One of the most important things to me is taking care of myself and especially my skin. Since i was a child i’ve been guided by my mom, who is an esthetician like me, on how to care for my skin, what products to use, how to choose more natural ingredients, and how to choose the best skin care regime for my skin. When i was 21 i graduated a 3 year diploma in aesthetics and cosmetology, and shortly after found my passion in all natural, homemade beauty products. Once i started travelling as a backpacker for an extended period of time it quickly occurred to me that natural products weren’t always available everywhere i went, which forced me to source out the cleanest ingredients and start making my own potions while on the road. Hence the name of my business, Matka, which literally means journey or travel in Finnish.

One thing that travellers mostly have in common is a simplified way of living, with lots of outdoor activities and partying, and maybe not so great eating habits. I quickly noticed how my skin started breaking out more and i needed something to combat this, and fast! I found my salvation in raw hemp seed oil and organic virging coconut oil, and have not stopped using these miracle ingredients since (this was 6 years ago!). Now, you might be thinking “oils for breakouts and acne, whaaat?!”, but if you have read my previous blog post “Plant oils vs. synthetic oils” (which btw i strongly encourage you to do!) you know that clean, organic, unrefined plant oils are actually extremely nourishing for the skin and will reduce breakouts and other skin problems, not worsen them. Natural cold process soaps are also an incredible versatile thing to have among your travel toiletries, as they can be used for both body, face, and hair. Very handy if your luggage space is limited, like mine usually is, that way i don’t have to drag along several different showering products.

hemp & camellia balancing face oil

HIGH IN THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY COMPOUND GAMMA-LINOLEIC ACID (GLA)
SOOTHES INFLAMED AND IRRITATED SKIN SUCH AS ROSACEA, ACNE, & PSORIASIS
NOURISHING & MOISTURIZING
FAST ABSORBTION - DOES NOT LEAVE THE SKIN FEELING GREASY OR CLOGG THE PORES
PREVENTS SCAR TISSUE FORMATION IN DAMAGED SKIN
DETOXIFIES SKIN WITHOUT CAUSING BREAKOUTS

If you are struggling with any of the problems mentioned above, i highly recommend trying this miracle oil out and experience the magic for yourself. Aside from it being a moisturizer, it has gently deodorizing properties and can be used as a deodorant substitute, and its calming foresty scent works great to calm the mind and reduce stress while travelling. It comes in a 30ml bottle, which is the accepted size for bringing aboard the plane in your hand luggage make-up pouch.

extra virgin coconut oil

CONTAINS LAURIC ACID - A POTENT ANTIMICROBIAL
FIGHTS AND PREVENTS SKIN INFECTIONS SUCH AS ACNE, CELLULITIS, FOLLICULITIS, ATHELETE’S FOOT & YEAST INFECTIONS
HAS A NATURAL SUN PROTECTION FACTOR (SPF) 10-15
MOISTURIZES AND PROTECTS THE SKIN AND HAIR
ANTI-AGING, PREVENTS “CREPEY” SKIN
USES: BODY OIL, SUNSCREEN, AFTERSUN, MOUTH WASH, AND HAIR TREATMENT

nourishing botanical soap bar

GREAT FOR FACE, BODY AND HAIR
NATURALLY RICH IN MOISTURIZING GLYCERINE AND PLANT OILS OF OLIVE, COCONUT & CASTOR
BIODEGRADABLE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
SKIN HEALING AND MOISTURIZING
CONTAINS BEAUTIFYING BOTANICALS AND CLAYS
SOLID BAR SOAP, EASY TO PACK, TAKES UP MINIMAL SPACE

Matka Essentials’ botanical cold process soaps are completely vegan and cruelty-free, and do not contain any synthetic colors or fragrances, preservatives, fillers, detergents, or foaming agents. Made from organic coconut and olive oil mixed with skin beautifying clays, salts, herbs, and essentials oils.

cruelty-free makeup by Jane Iredale

CLEAN BEAUTY MINERAL BASED MAKEUP WITH BEAUTIFYING PLANT EXTRACTS AND OILS
NO ARTIFICIAL OR TOXIC INGREDIENTS
NO ANIMAL TESTING
MEMBER OF THE GREEN SPA NETWORK, AND ONE OF THE FIRST COMPANIES TO SIGN THE COMPACT FOR SAFE COSMETICS.
THEIR FOUNDATIONS AND MINERAL POWDERS CONTAIN NATURAL SUN PROTECTION INGREDIENTS, WHICH HELP PROTECT THE SKIN FROM ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS AND UV-RAYS
PERSONALLY ONE OF MY FAVOURITE CLEAN MAKEUP BRANDS

Are you an avid traveller? Do you have any favorite products you just simply can’t live without oin your trips? I hope this blog post is helpful in case you are looking for good quality and practical products to bring on your next vacation. My next blog post will be after i’ve landed in Europe, so stay tuned and make sure to subscribe to not miss any of my adventures in the future! Have a lovely weekend and enjoy the sunshine.