I recently went on vacation and it took me almost as long to pack my cosmetics as it did to pack my clothes. Why? Well, I’m definitely a tad high maintenance in the clothes realm, too, but my whole career is about beautiful skin. So it’s a given I know better than to overdo it in the sun. Like most people, I believe that a bit of color make us look better, but we now know that the fleeting glow of a tan comes at a pretty steep cost. Like any skin loving 21st century woman would, I prepared myself to do the great faux bronze look and protect all of the time and energy I’ve already invested in fighting Father Time, and into my trusted cosmetic bag went:

SkinCeuticals C E Ferrulic  which was the very first thing that went on my face each morning. This was followed up with Skin Ceuticals SPF 30  on my face and Skinceuticals SPF 45  everywhere else. Then my face got a nice dusting of Eminence Minerals, which I also brought along in my bag. In the strong Bahamian Sun, I wasn’t taking any chances. I reapplied the every hour to make sure I would not burn. Let me tell you, I saw a crazy amount of sunburns. I was shocked that with all we know about sun (uh, skin cancer anyone??), so many people were just throwing caution to the wind. Quite a few of those vacationers are going to be spending time at dermatologist appointments in the future. I just might be on another cruise!

In the evenings, I’d get back to my room and shower all the sunscreen off and apply Fake Bake  and Yonka Tan Prolonger. I alternated those each night. I’d also use Glow Minerals new Bronzing Gel  to recreate a fresh tan. Then we would all meet up for dinner. Everyone around me was red and complaining of sunburns and/or peeling. And there I was getting darker by the day, as I was building up my “faux glow”. By the end of our week long journey, I was the darkest, no peeling, no burn. It was actually amusing. Most importantly I kept my skin free of ultraviolet damage. I had great fun and I still got my share of required vitamin D.

One last thing I should also mention. I took Yonka Gommage  with me to make sure I could keep my complexion clear, since I knew I’d be making such heavy use of sun screen. Using so much sunscreen can wreak havoc on you if you are oily. But with Yonka Gommage, my skin stayed clear. Most importantly, it’s such a gentle way to exfoliate. And it didn’t make my skin more photosensitive, as harsh scrubs, enzymes or acid exfoliants could have. It’s a must have for summer smooth skin.