I love travelling. Except the actual travelling part.
Perks of the job, you say? Bah!
The mood-dampener’s my skin – dry, prone to rosacea (think excessive blushing in the sun; no, that’s not cute) and wildly sensitive to a 100 kms drive, leave alone a 10-15 hour plane ride. From the sun to an A/c environ, from cloudy to windy, from train to road, from heaven to hell, my skin in on the offensive even before my bags are packed.
I enter trains and planes with a glowing olive complexion, plumped with moisturizer and the warmth of an Indian sun. All is happy and sexy and gorgeous. An hour cooped inside and the stewardess begins eyeing me with increasing horror. Epidermis peeling alert! The kind ones bring extra hot towels, by which time I’m cowering in my seat unable to touch anything but the seat belt, mini-screen and my book. The word…yes, is traumatized.
If you think I exaggerate and dramatize, try walking into a plane looking like a sun goddess and walking out resembling a close cousin of the rhesus monkey.
Since last year, I’ve taken to hiding inside my pink hoodie, right from before checking in and all the way to Mumbai immigration where kaka behind the counter almost always insists that I take the Klu Klux accessory off. It’s a defense mechanism, physical and psychological.
Last week, I met up with Dermalogica’s Avni Amlani, who – soul sister! soul sister! – has the same skin issues while travelling. She suggested their Barrier Repair moisturizer (Rs 1663 for 30 ml) which should be applied before jumping into the plane, thus creating a…well…barrier to any external elements (read air-conditioning, that big, cold villain) I’ve tried it and it seems gel-like and protective enough. Can’t wait to slap it on during the next plane ride
Another product I’ve tried with a reasonable success rate is the Clarins Beauty Flash Balm (Rs 1800 for 50 ml). While the Dermalogica Barrier Repair, I think, could be ideal for the pre-trauma stage of flight, the Clarins balm is for post-flight sprucing up. I don’t mean to be all sissy, but my skin’s still too shaken up post-flight to do the rigorous cleansing-toning-moisturizing routine at airport loo. This balm, for me, does all three. Sometimes, it’s really like a lightbulb switched on your face, a.k.a the flash effect. For me, this effect last more if I’m stepping out into the sun, than if the weather’s all cold and dry outside (which, alas, means, back to square one)
I quite like this little tube, often a miracle worker.
Unless of course, the situation is beyond repair. Then, I just snuggle back into the warmth of my favourite pink hoodie.
Do you have any other miracle workers for traumatized travelling skin?
For pity’s sake, write in!
TERMINAL39 