Skincare Tips for Travelers
By Kirstin N. Fuller

You and your sweetheart are headed to St. Lucia for a little rest and relaxation.  Day one is just lying around sipping on a cocktail and taking in the beautiful sights.  Day two starts with a cozy breakfast on your private terrace followed by an afternoon at the resorts’ spa.  Your spa package includes a peppermint manicure and a pedicure, full body massage and a spa facial.  Spa facial?  Wait… according to Dr. Eliot Battle & Dr. Monte Harris, a spa facial while on vacation, may not be a good idea.

Dr. Battle & Dr. Harris are the visionaries behind Cultura.  Cultura is the beautiful new spa located on Wisconsin Ave that has become the leading facility for the treatment (dermatological & plastic surgery) of skin of color.  

The one guilty pleasure that most travelers indulge in while on vacation is a visit to the spa for a facial or a massage.  “Be careful of procedures at spas on vacation, opt for the massage instead of the facial.  You wouldn’t want risk permanently damaging your skin,” states Dr. Battle.  Still want that mango facial?  Your new vacation friends’ skin is glowing.  “If you decide to splurge and have that facial at a spa while on vacation, make sure that the aesthetician is aware of any special/prescribed products that you use in your daily regimen,” cautions Dr. Harris.

According to Dr. Battle & Dr. Harris, it is extremely important for us to be aware of the side effects of products that we may use in daily regimen.  Products with Retin-A can damage your skin if you are exposed to excessive amounts of sun. You are probably thinking, “what’s the best way to keep my beautiful coco complexion while on vacation.”  Dr. Battle stress that we all should obtain trial sizes (3 oz. bottles) of products that we use in our daily regimen and take them with us on vacation.  It’s better to be safe than sorry!

Dr. Battle & Dr. Harris also stress that we are a beautiful mixture of people and ethnicities and that needs to be taken into consideration even while vacationing.  
 
So her are a few Cultura Skincare Tips for Travelers:
• Always wear sun block (year round, not just on vacation)
• Protect your children’s (even infants) skin as well with sun block.
• Re-apply sunscreen every 1½ hours and after you come out of the water.

For more information on Dr. Eliot F. Battle & Dr. Monte O. Harris and their amazing spa Cultura, please visit:  www.culturamed.com.  For the rest of the Cultura feature, check out the next issue of Reservations Travel Guide.  www.reservationsmagazine.com.

Save the beach chair next to you for me! 

 -The Travel Diva