Everything A Trip To St. Lucia Taught Me About My Skin

By Náosha Gregg ·Updated May 12, 2026 < /> Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…

I have always had a mundane relationship with my skin. Our relationship was pretty standard: it asked for things, and I delivered. During the brutal winter, it was parched with thirst, so I delivered the thickest moisturizer I could find. In the summer, oil would secrete through, so I upped my exfoliating and tried my best to keep my pores clean. It was always a calming push and pull, until the calming seas of the Caribbean changed that. 

When I stepped off the plane at Hewanorra International Airport in Saint Lucia, my skin felt the difference immediately. Leaving the dry, crisp winter of America for the warm and comfortable airs of the Caribbean was an adjustment. My skin, rough and peeling, expected to be blasted with cool air, but was rather calm as we drove across the island to WindJammer Landing Resort, where I would learn that I didn’t know my skin as well as I thought, and how it would forever change my skincare routine. 

While Saint Lucia is known as the world’s

Browse orgs

From the cacao farms peppered across the island to the aloe vera and hibiscus trees that gently cradle the roads, the island was >sea moss, known for its mineral-rich hydration; volcanic mud from Soufrière, prized for detoxifying and smoothing the skin; coconut oil, a staple for deep moisture and nourishment; and aloe vera, cherished for its calming and soothing properties,” Eugene explains. “Cocoa, rich in antioxidants, is also widely used to support healthy, glowing skin.”

The Muddy Truth

In the states, I often avoided scrubs for fear of microtears in the skin, and for the slight irritation and redness that would be left on my cheeks afterwards. Exfoliation never got along well with my skin, until I took a dip in the iconic Sulphur Springs at the Soufrier Volcano, which last erupted in the 1700’s. Originating from a weak spot in the crust of a collapsed volcanic crater, the mud holds special properties, designed to detoxify the body and help heal sunburns, eczema, arthritis, sore joints, and more.

I was hesitant to put the mud on my skin—if I couldn’t handle scrubs made for skin, what would make natural mud better—but it was a decision that would change my skin forever. Slathering on the first palmful, my skin instantly felt the difference. It was cooling and deeply penetrated my pores, but was gentle and non-gritty. As I rubbed it in, I could feel the island naturally peeling away every impurity and imperfection in my skin. After a rinse, the mud revealed perfectly polished skin, relieved of dullness, redness, and clogged pores and blackheads—leaving me glowing from the inside and out. 

The Island’s Promise

My relationship with my skin would come full circle when I received the Island Rejuvenation Facial at Windjammer Resort. As I waited for my esthetician, I vividly remembering hearing the natural sounds of the island—the ocean waves gently crashing on the shore, the birds calling to each other as the sun cast a beautiful orange glow across the sky. My skin yearned for that same result—calmness and beauty, without the harsh residue or reaction of added additives or chemicals that I had become accustomed to back home. 

My esthetician greeted me, and as I opened the door to my suite, both my skin and I were set at ease. 

Before

The treatment begins with a highly active peel to gently renew the skin, followed by a vitamin-rich mask infused with nourishing plant extracts. The ingredients not only sat on my skin, but absorbed into it—I could feel every ingredient penetrating past the various layers of my skin and working to restore my natural glow. 

During 

A combination of SkinCeuticals products, including their Micro Polish Exfoliating Cream and Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 left my skin feeling balanced—a trait that I never knew my skin was lacking until I reached the island. 

“These carefully selected ingredients work together to hydrate, revitalize, and restore radiance, rooted in the island’s natural elements,” Eugene continued. “Locals swear by keeping skincare simple and letting nature do the work, a philosophy that aligns seamlessly with the Windjammer Landing experience.”

After detailed extractions and a steaming, my skin and I left the suite feeling renewed—my dark spots were faded, oil no longer coated my skin, and pores no longer felt enlarged and gritty. My skin was left with a new layer—one that only nature could peel back to reveal. 

After 

As I sat on the plane preparing for the four-hour ride back to the States, I felt a sense of longing. In the short time that I was on the island, my skin knew nothing but tenderness and care—from the healing mud to the refreshing facials featuring the natural ingredients of the island, St. Lucia not only taught me how to care for my skin, but how to hear its calm calls of the nature that surrounded me—a beauty that only Mother Nature can provide. 

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