These Are The 5 Essential Beauty Products To Pack For Your Vacation

A daily face mask can be a real game changer if you have dry or dehydrated skin. Plus, after a summer of sun, sea and swimming pools, virtually everyone has the latter to some degree – so, come September, your skin will be thanking me. Super-dry skin needs something uncompromisingly nourishing, such as La Mer’s Intensive Revitalizing Mask – and if it sinks in fast, re-apply where required, as your skin obviously needs it. Alternatively, Aesop’s Sublime Replenishing Night Masque works while you sleep to deeply hydrate and brighten skin. Meanwhile, Sisley’s Hydra-Flash Intensive Hydrating Mask is as good to use on vacation as it is after or even during the long-haul flight it might take to get you there. Oilier skin types will be better off with a lighter hydrating mask, though, such as Tata Harper’s wonderful Hydrating Floral Mask, or Sarah Chapman’s deep-treating 3D Moisture Infusion Mask. Finally, to make the whole experience even more enjoyable, use any of the aforementioned products after they have been chilled in the refrigerator (or a hotel minibar, of course).

We know the damage the sun can do, but heat has the same effect in that it triggers premature aging. Taking a cool shower after sun exposure is a good idea, as is using Charlotte Tilbury’s excellent Cryo-Recovery Face Mask, which she recommends using over a serum for extra glow. Keep it in the refrigerator – or minibar (the freezer can be too cold for many complexions) – and use it each evening to take the heat of the day out of your skin, which will also benefit from its cooling, firming and sculpting effects.

A scented body cream is a great multitasker that means you don’t need to pack a scent bottle. Plus, in the heat, a lighter layer of fragrance works so much better than a full-on spritz. If you’re looking for something new to try, Byredo’s Gypsy Water Body Lotion is soft, fresh and almost smoky. Alternatively, Sisley’s Moisturizing Perfumed Body Lotion in Eau de Campagne has a wonderfully fresh, citrusy, unisex scent, while Frédéric Malle’s tuberose-scented Carnal Flower Hair Mist will leave a delicate floral trail in your wake – perfect for adding a lightweight layer of scent on a tropical evening.

Not the most obvious vacation essential but, trust me, it really is. If you already like to add magnesium or Epsom salts to your bath, then adding a few handfuls of Costa Brazil’s Bath Soak to your tub will result in a much-needed element of relaxation and recharge to any vacation. Susanne Kaufmann’s St. John’s Wort Bath Salts are spiked with cocoa butter and milk proteins to give you incredibly hydrated skin – great for soothing sensitivity after a day spent in the sun; while her Bath Oil For The Senses is excellent for lifting your mood and nourishing sun-soaked limbs at the same time.

If your hotel is unable to provide you with one, take your own – because nothing is better for dry skin (silk is also amazing for sensitive, sunburned and breakout skin). Plus, a silk pillowcase leaves hair less frizzy and will certainly feel cool and cosseting on hot, humid nights.

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