By Catalina Tapia
The Raven Reports’ Beauty Editor Catalina sits down with Editor-in-Chief Lucas Raven to discuss the skincare products he refuses to travel without.
There are people who travel with a carefully edited three-step skincare routine.
Lucas Raven is not one of them.
As Editor-in-Chief of The Raven Reports, Lucas spends a considerable amount of time moving between countries, hotels, shoots, meetings and long-haul flights. That kind of schedule has inevitably shaped his approach to skincare. He wants hydration, protection and products that can make tired, travel-stressed skin look considerably less tired.
Some discoveries are his own. Others have been placed into his hands by me with some variation of, “Trust me, just try this.” Occasionally, he listens.
What I find interesting about Lucas’s routine is the complete absence of beauty snobbery. A product does not earn its place because it is expensive, difficult to find or comes in beautiful packaging. It has to be useful, perform well and fit into a life that frequently involves living out of a suitcase.
His bathroom cabinet consequently moves between heritage beauty, French pharmacy skincare, Korean formulas and a Japanese turmeric supplement. There are affordable products sitting beside more specialised discoveries, and several have become permanent fixtures in his carry-on. So I sat down with him to find out why.
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant Original
Catalina: Let’s start with the product you’ve probably had in your life the longest.
Lucas: Eight Hour Cream has been around forever, and there is a reason people keep buying it. It isn’t particularly glamorous, and that’s probably what I like about it.
It just works. I use it on my lips, cuticles, hands, dry patches, basically anywhere that suddenly decides to become desert-like after eight hours on a plane.
Catalina: So this is less beauty ritual and more emergency kit?
Lucas: Completely. It’s one of those products you don’t really appreciate until you’ve forgotten to pack it. Then suddenly every part of you is dry and you’re furious with yourself.
Catalina: Why does it always make the suitcase?
Lucas: Versatility. If I’m travelling with something that only does one tiny thing, it needs to be exceptional. Eight Hour Cream earns its space because I can use it for so many different things. It’s basically the Swiss Army knife of my beauty bag.
Catalina: Except considerably less threatening at airport security.
Lucas: Exactly.
Elizabeth Arden’s longstanding balm is designed as a multipurpose skin protectant for dry skin, lips, cuticles and other areas needing additional moisture. For Lucas, its appeal is considerably simpler: one tube solves multiple travel problems.
Price: AED 85 | Shop: Sephora UAE
Anua PDRN + Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum
Catalina: There is quite a lot of Korean skincare in this routine.
Lucas: Yes. Korean skincare has completely changed the way I think about hydration. Some products I’ve found myself and others you’ve introduced me to, but the common thread is texture. I want skincare that gives my skin what it needs without feeling heavy.
Catalina: And the Anua serum has become one of the permanent ones?
Lucas: Definitely. When my skin looks dehydrated or generally exhausted, this is one of the first things I reach for. It’s light, but my skin feels properly hydrated afterwards. That’s the balance I want.
Catalina: The formula also taps into the enormous interest in PDRN we’re seeing in Korean beauty. Was that what initially interested you?
Lucas: It made me curious, yes. But an ingredient can convince me to buy something once. It can’t make me keep using it. I keep using a product because I like what it does to my skin.
Catalina: When do you notice yourself reaching for it most?
Lucas: After flying. My rule after a long-haul flight is basically: give the skin water and stop annoying it.
Catalina: That may be the most sensible skincare advice you’ve ever given me.
Lucas: Please document it!
Anua combines hyaluronic acid with PDRN-related ingredients in a lightweight serum designed around hydration and the appearance of elasticity and radiance. Topical PDRN cosmetics should not be confused with injectable PDRN treatments used in aesthetic medicine.
Price: AED 109 | Shop: K-Beauty Arabia
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics
Catalina: Sunscreen. Are you genuinely disciplined about it?
Lucas: Now? Yes… Historically? Let’s not discuss it.
Catalina: What changed?
Lucas: Finding sunscreens that don’t feel like traditional sunscreen. If something is heavy, greasy or annoying underneath everything else, I know I’m eventually going to stop using it. This feels much more like skincare.
Catalina: Which is one of the reasons Korean sunscreens have developed such a following. Cosmetic elegance matters because people actually have to want to wear SPF.
Lucas: Exactly. This is lightweight, comfortable and doesn’t make me feel as though I have a layer of sunscreen sitting on my face. And when you’re travelling constantly, particularly living in the UAE, sunscreen isn’t something that should be negotiable.
Catalina: So the best sunscreen is ultimately the one you’ll apply properly?
Lucas: Precisely. There is no point owning an incredible SPF if you hate putting it on.
Beauty of Joseon’s popular sunscreen combines UV filters with rice-derived ingredients and niacinamide in a moisturiser-like cream. As with any sunscreen, adequate application and reapplication matter more than simply owning the product.
Price: AED 85 | Shop: Watsons UAE
Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Water Gel
Catalina: You also use the Red Bean Water Gel. Why this rather than a richer moisturiser?
Lucas: Because I don’t always want richness. Dubai is the perfect example. You can be outside in heat and humidity, then walk into air conditioning that feels like February in Norway. My skin still needs hydration, but I don’t necessarily want a thick cream sitting on it during the day.
Catalina: And this gives you enough without feeling heavy?
Lucas: Exactly. It has that light gel texture I love. It absorbs quickly and doesn’t make skincare feel like work.
Catalina: Which seems to be an important criterion for you.
Lucas: Extremely. I have absolutely no interest in spending 45 minutes on a morning skincare routine.
Beauty of Joseon’s water-based gel moisturiser uses red bean extract alongside humectant ingredients and has a considerably lighter texture than a conventional cream, which explains much of its appeal for Lucas in hot climates.
Price: AED 88 | Shop: Watsons UAE
Dr. Melaxin Peel Shot Glow: White Rice + Black Rice
Catalina: You have both the White Rice and Black Rice Peel Shots. Why two?
Lucas: Because I don’t use them for exactly the same reason. The White Rice version is the one I associate more with brightness and softness. The Black Rice is what I reach for when texture is bothering me. But these are occasional products for me.
Catalina: Which is important because exfoliation is one of those areas where people assume more must be better.
Lucas: My skin strongly disagrees with that philosophy. If I exfoliate too much, it lets me know immediately.
Catalina: So you’re not using these every night?
Lucas: Absolutely not. I don’t believe in attacking your face until it’s smooth. If something starts irritating my skin, I stop.
Catalina: Sensible.
Lucas: I have my moments.
The two Dr. Melaxin ampoules are marketed around exfoliation, texture and radiance, combining rice-derived ingredients with exfoliating components. Lucas treats them as occasional additions to his routine rather than daily essentials.
White Rice: Price: Check current price | Shop: Mirae Beauty Hub
Black Rice: Price: Check current price | Shop: Mirae Beauty Hub
11 Huesday VDRN Glow Dual Mist
Catalina: I am taking full credit for this one.
Lucas: Unfortunately, you should.
Catalina: I discovered 11 Huesday on my recent trip to Korea and put you onto the Glow Dual Mist because I knew immediately it would suit the way you travel. It is one of those products that makes sense when you are constantly on the move.
Lucas: You did. And annoyingly, you were right.
Catalina: That sounded painful.
Lucas: Deeply. But this is exactly why having you as our Beauty Editor is useful. You find things I probably wouldn’t have discovered myself, hand them to me, and several weeks later I realise I’ve become completely dependent on them.
Catalina: What made this one stick?
Lucas: It doesn’t feel like I’m simply spraying water over my face. There is enough substance to it that my skin actually feels better afterwards. It leaves everything looking fresher and slightly more luminous without making me look shiny.
Catalina: That was what interested me about the formula when I first tried it. It combines rice PDRN with hyaluronic acid, rice bran water and green tea water in a dual-phase mist. You can use it before makeup when you want more hydration, or mist it over makeup later in the day, which makes it particularly useful for travel.
Lucas: Exactly. On the plane, after landing, between meetings, before dinner when I haven’t had time to start my face again. That’s when I use it.
Catalina: So this lives in the carry-on?
Lucas: Absolutely. And if I run out, I blame you.
Catalina: Naturally.
The VDRN Glow Dual Mist is designed to give skin an instant hit of hydration and radiance, whether used before makeup, throughout the day or as a finishing mist. The fine spray and lightweight finish are precisely what make it such a useful travel companion, particularly when skin is feeling dry or looking tired after a long flight.
This one requires slightly more commitment for UAE readers. It can be purchased directly from Korea and forwarded to the UAE using Shop & Ship.
Price: KRW 36,000 | Shop: 11 Huesday Korea
UAE delivery: Order from the Korean website and use Shop & Ship for forwarding. Shipping, forwarding charges and any applicable import costs are additional.
Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream
Catalina: This is your final step at night?
Lucas: When my skin needs it, yes. Serum, moisturiser and then Cicalfate over the top.
Catalina: So more recovery product than everyday moisturiser?
Lucas: Exactly. I use it when my skin feels compromised. Too much flying, dry weather, air conditioning, or when I’ve simply done too much to my skin.
Catalina: Which happens.
Lucas: Frequently, sometimes the smartest thing you can do is stop adding more active ingredients and concentrate on making your skin comfortable again.
Catalina: I approve of that answer.
Lucas: That’s fortunate, you don’t approve of may things.
Avène’s Cicalfate+ is a rich restorative cream formulated for fragile and uncomfortable skin, with zinc salts among its ingredients. Lucas uses it as the final layer of his evening routine when his skin feels particularly dry or sensitised.
Price: Check current price | Shop: Boots UAE
Kangen Ukon Turmeric Capsules
Catalina: This is the only ingestible product on your list.
Lucas: Yes. I discovered turmeric properly through Japan, and this particular supplement uses turmeric from Okinawa. It’s something I’ve incorporated into my routine and personally really like.
Catalina: You originally described it to me as “insane for skin and body”.
Lucas: That sounds exactly like something I would say.
Catalina: I’m not sure the medical community will be adopting that terminology.
Lucas: Their loss.
Catalina: Supplements are where we need to be particularly careful, though.
Lucas: Absolutely. I take it because I like it. I’m not suggesting somebody takes a turmeric capsule and suddenly wakes up with incredible skin.
Catalina: Good. My work here is done.
Kangen Ukon is marketed as a Japanese turmeric supplement using turmeric from Okinawa. Claims around turmeric and curcumin require considerably more nuance than beauty marketing sometimes allows. Evidence varies according to formulation, dosage and intended outcome, and supplements can interact with certain medications.
Price: Approximately AED 206 | Shop: Desertcart UAE
Beauty Editor’s note: Lucas’s personal use should not be interpreted as dosage or medical advice. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and seek appropriate professional advice if you take medication, have an existing health condition, are pregnant or have questions about whether a supplement is suitable for you.
COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
Catalina: I have your exact description of this written down.
Lucas: That already sounds dangerous.
Catalina: “Glow like a fucking god of lightning.”
Lucas: Correct. And I stand by it.
Catalina: Scientifically rigorous.
Lucas: Obviously that’s not a clinical claim. But this is one of those products where I genuinely notice when I stop using it. My skin looks more hydrated, smoother and, yes, glowier.
Catalina: How do you use it?
Lucas: Usually on slightly damp skin. I press it in rather than rushing through it.
Catalina: And the snail mucin aspect never bothered you?
Lucas: It bothered me for approximately three seconds. Then I saw my skin.
Catalina: Fair.
Lucas: Copyright this… Glow like a fucking god of lightning. You can thank me later.
COSRX’s essence contains 96 per cent snail secretion filtrate and is primarily positioned around hydration and smoother-looking skin. The slightly viscous texture is distinctive, but it settles surprisingly lightly once applied.
Price: Check current price | Shop: Boots UAE
Nunies Hydra Essence Mist
Catalina: And this is another one I’m claiming.
Lucas: Yes. You clearly have a thing for Korean facial mists.
Catalina: I have a thing for products that are genuinely useful when travelling. What initially made me curious about Nunies, though, was the founder’s background. He spent 18 years at Dr.Jart+ before leaving to create his own skincare line, so there is serious industry experience behind the brand. The spray is incredibly fine, and the formula leaves the skin feeling hydrated and comfortable long after you apply it.
Lucas: Which is exactly why I kept it. The spray quality sounds like an incredibly minor detail until you’ve used a bad mist that basically fires droplets at your face.
Catalina: Nobody wants to be pressure-washed at 35,000 feet.
Lucas: Exactly. This feels much more refined. It’s instant hydration, but it also leaves enough behind that my skin still feels comfortable afterwards.
Catalina: So I’ve successfully created another dependency.
Lucas: You’re becoming very expensive to work with.
Catalina: Consider it editorial development.
Nunies describes its 80ml dual-phase Hydra Essence Mist as combining ingredients including hyaluronic acid, PDRN-related ingredients, squalane and camellia oil. The ultra-fine spray is part of what distinguishes it for both of us, particularly when using it throughout a flight or over existing skincare.
Like 11 Huesday, this is one of my Korean discoveries that requires a little more effort to get to the UAE, but it has become one of Lucas’s most frequently used travel products.
Price: KRW 32,000 | Shop: Nunies Korea
UAE delivery: Purchase from Korea and use Shop & Ship for forwarding to the UAE. Shipping, forwarding charges and any applicable import costs are additional.
If I Take Your Suitcase Away…
Catalina: Right. I’m confiscating the skincare bag. You get three products.
Lucas: That’s unnecessarily aggressive.
Catalina: Three.
Lucas: Sunscreen, because I’m attempting to behave like an adult. Eight Hour Cream because it solves about fifteen different problems. And probably the COSRX essence.
Catalina: Not one of the mists I introduced you to?
Lucas: Fine. Four products.
Catalina: That’s not how this works.
Lucas: It’s my magazine.
Catalina: And I’m the Beauty Editor.
Lucas: Fine. You win. Occasionally.
Perhaps that exchange says more about Lucas Raven’s approach to beauty than any carefully constructed routine could. His bathroom cabinet moves easily between a heritage Elizabeth Arden balm, French pharmacy skincare and Korean formulas, some discovered through his own travels and others introduced by me with the quiet confidence that he would eventually admit I was right. Price and prestige matter far less than performance, and there is little room for elaborate steps without a clear purpose. When you spend as much time as Lucas does moving between aircraft cabins, hotel rooms, humid climates and aggressively air-conditioned interiors, the products that earn a permanent place are the ones that adapt with you, keep the skin comfortable and consistently do their job. And, occasionally, prove that your Beauty Editor was right all along.
Lucas ’s Travel Routine
Morning: Anua PDRN + Hyaluronic Acid Serum, followed by Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Water Gel and Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun.
In flight: 11 Huesday BDRN Glow Dual Mist or Nunies Hydra Essence Mist, with Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream for lips, hands and particularly dry areas.
Evening: COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, moisturiser and Avène Cicalfate+ as a final layer when his skin needs additional barrier support.
Occasionally: Dr. Melaxin Peel Shot Glow White Rice or Black Rice, depending on what his skin needs.
