Last week I had the pleasure of taking a trip to the lovely town of Santa Fe with my even lovelier friend Angela. Newly vaccinated and eager to escape the monotony of the pandemic, we booked a casita, packed her car full of snacks and left at 5 a.m. on an 11-hour drive to a quiet corner of the New Mexico capital, where we soaked in spring-fed pools, fed chickens, and drank margaritas under a pink supermoon.

We started our first morning with a peaceful yoga class, followed by a hike where we took in expansive views of the snow-peaked mountains, dusty desert, and adobe architecture. On our trek to a tucked-away spring, we were surprised by a snake that was just as eager to get away from us as we were from it.

*Views of Santa Fe desert & mountains on our hike*

We also spent time in town, stopping for breakfast at the local coffee shop Cafecito, where I indulged in gluten-free empanadas and Angela sampled their specialty drink, the Dulce de Leche latte. We followed the walking path toward The Railyard, where local artisans sold paintings, jewelry and other homemade goods. After exploring the shops downtown, we had worked up an appetite and stopped for a late lunch at Apothecary Santa Fe, which according to their site offers “paleo, vegan and vegetarian specialties for building strength and power with Herbalism, and farm to table superfoods.” It’s true that their menu is loaded with nutritious foods, but there’s no sacrificing flavor. There I enjoyed a Mushroom Power latte, chock full of adaptogens, and dragon spring rolls with almond tamarind dipping sauce. We split a rich vegan key lime pie for dessert, then treated ourselves to 15 minutes of essential oil-enriched oxygen at the oxygen bar.

Santa Fe exceeded my expectations in terms of its enchanting natural beauty, its Namaste vibe, and its friendly people. It’s a chill, beautiful, soul-nourishing town, and I’ll absolutely be back. One thing to be prepared for if you go, though, is the unique climate.

Restored caboose near Santa Fe Railyard Park

what to pack

I had planned to do a “What’s in my bag” post that featured my desert-ready beauty goodies, but I didn’t get around to it before we left. This was for the best, because it turns out I don’t know anything about deserts. According to my 30-second Google search, Santa Fe isn’t even really desert, it’s “semi-arid,” which is plenty arid for me. It’s also at a higher elevation than any other state capital, and boy did I learn some interesting things about the way altitude affects your body (a few of which I won’t be sharing here). Most importantly, prepare to be DRY from the inside out. Your parched organs will soak up water like sponges, leaving your skin feeling like sandpaper.

Now that I’ve been there, though, I can share which of my supplies actually served me well, and better identify items I should pack for my next trip. Here are some of the wellness & beauty road trip supplies that worked well for me in Santa Fe, plus a few that I wish I would have brought with me. As always, my recommended wellness and beauty products are “mostly” natural and free of harmful chemicals.

Water

All the moisturizers in the world wouldn’t help us if we weren’t drinking enough water to hydrate from the inside, and drinking water became even more necessary in an arid climate situated over a mile above sea level. Since our days were filled with coffee and margaritas, both of which are dehydrating, water was priority #1 on our trip. I recommend bringing a reusable water bottle.

Body lotion

Like, a lot of it. I didn’t bring any—thankfully there was some in our casita—but when we returned my skin remained dry for days. Next time I go, I’ll bring a purse-sized tube of shea butter-based moisturizer like La Maison Cherry Blossom Hand & Body Lotion or Pacifica Island Vanilla Body Butter (Mini).

Face moisturizer

Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream, an exceptionally rich moisturizer and a standard component of my beauty routine, helped mitigate a dry complexion. It alone wasn’t enough, though, so I paired it with Earth Harbor Nymph Nectar to bring the glow back to my skin.

Face mist

Angela was smart to bring a face mist that kept dryness at bay as much as possible and freshened us up on our long drive. I’m a fan of rosewater-based face mists like Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater and S.W. Basics Rosewater spray.

Facial sunscreen

EltaMD UV Clear is the only facial sunscreen I’ll use, after trying various other disastrous mineral sunscreens that left my skin iridescent white and slimy. My face didn’t burn at all during my trip, in spite of being closer to the sun and spending most of our time outdoors. Unlike some sunscreens and lotions, this one never makes me break out.

Body sunscreen

I’ve just started using EltaMD full-body sunscreen, since I’ve had success with their facial sunscreen. It worked well on the trip, except for the spots I didn’t cover—those got burned. Which brings me to my next item...

Aloe vera gel

Nothing works better than aloe vera when it comes to soothing sunburned skin. It also helped normalize the texture of my parched skin.

Sunglasses

A necessity for high-in-the-sky, sunny Santa Fe. I’m obsessed with RainbowOPTX, which purports to boost your mood with colorful shades. (Marketing ploy or not, my yellow shades DO give me joy.)

Lip conditioner

I used the hell out of my Burt’s Bees Overnight Intensive Lip Treatment, and not just at night, but all day long. This is my go-to for sunburned or chapped lips and it soothes immediately.

Hand sanitizer

You can’t have a road trip during a global pandemic without hand sanitizer. I fell in love with the Saguaro Cactus Hand Sanitizer (as well as the candles from the Broken Top Candle Company brand) after purchasing some at the hotel spa.

CBD gummies

For maintaining that chill Santa Fe vibe (chillness doesn’t come naturally to me; I need a little help) and combating the elevation-induced insomnia.

Antihistamines & tissues

It wasn’t uncommon for us to encounter dust devils stirred up by heavy winds, and the dust combined with spring pollen had me dry, congested, sneezy and itchy at the same time. While I didn’t have any antihistamines with me, they might have solved some of these issues.

Eyedrops

We found that our eyes were bloodshot and dry during the trip—likely to do with the elevation and dry climate. It would have been nice to have some moisturizing eye drops on hand.

Wool socks

It was sunny enough to burn my un-sunscreened parts during the day, but nearly freezing at night. I was happy I brought several pairs of my hygge-worthy Nordic Socks to keep my toes warm in the evenings.

Here’s hoping these recommendations help you stay healthy and comfortable on your next trip to Santa Fe, and that there’s a prickly pear margarita in your future. Cheers!

What’s in my bag: Santa Fe