It’s beginning to feel a lot like winter in the northeast, which for many of us means holiday travel. Whether you plan to head out west on a ski vacation or are destined for the tropical sands of the Caribbean, packing proper skin and hair care is essential!

For Face

Whether you are hitting the slopes or preparing to worship the sun, packing a sunscreen that will protect your skin from the elements is a must. Even if you find yourself in cold temperatures, if the sun is out, sunscreen is in order. Sun tends to accelerate the skin’s aging process so for face, I love Institut Esthederm Bronz Repair Sunscreen For Face SPF 15. This French cult favorite is high tech, anti-aging sun care that enables you to enjoy the benefits of the sun without experiencing its harmful effects. There’s real science behind this line of bio-cosmetics that takes a completely different approach to sun care. It works with aging skin’s biology and the sun’s properties, instead of against these factors, enabling your skin to protect itself from the elements. Institut Esthederm’s sun care products are bar none — the best you can find on the market. And because of active ingredients like beeswax and rice bran oil that moisturize and nourish skin, containing anti-free radical properties, Bronz Repair can be used all day as your daily anti-aging moisturizer while on vacation. For stronger protection or if you desire a sunscreen that has a hint of tint, try B. Kamins Laboratories Sun Defense SPF 30 for face, neck and décolleté. It not only protects you from the harmful rays of the sun, but also guards against premature wrinkles that can result from sun exposure.

For Body

Institut Esthederm Sun Care Oil Extreme Sun is the best sun care for body you can find and also doubles as a luxurious body care oil all year long. It ensures safe prolonged sun exposure in severe conditions, including the intense tropical sun. It allows a deep, intense natural tan to develop without any harmful UV damage. Sun Care Oil Extreme is formulated with UV in-Cellium Technology to protect the skin from the inside by strengthening its self-defense systems. This hi-tech sunscreen is also extremely moisturizing, and can be used to protect your hair from the harmful rays of the sun as well, making it a multi-tasking product ideal for traveling light.

For Hair

If you are going on a warm weather vacation, Philip Kingsley Swimcap is a must. Fact: Your hair and scalp can get burnt in the sun. This leave-in hair treatment contains SPF to protect your crown from getting scorched and moisturizes your hair in the process. It even provides for a convenient way to style your hair while on the beach or by the pool that keeps it off your face. I apply it in sections and then braid my hair. For short hair just apply and slick hair back. Trés chick! When you wash it out at the end of the day, your hair will feel silky, smooth and nourished.

Aprés Sun

Whether you finished your day a little crispier for the wear or not, remember to treat your skin to some extra added tender loving care. For face, I love Cosmetics 27 Huile 27. It’s a 100% natural, multi-tasking, anti-aging face oil that moisturizes, softens and regenerates skin. It actually rebalances skin function and restructures epidermal tissue, which can get knocked off kilter after a day in the sun. You can mix it into your favorite moisturizer, to give it an extra boost of hydration and even apply it to lips and hair for some extra added nourishment. For body, Mio Skincare The A Cream Firming Active Body Cream not only restores elasticity and firmness to the skin but contains ingredients like aloe vera juice and avocado oil which makes it a superb after sun moisturizing body treatment.

Don’t Leave Out Your Lips

Whether you’ll be seeing sand or snow, be sure to pack B. Kamins Laboratories SPF 20 Lip Balm as well. In extreme cold, wind or sun, lips are usually the first place to suffer. Just a few minutes of exposure to extreme weather can lead to days of chapped, cracked lips. Reapply your lip balm frequently to keep your lips comfortable and protected all day and night.

Bon Voyage!

By: Alyssa Barrie Weiss, Twitter: @AlyssaBarrie

If you are like most, you have been spending hours in the summer sun perfecting your tan, reading, going for leisurely strolls along the beach and cat-napping. You are also probably well versed in the art of applying sunblock. I, for one, have different SPFs for different parts of my body; Factor 50 for my face, 35 for my arms & shoulders and 20 for my legs and back. But what about our scalps?

Can You Get a Sunburn on Your Scalp?

I recall a friend telling me how she went hiking in Switzerland, slathered herself from head to toe in sunblock, and got home to find her scalp was very red and sore to the touch. The next morning, it was excruciating to shampoo, and within 4 days, giant flakes had started to work their way down her hair shafts. Lovely! I tut-tutted down the phone, and explained that she was suffering from ‘scorched parting syndrome’. Not a real diagnostic term, but it sums it up pretty well. I asked her to imagine what would happen to her nose if she went into midday sun sans block? Redness, peeling and perhaps blisters. ‘Ah!’ she said, and wondered why she hadn’t connected the dots before. This sensitive part of our body is so often neglected and prone to the same sun associated risks as the rest of us.

Sun Care for Your Scalp

Apart from the unsightly aspect of scalp burns, very seriously, accumulative damage and degradation over the years can eventually lead to skin cancer on your scalp. This is especially true if you have fine or thinning hair, or are bald, as more of your scalp is exposed. It’s a good idea to get yearly checks, and if you notice any lesions, or marks that were not there before or have changed in appearance, bring it to the attention of your dermatologist. Your trusted, long-term hairdresser can also be quite a useful tool with regards to this, as they will see parts of your scalp that you cannot. Ask them to let you know if they see anything suspect, or notice a difference.

Tips on How to Protect Your Scalp From the Sun

There are a few things you can do to protect yourself:

1. Wear a hat, although this can be a bit of a bore when it’s hot and humid.
2. Alternatively, you can apply your regular sunblock to your parting.
3. I prefer using Philip Kingsley Swimcap Cream. It’s moisturizing, and also guards your hair from sun, salt and chlorinated water discolouration and damage if applied throughout your lengths.
4. If you have already burnt your scalp, a hat is an absolute must.
5. To soothe mild burns, apply chamomile or an after-sun product recommended by your pharmacist; and for associated flakes and irritation.
6. Use our Flaky/Itchy Scalp Shampoo, Flaky Itchy Scalp Toner and No Scent No Colour Conditioner.
7. For severe burns, please see your doctor promptly, as there is an increased risk of getting a secondary bacterial infection, which may require topical and/or oral antibiotics.

The summer, although wonderful, can be a damaging time for hair. UV rays can burn your scalp and degrade the protein that your hair is made of, causing quite extensive weakening of strands and pre-mature ageing. Salt and chlorinated water, too, can draw moisture out of your hair’s cortex (the innermost part) and can even discolour lighter hair shades. Then you have frizz and flyaways triggered by fluctuating humidity levels. There is plenty you can do though to minimize such assaults by the elements.

Protect Hair While Swimming & in the Sun: Olympic Strength Protection

Back in 1984, during the Los Angeles Olympic Games, the manager of the U.S. Olympic synchronized swim team approached me about the state of his team’s hair; it was breaking, dry and discoloured from hours spent in chlorinated water. Understandably, they were quite distressed, so I promised I would formulate a waterproof, protective conditioning hair mask that they could wear in the pool whilst practicing. This is how my now award-winning and best-selling Swimcap came to be. And it not only protects your hair from chlorine, but salt water and UV rays too, making it the perfect accessory for summer days spent at the beach, doing sports, or by the pool. My wife swears by it, and in the Hamptons will never leave to play golf, or go to ‘poolates’, without it! It also stops the copper in pool water from reacting with your hair colour, thus preventing greenish hues – and leaves hair in better condition than it was beforehand.

Hair Products & Tips to Fight Humidity

As for the infamous summer humidity that plagues thousands of women (and men), there are two things you can do: Either work with it, and leave your hair to dry naturally with a ‘curl activation’ serum. My youngest daughter likes to scrunch it into damp hair, along with my Preen Cream, for what she calls the ‘beach kissed’ look. Alternatively, and perhaps a more popular method for the evening, apply both a smoothing cream and a weather-proof protective hair spray to set your desired style. I formulated one called Weatherproof Hairspray at the request of many exasperated New Yorkers in my New York Clinic. Both of these products discourage moisture absorption back into the hair shaft, and smooth the hair cuticle to add shine and lustre.

Protecting Hair from the Sun’s Harmful UV Rays

In addition to using my Swimcap, I also recommend using Daily Damage Defence for any day in summer when walking around outside to protect hair from UV rays and colour fade. It’s also a great de-tangler to use after a day at beach or sailing.

What About Volume?

My Maximizer is perfect for creating body and bounce in your style during the summer. It protects hair from UV colour fade, tames flyaways, and adds just enough hold so your volume stays-put throughout the day.

Sun Care Lotions for Beach Day Bliss

Ah, the beach…it can be the best of times, but if you get a nasty burn, it can be the worst of times as well. Travel Beauty has created the ultimate collection of scalp-to-sole sun care lotions and products so that there’s nothing but blue skies on your next beach day. Our travel size beach kit contains top-notch sun protection products for your face, lips, body and hair, a super-cleansing scalp brush to de-sand/surf/sunscreen/tangle your hair at the end of the day and skin-cooling lotion for après-sun application. Want more? Shop our entire sun care selection now.

Sun Care Products That Protect and Preserve

Sun Bum products are new additions to Travel Beauty sun care family. In the aftermath of a long day in the sun, you need sun care products that supply hydration and revitalization to your skin. We’d like to introduce you to Sun Bum Cool Down Lotion, a sun protection product enriched with aloe, cocoa butter and vitamin E. Here are some reasons why it’ll leave you feeling anything but bummed:

• It soothes, cools and restores your skin’s natural moisture.
• Helps prevent skin peeling, thus allowing you to retain your tan longer.
• The light, non-greasy formula feels nice on your sunned skin and is also alcohol-free.

A Luxury Sun Care Kit with All the Fixings

The sun care lotions you apply to your body aren’t necessarily the ones you’ll want to apply to your face and lips. Due to the petite nature of the sun care products in our travel kits, you can diversify your protection without bulking up your beach bag.

• Institut Esthederm Bronz Repair Age Control Face Cream SPF 20 is formulated with rice bran oil and active beeswax, both highly nourishing. The result is a sun care lotion that moisturizes and protects your skin from aging, even as it helps you to develop and prolong your tan.
• Institut Esthederm Adaptasun Sea and Tropics Body Lotion SPF 20 delivers sun protection even in the case of prolonged sun exposure in tropical environments. Its anti-dehydration complex will keep your skin supple, soft and comfortable while you’re out tanning, and keep it that way for hours after.
• Kiss chapped lips goodbye! B. Kamins Laboratories Lip Balm SPF 20 will leave you smiling. Why? In addition to helping you avoid sun-related lip sores, this lip treatment creates the perfect palette for applying lipstick and reduces feathering by diminishing and smoothing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines around the lips.

Under-the-Sun Hair Protection for Beach Combers

To truly enjoy the beach, you’ve got to keep the rays (somewhat) at bay. And when it comes to the sun, hair protection is just as essential as skin protection. The experts at Philip Kingsley have developed an ingenious product called Swimcap, originally designed for the US Olympic Synchronized Swimming Team. Some of its terrific features are:

• Protects against the damaging effects that the sun can cause – say goodbye to sun-related hair breakage and fading.
• It’s called “Swimcap” for good reason! When you don this cap, you’ll combat the damaging, drying effects that can accompany excursions in both chlorinated pool water and salty seawater.
• After your day in the sun, this hair protection product washes out completely. No greasy residue or added weight!

Once you’re off the sand and out of the sun, the hair protection continues! Relax and brush off any lingering entanglements with the help of the S-HEART-S Scalp Brush Mini. This sleek scalp massaging brush is equipped with 376 gentle nylon bristles. Every one of these bristles is dedicated to making your scalp feel stimulated and removing dirt, sun care lotions, seaweed and anything else that may have made its way into your mane and onto your scalp. Work it into your scalp and your post-beach clean up routine!

Our Beauty Kit for the Beach is Just the Beginning!

For a closer look at all of our sun and sand companions, be sure to visit the sun care product section of our site. You’ll find all the latest and greatest sun care products, many of which we offer in a travel size. Beauty products 3 oz and under can board the plane with you, so you can keep your disposition sunny and your skin protected anywhere in the world.