Can you limit skin hyper- pigmentation while on holiday?
I think you can. I put it to the test with my own skin.
Your skin is vulnerable during your summer holiday. A change of climate, increased levels of UV exposure, air conditioning and possibly a few more cocktails than your usual weekday evening would include. Plus, the change in diet, a change in sleep patterns and the (hopeful) multi-layers of SPF throughout the day.
We have some fab skincare hacks for you, our Summer Skin Saviour products and ways to help you travel light. But realistically your holiday regime mustn’t differ too much from your usual morning and evening regime. You must still follow your Katherine Daniels 4-step skincare routine.
Exactly what I did during my recent family holiday to the beautiful Montenegro. But a month before I went, I changed one single product in my regime. To ensure my skin was as strong as possible and able to defend itself while at its most vulnerable. I wanted to reduce the risk of hyper-pigmentation forming when I was in the sun.
I am Kirsti Shuba, Co-Founder of Katherine Daniels
Age: 50
Skin Type: Dry
Skin Condition: Sensitive with signs of ageing
Hair colour: Blonde
Eye Colour: Blue
My skin and life in general
My skin is fair, fine in texture and naturally dry, which means it lacks oil. I spent most of my teenage years living an outdoors lifestyle. This was before my career in skincare began and well before we knew how important using a daily SPF is!
Now I live a hectic lifestyle, running a business and a home, with 2 children (and 2 dogs)!
Sleep... I sleep well but there’s not enough hours in the day to often get my full eight hours. So quite often 5-6 hours must do (I know, I know)!!
My mission
To show that if you can adapt your skincare products, make small changes for a month prior to your summer holiday, it makes a big difference to how your skin responds to the sun.
I switched one product in my regime for 1 month before my holiday.
I switched my usual Step 2 Skin Boost - Total Skin Repair Concentrate for our Treatment Boost for Rosacea & Sensitive Skin. NB this was the single change I made to my regime.
During my holiday I made sure to protect my skin carefully. I followed my usual am and pm regime. I re-introduced my usual Step 2 Skin Boost – Total Skin Repair Concentrate.
Product layering for the best sun protection
Layering your products, in the same way you do everyday at home, nurtures and cares for your skin's needs (as usual) but it also gives your SPF a helping hand. Do what you usually do at home, you’ll be thankful that you did!
SPF must be removed thoroughly
This is especially true of long wear and water-resistant formulations used on your face and body. You are likely to suffer from prickly heat and skin congestion if you don’t remove SPF thoroughly as sweat and bacteria manifests under a waterproof layer, blocking your sweat glands.
The same applies to facial SPF.
I used the Katherine Daniels Daily DNA Defence SPF30. I use this everyday at home, so removing it thoroughly comes naturally for me.
Here’s my pre-holiday and holiday routine and here are the photos taken each week for 4 weeks before I went away.
My morning routine – nothing complicated, just consistent.
Step 1 Skin Essentials - Essential Miracle Cleaning Jelly. A wash off cleanser to refresh my skin and remove the product residue from the night before. I apply this before showering and remove with a Katherine Daniels Micro Cloth in the shower.
Step 2 Skin Boost – Treatment Boost for Rosacea & Sensitive Skin. I used this 4 weeks prior to my holiday. This was the single change I made to my routine, to ensure my skin was as strong as possible when it was at its most vulnerable with more than usual amounts of UV exposure.
This product was a great alternative to my usual Step 2 Skin Boost product. It sinks into my skin quickly. To help my skin become stronger, calmer and more comfortable. My skin was most able to defend itself from external and internal aggressors.
During my holiday I went back to my usual Step 2 Skin Boost - Total Skin Repair Concentrate. I used this on my face, neck and décolleté (I always use it on the skin on the inside of my upper arms too. The fine skin that can look crepey). This product ignites the youth mechanisms of your skin. It’s a high performance, potent cocktail of ingredients, which leaves your skin tingling and energised.
Step 2 Skin Boost – Multi-Tasking Eye & Lip Balm. With some serious line lessening complexes. To give my eyes a smoother, more lifted look. It helps to keep the pesky lines around my mouth plump and less visible too.
Step 3 Skin Defence - Dry Skin Cream. Rich in nourishing and hydrating ingredients to leave my dry skin soft, supple, strengthened and protected.
Step 3 Skin Defence – Daily DNA Defence SPF 30 (reapplied every 2 hours when on the beach or poolside). To defend, repair and protect my skin from the damaging effects of UVA & UVB, blue light and pollution. It's non pore clogging and fragrance free. With no oily or white residue, it's perfect for my sensitive skin.
My evening routine – again nothing complicated, just consistent.
Step 1 Skin Essentials - Essential Miracle Cleansing Jelly. I applied this and left it in its oil phase to melt away my layers of SPF. Its nourishing oils also help to nurture sun kissed skin. Then I removed with a damp Micro Cloth. It’s a great choice when you need to travel light as a multi-tasking Summer Skin Saviour. Not just for cleansing, but as an after-sun product too. Its all thanks to those nourishing oils and the anti-inflammatory ingredients. A product for the whole family to enjoy.
Step 2 Skin Boost – Total Skin Repair Concentrate. On my face, neck and décolleté and any area that looked over exposed to UV. Thanks to its healing and repairing properties, this product is a true skincare SOS. A product for the whole family to enjoy as an after-sun product.
Step 3 Skin Defence - Dry Skin Cream. Rich in nourishing and hydrating ingredients to leave my dry skin soft, supple, strengthened and protected. A product for the whole family to enjoy.
Step 4 Skin Treat - Repairing Nourishing Mask (to sleep in/as a sleep mask). Left my skin plump, soft, supple, hydrated and comforted. With a velvety skin finish. This skincare superhero was a welcome skin treat, thanks to its multi-use approach. A product for the whole family to enjoy.
After sun for my body
Nourishing Hydrating Balm. If you use it at home, take it away with you too. It’s better than anything you can buy labelled ‘after sun.’ My dry parched skin was transformed, bolstered with moisture. My skin looked and felt soft, supple and energised. A product for the whole family to enjoy.
The 4 weeks before my holiday
Each week around 7.00am, I took pictures of my skin, post shower.
My skin is naturally freckly. From week 1 to week 2 my skin was looking good.
Week 3 – this week I felt poorly, this along with lack of quality sleep shows on my skin. My skin has pinker undertones than usual.
Week 4 – the day before we jetted off to the sun, my skin was back on track and looking stronger and less pink than it did in week 3.
Post-holiday – With a light tan a few more freckles but no pigmentation marks to be concerned about.
To answer my question. Can you limit skin hyper-pigmentation while on holiday?
Yes, I believe you can. By making sure your skin is at its strongest, most able to defend itself before you go away, is a must do. Keeping up a simple yet consistent routine while you're away keeps your skin in top condition. It reduces the risk of hyper-pigmentation marks from forming. If you do get some pigmentation marks they will be less dark and more able to be treated effectively in the early autumn. You’ll probably need less treatments and get better results!
And now you’ve all seen me at 7.00am with no make-up on, I’ll sign off!!
