Lesson Learned | My Ultra High Moisture Travel Bag Essentials

I've just returned from a short trip up north.  In my past life, I used to travel for work all the time.  But it's been a while and I realize that I've made a cardinal mistake.  The one concern always have whenever I leave the state is the drier air.  Where I live, humidity levels are near 100% for most of the year.  I never realize how good I have it until I venture elsewhere.

This past weekend, I really felt the struggle of trying to retain adequate moisture.  I take full blame for not fully preparing.  Not only was I dealing with lower outdoor humidity, but also the dry air of the hotel room.  Honestly, I believe the stuffy hotel room is mostly to blame.

With another trip up north planned in November, I'm taking a completely different approach.  Instead of packing the basic essentials, I'm bringing the high moisture heavy hitters.

{ KOREAN BEAUTY }
As I plan for the upcoming trip, the first item that came to mind were my Korean skin masks.  Intense moisture is the cornerstone of the Korean beauty regimen which is why I relied on them so heavily last winter.   I'll also make sure to bring the Pumpkin sleeping pack and Collagen full pack.  Both are ultra hydrating on the skin without creating build up.  Although they're designed to be used on the face, I love the way they feel on the hands, feet and wherever skin feels the most dry.

The next dry skin banisher that I reached for was "The Universal Hair & Skin Moisturizer" aka squalane.  This stuff is magic in a bottle. You all know that I'm a huge advocate of going to bed greasy.  I've worn various oils overnight and squalane, by far, is my all time favorite. It's non-greasy but seems to give the same skin benefits as using a heavy oil.  Each time I applied it before bed, squalane gave me the best morning skin imaginable.

Also coming with along is one of my favorite finds, Missha's Facial Essence Mist.  It's been rightfully referred to as "glowing skin in a bottle."  I desperately needed a finishing mist to give my skin a bit of a natural glow and I deeply regretted not having it with me on this trip.  I remember applying my normal moisturizer only to be let down by how ineffective it was.  I needed a finishing product to seal that moisture in.  Missha's Mist was the missing piece.

And, just to be safe, I bringing in the big guns.  This means that I'll pack a couple ultra-hydrating sheet masks.  Lastly, if necessary, I'm considering traveling with one of my 2 mini humidifiers.  They're small enough to fit in my purse and have done a great job of increasing moisture levels in small spaces.

I feel better now after compiling this all star line up of hydrating skin products. Never again will I be forced to suffer at the hands of dry winter air. This is only Phase I of my "mega moisture protocol."  Phase II consists of a clear game plan to avoid dry brittle hair.  More to come on that in a follow up post.