Travelling in southeast Asia, even with kids, doesn\u2019t mean being banished to the land of the wild things.<\/p>\n
I write this post following a number of inquiries I got on the subject. The fear that becomes bigger the closer your flight is, that you\u2019ll have to sacrifice your soft skin, not to mention those killer selfies, in return for the dust of the roads and adventures, probably lurks in every woman\u2019s head.
\n(ok maybe it skipped me, after all, I ooze sexiness naturally).<\/p>\n
So here are a few tips I learned from my five years of experience:<\/span><\/p>\n \u2666 Southeast Asia is a cosmetic heaven. It only looks scary from the outside. Once you get here, once you stick your head to the first store in India, you\u2019ll see that a lot of your fears were empty. But really empty. A wide range of amazing companies (and every \u2018Himalaya\u2019 product you can dream of), tons of natural products, oils, soaps, creams, scrubs. In short: pack light.<\/p>\n \u2666 Just never forget to check the expiry date before buying anything.<\/p>\n \u2666 One of the more important parameters is the weather. The main principle in taking care of your face is matching the cream to the weather.<\/p>\n \u2666 Invest in a night cream, something that gets the job done. And during the day find something appropriate for the weather.<\/p>\n \u2666 When we made our way by night bus from Beijing to the Mongolian border, I slept on a bunk when underneath me was a beautiful young Mongol woman. at some stage, before she went to sleep, she shamelessly pulled out her toiletries bag, and during the drive, in front of everyone, took cotton swabs and tonic, cleaned her face, put cream, oiled her hands and went to bed. Since then I take her with me everywhere. 40 days and 40 nights of staying in the Mongolian wilds (you thought I was kidding with the title?!), no matter how tired or lazy I felt. Cotton, tonic, face cream. In darkness, cold, heat, rain, in the good, the bad. No half assing.<\/p>\n \u2666 Keep those in a place that\u2019s easy to reach.<\/p>\n \u2666 Make sure to wash your face in clear water (even a river, waterfall, lake\u2026 whatever) at least once a day.<\/p>\n \u2666 Have a scarf in your bag. The local women use it to cover their faces and protect them from the road\u2019s dirt whenever they find themselves on a bus\/bike. I don\u2019t do it but I\u2019m just lazy.<\/p>\n \u2666 Watch what you eat. In southeast Asia it\u2019s easy to take care of your face\u2019s skin using fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, different kinds of tea, fruit juice. Pay attention and don\u2019t go wild with the junkfood.<\/p>\n \u2666 Even if you\u2019re trekking or adventuring in remote places- eat fresh cooked food (over instant for example)- what the locals cook for themselves, drink water or tea (not chemical juice), snack on nuts and dried fruits. Sweeten with honey.<\/p>\n \u2666 Beauty salons are everywhere. But everywhere. Waxing, eyebrows, moustache. And maybe some face treatments, haircut, color. You can maintain everything even during a trek. Just ask the locals. And there\u2019s a chance you\u2019ll earn a conversation with a fascinating local woman and maybe even learn a few new techniques.<\/p>\n \u2666 Invest in a hat that looks a-m-a-z-i-n-g on you. You\u2019ll be surprised how useful it can be\u2026<\/p>\n \u2666 Don\u2019t let pimples erupt. For that there\u2019s a small narrow tube containing a colorless jell for focused treatment (In every other shop in southeast Asia) that neutralizes them within hours.<\/p>\n \u2666 Make-up<\/strong>: personally I\u2019d recommend one core principle when it comes to make-up: keep your face skin soft and pretty, so you\u2019ll need the minimum and the minimum.<\/p>\n \u25ca Now, depending on the season but southeast Asia can get reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaally humiiiiiiiid. No make-up is equal to this kind of weather. For this reason, I wouldn\u2019t use much powder, mascara, or black pencil and all its variations.<\/p>\n \u25ca If anything, it\u2019ll be in the locals stores that you\u2019ll have a chance of finding the super eye-liners that you you could fly to the moon and back with without a single smudge. And it\u2019ll probably cost 20 rupees.<\/p>\n \u2666 Hair<\/strong>: same thing here. Keep it shiny and healthy. Not so hard in southeast Asia because the range of hair products is simply never-ending. Asian women take care of their hair obsessively.<\/p>\n \u25ca \u00a0And of course all the gadgets and stuffs and things for your hair. Everything is dirt cheap and the range is unbelievable.<\/p>\n \u25ca And let\u2019s say you went on a trek and didn\u2019t wash your hair for a few days- baby talc will absorb the extra oil and give off a nice smell. I heard there\u2019s also \u201cdry shampoo\u201d.<\/p>\n \u2666 Skin and body care<\/strong>: depends on where you\u2019re traveling. In Vietnam for example there are amazing (and cheap) spas. In India there are hot springs and natural oils, in Nepal there are amazing organic products, in short\u2026 go and discover. One of the pleasures or traveling this way is entering a cosmetics store or try out a new massage. I can tell you that the mud bath I did with my daughter, and the swim in a mineral water pool, and the other experiences we had in that area will not be soon forgotten :-).<\/p>\n \u25ca I use salt as cleaning-disinfecting pilling mask to the skin, preferably natural Himalayan salt (sometimes mix it with a bit of some oil) and honey as massage\/cleaning face mask. But that\u2019s only because I am too lazy to carry too much with me. I buy a small amounts and if anything is left I leave it behind.<\/p>\n \u2666 Nails<\/strong>– mani and padi there\u2019s everywhere. I don\u2019t see a problem. All the other decorations for nails I also saw almost everywhere.<\/p>\n \u2666 Yoga- it balances you both inside and out.<\/p>\n \u2666 It\u2019s likely that travelling and the freedom and that feeling of letting go will also express themselves in how you take care of yourself. Don\u2019t be surprised if you want to make rainbow stripes in your hair. Or if your whole definition of beauty completely turned on its head.<\/p>\n \u2666 And it\u2019s also likely that your adventures, passion, love, adrenaline, and pleasure will all show themselves in the spark in your eyes, the flash of your cheeks and the light in your eyes. Spread out all the love within you.<\/p>\n \u2666 And then there are places that make you feel like the hottest woman in the world. Let them.<\/p>\n And a few nice links on the subject:<\/p>\n