The beauty desk got very friendly with skin saviours on the third day…
SOS took on a whole new meaning among the team during our shoot in the jungle at the Constance Ephelia Resort in the Seychelles on our third day: save our skins was the catchphrase used whenever various potions were passed around to ward off mosquitoes, help stay hydrated or stop itchy bits from, well, itching. We like to think of ourselves as a hardy bunch but, seriously, the little pests in the beautiful verdant hills here need some dissuading. And then there’s the sun beating down on us, the sweat and salt and… well, let’s just say it ain’t all glamour out here.
Here’s what we’ve been loving to ward off bugs, bolster weakened skin and generally render our skin a happier, healthier place:
INCOGNITO INSECT REPELLANT. The thing most bug sprays have in common is that they smell noxious and are unpleasant to use. We’re delighted to report that this all-natural spray not only is neither of the above and also doesn’t make our skin angry in the slightest.
INCOGNITO ZAP-IT MOSQUITO BITE RELIEF DEVICE.When the spray fails, this little gadget ameliorates the itching. Just press the head of the gun against the bite and press the trigger to vanquish irritation.
ILA BATH SOAK FOR PURE RELAXATION. Sometimes nothing but a bath will do, even in hot climes. We’re all a bit obsessed with this bath soak - it turns your bathroom into a spa and never fails to melt tense muscles.
SHIFFA HEALING BALM. This does what it says on the tin, helping to speed the recovery of skin suffering from sunburn, eczema, bites, spots, chafes etc by reducing inflammation and flooding with vitamins. It’s costly, so we don’t smear this everywhere - it’s literally a ‘top of the spot’ kind of balm.
AFRICAN BOTANICS PURE MARULA OIL. A sort of moisturiser slash skin-barrier fortifier, marula is famous in South Africa for it’s naturally high concentration of antioxidants, vitamins C and E and essential fatty acids: basically, a hit list of what your skin wants every day. We put ours on before bed to let the goodness soak in overnight.
SKYN ICELAND SKIN HANGOVER KIT. We packed this thinking we probably wouldn’t need it but, hey presto, our skin has managed to throw a wobbly thanks to sun and sweat and the cooling face mist, lotion, eye cream and eye gels in this kit were needed to work their magic on sore patches at the end of day three.
INSTITUT ESTHEDERM AFTER-SUN REPAIR. One of Institut Esthederm’s main tenets is to strengthen cellular function through hydration. As days shooting in the sun tend to leave skin exceedingly dry, this is the aftersun we’ve been hitting up for some replenishment and soothing action in one.PHILIP KINGSLEY ELASTICIZER. A unanimous favourite for hair thats about to give up, we plop a little of this at the ends of our manes every day to tame frizz and simultaneously infuse with moisture without weighing it down in the slightest.