Let me tell you about my niche hyperfixation
I don’t travel without this
I’m Wing, a travel writer and editor/lifestyle journalist. Most of my stories run in publications like the Toronto Star, Canada’s biggest daily newspaper. But I have more tales and tips to share outside of those features. This is my own little space for that. Thanks for reading!
IN THIS EDITION
Lessons from my past life
A spring trip to South Korea
My new favourite travel hoodie, now on sale
Lessons from My Past Life
I started writing this edition up in the air, returning from a press trip to the Four Seasons Resort Whistler, which feels like a retreat anytime of year but especially now. The summer crowds haven’t peaked yet, and the weather is lovely for bear safaris, forest bathing, subalpine hiking and patio dining.
On the trip, a fellow travel writer asked, by way of small talk: Which niche hyperfixation could we each do a presentation on, if asked on the spot and given no prep time?
My answer: I could easily bore you for an hour on the intricacies of sunscreen, gleaned from my past life as a health and beauty editor. Most skincare products are optional. Eye cream? Meh, I’ve never felt passionate about one. But sunscreen is a basic you genuinely need, like soap or toothpaste. Not thrilling. Still important.
It’s a travel essential for any destination, and besides, we’re all subjected to ultraviolet (UV) radiation when flying through the sky in a metal tube.
“Pilots and cabin crew have approximately twice the incidence of melanoma [the deadliest form of skin cancer] compared with the general population,” according to a meta-analysis published in JAMA Dermatology in 2015. Other fun facts from the same study:
A plane’s glass and plastic windshields block UVB, the sunburn-causing rays, pretty well; less than 1 percent of that radiation is transmitted through them. But 54 percent of UVA, the skin-aging rays, comes through the glass. Cumulative damage from this radiation speeds up the appearance of wrinkles, dark spots, sagging.
The higher the altitude, the stronger the UV radiation. “At 9000 m, where most commercial aircraft fly, the UV level is approximately twice that of the ground,” the study notes. When I pick a plane seat, I factor in how much sun I expect. On a daytime flight, for example, I favour a window seat to control the shade.
Here are some sunscreen questions I’m often asked (and ones nobody asked, but you should know anyway).
Which sunscreen is most effective? To parrot dermatologists everywhere, the best sunscreen is the one you like (or begrudgingly tolerate) enough to use every day. Sunscreens are highly regulated, and formulas across brands basically draw upon the same pool of approved filters in any given market*. So, in general, they’ll all suffice at doing the job, if applied correctly (generously!).
What often distinguishes one sunscreen from another is whether it feels nice, which is entirely subjective. Or to borrow beauty industry jargon, you want a formula you find “cosmetically elegant”: non-sticky, invisible, unobtrusive.
(*Asian countries like Japan and South Korea are way ahead of Canada and the U.S. in terms of the sophisticated sunscreen filters available. So whenever I travel to Tokyo or Seoul, I like to restock. I also order online from Stylevana, which ships from Hong Kong.)
Is mineral sunscreen better than chemical sunscreen? See above. It’s a matter of personal preference, IMO. I’m not a mineral-only purist; I use both. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are white pigments by nature, so they tend to look at least a bit chalky, especially on darker skin tones. When I go mineral, it’s usually tinted. As a sweeping generalization, chemical sunscreens tend to feel nicer and be truly transparent.
But I’m going somewhere cold. Do I really need sunscreen? Yup, UV and temperature are different variables. On a cool or cloudy day, the sun can still be strong enough to burn or otherwise damage skin, especially midday. Most weather apps will tell you the UV index hour by hour.
My foundation has an SPF. Isn’t that good enough? My hot take: Makeup shouldn’t be allowed to make sun protection claims; they give people a false sense of security. The SPF number on any product is measured in standardized lab tests, where they slather skin with a specific plentiful amount. Nobody cakes on makeup this way. A little foundation is better than nothing, but it’s weak on its own.
Isn’t sunscreen more toxic/carcinogenic than just getting a little sun? Hard no. The idea that sunscreen is somehow worse than unprotected exposure to UV (a known carcinogen!) is misinfo by wellness grifters.
What sunscreen are you wearing? On many days: La Roche-Posay Anthelios Mineral Ultra-Fluid Tinted SPF 50 (the face formula, not the somewhat similar-sounding one for body). It’s fluid and glowy, and the hint of coverage means I can skip foundation. But there’s no such thing as a “universal” tint, so this product isn’t for everyone.
For untinted sunscreens, I’m trying a couple I recently bought at Olive Young in Seoul: Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Rice + Probiotics SPF 50+ and Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Serum SPF 50+. I like both! My husband, Andrew, a reluctant sunscreen convert, uses CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Lotion for Normal to Oily Skin SPF 30.
OK, but what if I still hate sunscreen and want to ignore all of the above? Long sleeves/pants. A stylish sunhat. A dorky but effective Japanese-style UV umbrella.
ICYMI
This spring, I travelled to South Korea with G Adventures and wrote about visiting the DMZ, twirling around in hanbok and being served “live,” still-writhing octopus. (Spoiler: the dish was too adventurous for me.) In the Toronto Star: “Can guided group trips offer authentic cultural immersion? I was skeptical when I joined a tour of South Korea”
I recently received an award from the Travel Media Association of Canada for a Toronto Star feature I wrote last year: “Jane Austen’s life was more fascinating than fiction. I travelled to four destinations to learn all about it” (second place in Best Cultural/Historical Story). My English lit degree was practical, after all.
TRAVEL STUFF I ACTUALLY LIKE
My Go-to Airplane Hoodie
Roots has a travel-friendly collection called Roam, and I’ve added the cozy quarter-zip hoodie, now on sale, to my plane uniform. The cropped length is just right, and the design details are nice (see: the all-black zip).
I especially appreciate the secure kangaroo pocket, which is zippered and generously sized, so I can keep my cellphone, passport, Kobo e-reader, AirPods and other accoutrements close at hand on a flight.
This newsletter is a work-in-progress, so I’d love to hear what you want to see as I experiment with the format.
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My sunscreen obsession is Japans Biore UV. I stock up every time I go. Also love the Roots hoodie, thanks for the reccos!
Wow, did not know all this about UV exposure on a plane. Timely advice, thank you!