Emily Ferber, Associate Editor at Into The Gloss, doesn’t get to the beach often, but when she does, you can bet the trip is all about skin—and considering the amount of moisturizers she tries in a given week, it’s not surprising. And with all those reviews under her belt it made sense to get a bit of a prep course underway, seeing that it’s about to be summer. Here, she shares some of her summer skincare routine and what she can’t travel without, just in time for Memorial Day weekend.

How do you prep your skin for a summer getaway?

As excited as I usually am about spending any amount of time in the sun, the prospect of shorts makes me a little anxious because I’m so pale. I’ve been playing around with various self-tanners for ages, and now I have two that I’ll use depending on what I need. St. Tropez’s Bronzing Mousse is the best for one-time application that’s pretty seamless. Aerin Gradual Tan is a little slower—two applications will do —but it’s the first self-tanner that actually smells good, and for that, I’ll recommend it over just about anything.

I don’t love to self-tan my face, though, so I’ll make sure to pack a bronzer and big fluffy brush so it matches the rest of my body. For skin pre-trip, I just like to make sure I’m clear of any zits and redness so I don’t have to worry about it on vacation. I’ll break out one of Cremorlab’s Herb Tea Blemish Minus Masks to soothe everything and keep redness in check. Aesop’s Control is good to spot treat in a pinch. Don’t go anywhere without it.

How do you take care of your skin while traveling?

I’ve only just started misting and moisturizing in-flight—something you’ll never hear the end of when you start working in beauty. I use Glossier’s Soothing Face Mist every day, but it’s not travel-sized, so on the plane I use Tatcha Dewey Skin Face Mist. Then I rub in some antioxidant serum, like the Space Booster from 111Skin. Depending on how dry I am, I might mix that with some moisturizer—whatever I’m feeling that week.

What are your travel sized beach babe beauty essentials?

I can’t lie—I’m terrible at this. Last time I went on vacation, I checked a bag because I brought so many full-size beauty products. It has become a problem. Next!

Do you have a favorite sunscreen this season?

I tried a literal ton of sunscreens on my last vacation and I kept coming back to Avène’s Ultra-Light Hydrating Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 for face. It’s thin, it works, it doesn’t smell horrendously—and the bottle is adorable. No breakouts afterwards either.

Beach meets makeup. Go!

Estée Lauder makes an EE Cream with SPF that I’ve dabbled with. But if that feels too heavy, I stick with whatever sunscreen I’m using, topped with Glossier Skin Tint in Light and a bit of cream blush. You don’t really need cream blush when you’re going to the beach, but it’s just so much fun to put on I can’t help myself. And it’s my vacation, so I’m going to put on cream blush if I want to put on cream blush.

Any tricks for aftermath of too much sun kissing?

This is the time for your sticky body lotions. Or really, body oil straight out of the shower, before you even towel dry, followed by stick body lotion. And then stretchy, forgiving clothes, I guess.

Common mistakes when it comes to skincare in the summertime?

I’m learning more and more that one type of sunscreen isn’t enough. If you can, everything you use should have some level of SPF in it. Sun care is not a hoax, people.

What are your plans for the summer?

A whole lot of nothing, at the moment! But that’s how I like it. Hopefully I’ll have time to get out to the Rockaways and do some stereotypical summer things, like go to Coney Island. But mostly, if I’m being honest, you can find me in the nearest air conditioned space.