skin got so bad

 

[natalie647]

If you're looking for an AMAZING sunblock try Neutrogena's Ultra Sheer Liquid Daily Sunblock in SPF 55 or 70 (both 11.99). I really like it because I have oily skin and most sunblocks tend to leave my skin with a film of grease and a white cast. This one doesn't. It does take a while to absorb, but it just about fully absorbs. You can kinda still feel it on your skin, but no where near how others have left my skin feeling. I would try to use an actual sunblock instead of relying on what is in your moisturizer because chances are you aren't applying enough of your moisturizer to really get an decent sun protection.

I find that after traveling a lot my skin tends to be very dehydrated which underlies all of my other problems like oiliness and acne breakouts because your skin will produce more oil to compensate and end up clogging pores, causing blackheads, acne, etc. I use Philosophy When Hope Is Not Enough when I really need some major repair. A cheaper alternative might be Olay Regenerist. It's not as moisturizing, but it is better than a daily moisturizer.

As far as AHA's go, I don't really need them, so I can't really give any recommendations. I do use Amlactin, a 12% lactic acid cream on the backs of my arms where I have a bit of karitosis pilaris, but I don't think it is safe to use on your face at such a high concentration, but from reading reviews online prior to purchasing I have heard of people doing so. I wouldn't risk it, though.

**Edit** I almost forgot: I lay off the acid products when I'm trying to get my skin well. I find that they tend to be very harsh and leave my skin stripped and thin feeling, if that makes any sense. If you do use them for exfoliation, I wouldn't do it more than twice a week. Many acids actually increase how sensitive your skin is to the sun (salicylic by 50%) so they may not be the best option for your skin.