Update: November 2025
Since I published this post, I can report that I am still using La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane Double Repair line day (with UV) and night, though the cost is now $25 per product. I’ve long since returned from that trip to Japan I mentioned, and published a story for Adventure.com about traditional kominka homes throughout the country’s rural parts, and whether a growing movement to reinvent these abandoned, deteriorating homes into cafes and boutique accommodations will breathe new life into its economy.
In recent years, I have also expanded my skincare arsenal with a couple of products that travel well in any occasion, not just long-haul flights.
Cadence Travel Capsules (from $15)
I’m done with those tiny plastic squeezable bottles that trap your product inside them when you’re getting down to the last of it. These capsules are so much more user friendly: They have a screw top, are magnetic so you can keep them together in your toiletry bag (I like the Seoul Dopp Kit from Dagne Dover), and come in different depths for all your face, hair, and bodycare. They’re also TSA-approved and come in lots of colorways so you can go all monochrome or mix-and-match. I’ve had my capsules for several years now and have yet to experience any leaks, so I hope to keep that streak going.
Original post: October 2019
I hear jetlag is brutal traveling west to east. And for my first trip to Asia, like an archaeological dig, I’m excavating all possible remedies to ensure I can hit the ground running once I land in Japan. Before that happens though, I’m packing my carry-on with my favorite moisture-locking skincare products of the moment. I’ve been using the products below months now, and have already repurchased some of them, or plan to:
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Facial Moisturizer UV ($20)
After leaning on La Roche-Posay’s sunscreen all summer in Portugal during 2017, I recently picked up its facial moisturizer with UV protection at Ulta on a whim. The lotion is spreads like cream cheese, smooth and substantial, yet absorbs quickly into skin (without making tan skin look ashy, according to this Allure magazine review. But I can attest to that too, as a person with brown skin). And, after editing a number of beauty articles for MyDomaine recently, I’ve learned a lot about the moisturizing and soothing benefits of ceramides and niacinamides; key ingredients in La Roche’s double repair moisturizer. Another thing it’s got going for it is its wide and slim packaging, which slips easily into my makeup bag while also saving on space.
…spreads like cream cheese, smooth and substantial, yet absorbs quickly into skin…
Laneige Water Sleeping Mask ($20)
Over La Roche-Posay’s double repair moisturizer, I’ll slather this light yet ultra-hydrating (and pleasantly scented) gel from Laneige, a popular Korean skincare brand. My sister gifted me this product for Christmas in 2018, and a little goes a long way. Although I began using Water Sleeping Mask in spring 2019, it is October and I still have product left nearly six months later. The only downside? The product’s round jar isn’t travel-friendly, so I’ll scoop the gel into something more sleek. Sometimes, if I haven’t gotten around to meditating during the day, I’ll close my eyes after applying Water Sleeping mask to my face, and inhale the gel’s scent for a few breaths—a brief moment of aromatherapy.
Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum ($40)
However, before I pat on the moisturizer and gel mask, my face is getting one squirt of this Peach & Lily serum first. Another K-beauty favorite that, New York magazine writes is “hoarded by [beauty] editors and redditors alike,” is brimming with hydrating and inflammation-fighting niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and peptides. Like many internet reviews, my skin feels protected from dryness, as if it were vacuum-sealed, and looks dewy, not shiny.
More of What I Love
When I’m home in San Diego, these items are a constant part of my day-to-day.
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the curious passport 
[…] bag is stuffed with a pair of thick socks (it gets cold on long-haul flights), a sleep mask, an arsenal of skin moisturizers from Peach & Lily and Weleda, and snacks. I also pack my passport, which comes with Global […]
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