Hi, friends! I hope you all had a wonderful Father’s Day weekend. We had a little girl with an awful fever virus. She had a fever from Thursday evening to Saturday evening, so we had quite a casual Father’s Day with lots of rest on the sofa. We also packed up as we head to Colorado this week with family. My parents take us to Colorado each year in the summer, and it is one of our favorite family traditions. We usually stay at The Broadmoor, but this time we are renting a house. I am thrilled to be escaping the 106-degree heat and throwing on sweaters to enjoy the outdoors with my kids. Who knew I’d be excited about a rainy weather forecast with a high of 58 in summer?!

When we get back from Colorado, we have a few days home, and then I’m packing back up to take Maxi with me to New York. I used to be in NY a few times a year for work and I can’t believe Maxi is old enough to head back with me. I remember being pregnant with her, throwing up at the Self-Portrait show during fashion week thinking, “One day I won’t have morning sickness and she’ll come with me.” Ha! I have a few meetings, and I thought it would be the perfect time to combine that with a little pre-kindergarten mom and daughter trip. Don’t even get me started on my emotions over Kindergarten!

But enough about my travel schedule, before I bore you all. Why am I giving you a rundown of my planner? Because as I’m packing up my toiletry travel bags, I noticed that whether I’m in Texas, or Colorado, or New York there are 3 skincare products I’m using. I like using a clamshell travel backpack to be able to pack all my essentials. Because when you’re packing your skincare in a toiletry bag, you really do have to play favorites. 😉 I also have my travel diaries and a bucket list for planning to travel the world.

1. Keep It Clean, Hydrating Gel Cleanser: Between the chlorine, washing off sunscreen, and being outside with the kids, my skin is PARCHED in the summer. It makes me crave something gentle like a milk cleanser, but I *do* need the deep clean that a gel cleanser provides. Thank you hormonal breakouts. This new gel cleanser by INNBEAUTY combines the best of both worlds in a little green bottle. You can actually use it like you would an oil cleanser to double cleanse. If you don’t like balms, you can apply this to dry skin, rub in circular motions until you get a nice creamy consistency, then rinse off. Or, you can use this as your regular daily cleanser for morning and night, thanks to the cleansing power of a gel. It’s hydrating but doesn’t leave a residue. Why do I love this for travel? Because you don’t have to pack multiple cleansers or makeup wipes and no matter how your skin reacts to travel {breakouts or dry} this can help strengthen your skin’s natural moisture barrier. I brought this when I was staying at Scottsdale resort.
2. Face Glaze: This to skincare is like your favorite lip gloss to your makeup bag. It just makes everything a bit better! Face Glaze is a sheer, glowy cream with hyaluronic acid and ceramides. It’s a skincare/makeup hybrid that helps even skin tone and give plump, dewy skin. There are face filter products I love, but this is different than that in the sense that this is packed with skincare and a bit lighter, so it works perfectly on no makeup days. Mix it with your sunscreen for the pool and you’re good to go! I even put it in the center of my lips to give the appearance of a fuller pout. Put it on your cheeks, your collar bone, even your legs. It’s one of those need for every occasion product, whether you have a full face of makeup or not.
3. Pimple Paste: You probably have a signature dish, right? Maybe it’s a pasta salad you bring to potlucks or a pecan pie you bring to every family holiday gathering. It’s your staple that everyone asks you for. This would be my signature skincare item. It’s not even that I use it every day, but for men and women alike, this is the number one product I get positive feedback on. It’s an acne blemish cream that doesn’t have salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, so your skin doesn’t dry it- but holy moly it works overnight. If you need acne control makeup products, I suggest you visit sites like oxygenetix.com to see more options.

So as long as I have these three and sunscreen, I can toss in whatever moisturizer fits the climate I’m traveling to!

Here’s a little cheat sheet to break down this cleanser. For my girls with normal to sensitive skin, this is great to use as your morning & night cleanser with the 10 amino acid blend to maintain your hydration. For my girls with oily skin, I recommend this as your first cleanser in double cleansing, so you aren’t dealing with the heaviness of a true oil cleanser in the heat. For more products that would cater to different skin types, girls can head out to pages like skin care dupes.

Try it here and let me know what you think! What are your go-to skincare products while packing?