Beach vacations and loving the skin you're in
From exfoliation to SPF, here’s how I got my best beach body yet (no gym required)
Today’s letter is in partnership with Soft Services—a brand I’ve used and loved for years. Select items mentioned were gifted in preparation for my trip.
As June kicks off, so too does the Summer travel season. Who doesn’t love to escape real life for a brief moment in search of something in some remote locale? Some people travel for cultural immersion, some for an adrenaline rush, and others for total relaxation. For me, indulgence is always something I’m after, regardless of the destination. For my most recent trip to St Kitts, indulgence came in two forms: first, doing absolutely nothing except enjoying the feeling of the sun on my skin, and second, ensuring that said skin was as clear and smooth as possible so that I could enjoy the “do nothing” part without worrying about what I looked like at the beach.
Prior to this trip, it’d been a couple of years since I’d been on a proper beach vacation, and even though I live in New York City where we have access to beaches, I don’t find myself in a swimsuit very often. As a woman born in the early nineties, I still struggle with body issues, and as much as I wish I didn’t, I find it difficult not to slip into unhealthy habits when something like a beach vacation is on the horizon. So this time, instead of picking apart my body, I decided to do something healthy instead: focus on taking great care of my skin.
Growing up, a pervasive message in skincare advertising was, “Love the skin you’re in!” and it always read like a platitude. But now that I’m older, I’ve realized this message has a bit more meat to it. When your skin is well taken care of—when you show it love by properly exfoliating and hydrating—you’re able to attain a kind of confidence that’s hard to get from anything else1. So much about feeling confident on a beach vacation is about feeling good in your own skin, and such a small but impactful way to do this is by taking good care of it. Before jetting off to St Kitts, I gave my skin a little extra love—here’s everything that helped it look and feel its best.
Pre-flight face prep
Facials: I’ll treat myself to a couple facials before my trip to give my skin extra exfoliation and hydration so that, by the time my trip comes around, I’m already glowing from within. Here are some of my favorite spots in NYC:
Stalle Studios: One of the best and buzziest new studios in the city, and for good reason. See Elizabeth and thank me later.
Great Jones Spa: Come early to enjoy the sauna and pools, then get the Stem Cell Facial. When my skin is really freaking out, this is utterly life-changing.
Red light therapy: I started using a red light mask back in March and I’ve noticed a huge improvement, especially with the lines on my neck (which were the main reason I bought it). The tool is definitely an investment, but one that’s well worth it, in my opinion.
I use the Currentbody mask and neck & dec perfector together.
Bikini bodycare, rebranded
Bodycare: My only goal for this trip was to be in a bikini as often as humanly possible, so smooth skin was an absolute must. For me, this meant my skin needed to 1) be exfoliated to the gods, 2) keep all ingrown hairs at bay and 3) be the softest it’s ever been. Thankfully, Soft Services makes everything I need to take care of all of this and I was lucky enough to receive some gifted products to help me re-up for my trip.
For physical exfoliation, I’m not kidding when I tell you that I truly don’t think there’s a better product on the market than the Buffing Bar. Have you ever had a really intense full-body scrub at a Korean spa? This little bar is probably the closest you can come to getting that at home. It’s made of microcrystals compressed within a moisturizing base and it exfoliates like nothing else I’ve tried—no other scrub, net, or sponge has come close.
If you’ve suffered from ingrown hairs at any point, I see you and I feel for you. But let’s leave those in the past, yeah? Try Smoothing Solution— it’s a chemical exfoliant in the form of a spreadable gel that I use on areas prone to irritation after shaving. The formula contains lactic acid and soothing agents so it’s really great for keeping ingrowns at bay, and you can layer lotion on top of it. (Important note: This product contains AHAs which increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun, so use sunscreen and limit sun exposure for up to a week after use.)
Before Soft Services I was not a lotion girl. I wanted to be, but I couldn’t find one that a) didn’t have an irritating fragrance (for my skin or nose) and b) didn’t take forever to rub into my skin or leave me feeling greasy. Speed Soak was the cure. It’s fragrance-free, and the gel-cream formula instantly soaks into my skin like a magic trick. This was the first Soft Services product I ever purchased, and the one that got me hooked on the brand.
If you’re in the market for soft skin and want to take these miracle products for a test drive, you can’t go wrong with the Bestsellers Discovery Set, which includes mini sizes of each product (and they’re all carry-on friendly, too!). I’m a forever loyalist.
Golden hour (all day long)
Self-Tanning: For me, having tanned skin is such an easy mood booster. As a bonus, it keeps my skin looking healthy and glowy without needing to overexpose it to the sun.
I love Isle of Paradise drops in Medium for my face & Loving Tan for my body.
Pro tips! Using Speed Soak every day post-tan is crucial for extending the life of my bronzy glow, and once I’m ready to remove the last remnants of the tan, the Buffing Bar helps immensely.
Sweat reset
Sauna: I try to sauna as often as I can, whether it’s at the gym, a bathhouse, or spa. There are supposed to be all kinds of benefits for you, but in terms of skin, they say you can expect to see improved circulation and hydration, as well as reduced inflammation. And honestly? It’s just great stress relief, which is always good for your skin, too!
I’m not going to pretend that having great skin solves all of your problems, but for me, it was really nice to have one less thing to worry about. It felt so freeing, swimming alongside fish under the waves, my only worry being how long I could hold my breath. I felt like a kid again, and I hope to chase that feeling more. I hope you can, too!
I’m actually headed off to another tropical locale today—I’m unbelievably lucky to be revisiting my favorite hotel I’ve ever been to. Early subscribers might just know where that is… Leave a comment if you do! And make sure to follow along on Instagram where I’ll be sharing its magic in real time.
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As someone who has struggled with cystic acne for the entirety of my teenage and adult life, I feel uniquely qualified to say this.
Loving the skin you are in 💗
dying of jealousy if it's palm heights 👀