Jennifer Chiu
Posts
This one trick stops dark spots before they start 🤯 ✨

This one trick stops dark spots before they start 🤯 ✨

The skincare secret I never go without, how I stopped anxiety from ruining my trip and finding actual time for myself (without guilt!)

Jennifer Chiu
February 12, 2025

Hi beautiful, ☕️

Last week, I was in Maui, living the dream—or so I thought.

Because here’s the thing… vacation with kids isn’t actually a vacation.

It’s just parenting in a tropical location, where they somehow have even more energy and zero chill.

I still had an amazing time (Hawaii is my happy place 🌺), but between chasing my kids on the beach, fighting off the sun, and trying not to let airplane germs ruin my skin, I came home feeling like I needed another vacation.

So today, I’m spilling on:

The skincare routine that saved my face while traveling ✈️
What I do when my anxiety shows up uninvited (aka, always) 🫠
How I actually made time for myself every day—without the mom guilt 💆‍♀️

The skincare secret I NEVER go without…

Just me, my SPF 50, and the illusion of relaxation 😎

Traveling wrecks my skin if I don’t take it seriously.

Airplane air? Feels like it’s stealing my moisture on purpose.
Humidity? My face goes into oil-production overdrive.
Sunscreen 24/7? Necessary, but hello clogged pores.

I’ve come back from vacations looking like a dehydrated raisin one too many times, so I’m spilling all my secrets:

Prevent dark spots when travelling – I used to come back from trips with mystery dark spots. Turns out, UV exposure + heat = hyperpigmentation’s best friend. The fix? Antioxidants + SPF. I apply this gentle but potent Vitamin C serum under sunscreen to fight UV damage and prevent dark spots before they start. This trick is a game changer!
✨ Tip: If you’re spending hours in the sun, use niacinamide cream at night—it helps fade any pigmentation that sneaks through before it sets in.
Ditch the mask, do this instead – Everyone talks about sheet masks on planes, but they’re messy, dry out fast, and make you look insane.
Instead, I love using this overnight sleeping mask (also amazing for dry skin) before dozing off.
✨ Tip: If your skin gets puffy from flying, soak green tea bags in cold water and press them over your eyes—instant de-puffing magic.
SPF hack that stops mid-trip breakouts – Reapplying sunscreen over makeup is a nightmare, so instead try using a cushion compact SPF for no-mess reapplication or opt for a SPF spray mist (also my mom’s fav!). If you’re oily, a powder SPF keeps shine and UV rays away.
✨ Tip: Switch to a gel-based sunscreen in humid climates—it protects without clogging pores.
My fav skincare combo atm 🚑 – Pairing the right skincare together makes all the difference when traveling. I’ve been using this duo of concentrated water toner + barrier cream for the last 3 months and not gonna lie, my skin looks so much smoother and glowy. Huge difference!
✨ Tip: If your skin is extra irritated, layer aloe vera gel + ceramide cream before bed—it’s like a reset button.
Pre-flight moisture sandwich locks in hydration and keeps your skin plump and dewy the entire trip. Layer hyaluronic acid serum + ceramide moisturizer (this one is especially good for dry or humid places!) before takeoff. This tiny skincare trick saved my skin — literally!
✨ Tip: Slugging just your under-eyes before a flight stops crepey, dehydrated skin.

These skincare secrets? Highly recommend.

Anxiety wasn’t invited (but showed up anyways)

I don’t know what it is about travel, but my anxiety goes on overdrive the second I step out of my normal routine. 🫠

It starts before I even leave:

Did I pack enough?
What if the kids get sick?
Did I forget to turn off the oven? (I didn’t even use it, but STILL.)

Then, once I’m actually there, my brain switches to:

Are we having enough fun?
Are the kids okay?
What if I never catch up on work when I get home?

It’s exhausting.

I used to let these thoughts take over. I’d be in the most beautiful place in the world, physically there but mentally somewhere else.

And I had to stop. 🛑

So I started talking back to my anxiety like it was an annoying relative at Thanksgiving.

“Oh, you think I forgot something? Guess what? Target exists.”
“You’re telling me I should be doing more? No thanks, I’m actually allowed to rest.”
“You want me to freak out about work? Cute, but I’m going to take a deep breath and keep sipping this iced coffee instead.”

I had to learn that just because anxiety shows up, doesn’t mean I have to entertain it. I can acknowledge it, wave at it from a distance, and then move the hell on.

And I’m telling you this because I know I’m not the only one who gets stuck in the loop. You don’t have to let those thoughts run the show.

Making time for myself (without the guilt)

A rare sight: mom, relaxed, documented by a toddler. 😂📸

For the longest time, I told myself, I’ll take care of me after I take care of everything else.

Guess what?

“Everything else” never ends.

The dishes? Always there.
The emails? Keep coming.
The kids? Still need snacks every 10 minutes.

So I had to change the way I looked at it.

Instead of waiting for the perfect moment to do something for myself, I started making the moment.

Drinking my coffee alone before the chaos started ☕—even if it’s just five minutes.
Finding small gaps in the day instead of waiting for a huge chunk of free time (spoiler: that doesn’t exist).
Letting my kids see me take a break—because I want them to grow up knowing that rest isn’t something you have to earn.

I stopped treating time for myself like a luxury and started treating it like a necessity.

Because it is.

If you’ve been putting yourself last, waiting for the “right” time to take care of yourself… spoiler alert: that time is now.

Life isn’t meant to be one long, never-ending to-do list. You deserve joy right now—not one day when things magically calm down (because let’s be real, they never do).

And if anyone dares to make you feel guilty about it? Nod like you’re listening, and walk away.

Trust me, it works every time.

Go take care of you. You deserve it.

See you next week! 💛