We all love traveling, for the most part. It offers an exciting opportunity to discover new places, immerse ourselves in diverse cultures, and savor rich, delightful cuisine. That said, we must also acknowledge that traveling can be stressful; a million thoughts run through your head. From packing to logistics, budgeting, and other concerns, there’s so much to do, and amid these activities, chances are skincare will probably be the last thing on your mind.
However, the stress, excitement, and changes associated with traveling can take a significant toll on the skin. With exposure to elements like bright sunlight, harsh winds, dust, dietary change, water, and varying climates, several factors can affect the body, including its greatest organ, the skin. This often raises the question, how do I care for my skin when traveling?
Well, luckily, there are a few steps you can take to ensure your skin remains in optimal condition even when on the go. Explore our skincare travel tips and product selection for maintaining glowing skin.
The Need for Travel Skincare
If you’ve ever taken a flight, you should understand how drying the cabin air can be. Around cruising altitude, the controlled humidity in a plane’s cabin ranges between 10 – 20%, a significant drop from the skin’s ideal humidity condition. On the other hand, road trips expose the skin to different weather and environmental conditions. All of these factors collectively affect the skin while traveling. Let’s look at how these factors affect the skin in detail.
- Change in Air
Lack of moisture results in breakouts, and as we’ve seen, a plane’s cabin can get so dry it affects the skin. Furthermore, there’s so much to do while traveling that we often forget to maintain our water intake, dehydrating the skin more.
Aside from the plane’s controlled humidity, the weather change in your destination can also be a major factor. A colder climate will feature dryer air, resulting in dehydrated skin. On the other hand, humid, warmer temperatures can foster sebum release, making the skin prone to clogged pores.
- Switch from Daily Skincare Routine
You can’t get great skin overnight; it requires consistency with your skincare routine. However, when traveling, it is almost impossible to maintain this routine. There’s hardly enough time to wash your face and apply certain products on a flight, train, or car.
Missing out on your skincare routine can leave the skin dirty, with dead skin cells accumulating on the surface. Over time, this results in poor skin complexion and breakouts.
- Changes in Skin Care Products
For frequent travelers, the sight of small complementary skincare products hotels offer is likely quite familiar. These complimentary kits usually include lotions, face wash, shampoo, soap, and cleansers.
It’s worth noting that hotels have good intentions in providing these products, and occasionally, these skincare kits are compelling enough. However, there are instances where these products may not be formulated for your skin type or address specific skin issues. As such, applying them may cause more harm than good.
Traveling is meant to be enjoyed, and if you do not want such activity to throw you off your skincare game, it’s essential to establish a travel skincare routine. Here are five skincare tips to follow while on the move.
#Tip 1: Maintain a Routine
The best possible option for your skin’s health is to bring your existing skincare routine on the road. It’s important to continue using the products that your skin is accustomed to, even when traveling. By sticking to familiar products, you can minimize the risk of adverse reactions or breakouts that may occur when trying new products.
However, there’s an apparent issue: packing your routine products in full sizes can be heavy and expensive. How, then, can you maintain a routine on the go?
When planning your trip, consider how to pack skincare for travel. A common rule of thumb is ensuring you have all the essentials in convenient sizes for easy transport. Opt for travel-sized versions of all your ideal products, including cleansers, moisturizers, serums, and sunscreen, to ensure a consistent skincare regimen.
How to Pack the Perfect Skincare Travel Bag
Preparing for a trip is hectic enough to be stressing over what skincare products to pack. Here are some considerations to make the process a lot easier:
- Stick to the essentials.
- Choose products based on your skin type and condition. For instance, those with breakout-prone skin should consider a hydrating face mask and non-drying spot treatment. On the other hand, a soothing serum is a must for those with sensitive skin.
- Your travel bag should focus on your skincare routine before and after a trip, not during transit.
- Always consider the climate at your destination.
Alternatively, you can opt for a skincare travel kit packed with some of the best products available. Some of our selections include the OSEA Bestsellers Discovery Skincare Set, the Peach & Lily Glass Skin Discovery Kit, the e.l.f. SKIN Hydrated Ever After Skincare Mini Kit, and the Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Hydration Set.
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$47.87
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$43.00
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$39.00
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$19.95
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#Tip 2: Moisturize
At high altitudes, the humidity in a plane cabin drops, ultimately depleting the skin’s moisture. It becomes even worse on longer flights where the skin is subjected to these conditions for extended periods. As a result, you may notice dryness and irritation around the skin.
One way to address dehydration during your flight is to drink plenty of water. It’s good practice to apply a generous quantity of lightweight lotion or travel moisturizer to maintain the ideal hydration levels of your skin effectively. Applying a moisturizer mid-flight ensures your skin remains smooth and retains its moisture and radiant appearance upon landing.
For this tip, we recommend the Summer Fridays Jet Lag Face Mask + Moisturizer, CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion, or the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel. This travel-sized product provides that much-needed lightweight hydration, effectively calming, soothing, and moisturizing the skin. Also, don’t forget to apply sunscreen to protect against UV radiation.
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$49.00
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$16.29
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$14.99
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#Tip 3: Keep Your Eye Cream Close
If you travel often, then you most likely have experienced puffiness under your eyes during your trip. There are several reasons why you may have under-eye puffiness; however, in this context, the most prominent factor is inadequate sleep. It’s common to have issues sleeping due to long flights and difficulty adjusting to a new environment or different time zones, which can disrupt sleep patterns. Whichever the case, the skin under your eye consistently reflects signs of fatigue.
Opting for a suitable eye cream can help alleviate under-eye puffiness while also providing a revitalizing and brightening effect. Keeping your eye cream close can present a more refreshed and well-rested appearance as you adjust to the new environment.
Our selected eye treatments include the Eight Saints Wonder-Fill Plumping Eye Cream, the Tula Skin Care Eye Balm 24/7 Power Swipe, and the TATCHA The Silk Peony Melting Under Eye Cream. These products instantly reduce dark circles around the eye while also depuffing, revitalizing, and brightening the under-eye area effectively. Some of these products also feature a tub applicator for convenient travel applications.
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$67.00
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#Tip 4: Don’t Touch Your Face Often
We often have a habit of frequently touching our faces, but it’s crucial to avoid doing so, particularly while traveling until we’ve had the chance to wash or sanitize our hands. Why, you might ask? Well, we accumulate dust and various microorganisms on our hands, and when we touch our face, we transfer these microorganisms to our face, resulting in breakouts.
In truth, touching your face is entirely involuntary, so if you must, consistently wash your hands with soap for about 20 seconds to remove all pathogens and allergens from the skin’s surface. Moreover, hands aren’t the only pathogen carriers; reduce how often any object touches your face, and ensure it’s clean if anything must come in contact with your face.
#Tip 5: Address Breakouts
While you may enjoy traveling, it’s crucial to acknowledge that your skin may not always share the same enthusiasm. As much as we hate to admit it, the various factors associated with traveling can contribute to unexpected breakouts.
It’s advisable to maintain a consistent skincare regimen to address these breakouts, which may involve cleansing and moisturizing the skin daily. Serums containing hyaluronic acid, like the Eight Saints Pep Rally Hyaluronic Acid Serum, can help retain water molecules on the skin’s surface, keeping the skin hydrated. It’s also important to incorporate a spot treatment in your travel essentials to address such sudden breakouts.
Ideally, salicylic acid-formulated products are the best for clearing pores, addressing blemishes, and mitigating new breakouts. The Rapid Relief Sulfur Mask, Pai Salicylic Acid Clarifying Booster, and 111SKIN Microbiome Blemish Mask are effective TSA-approved spot treatment products.
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$39.00
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$29.00
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$160.00
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Never assume that even a brief travel period won’t affect your skin. Even small changes in weather, sleep patterns, diet, or environment can have adverse effects. As such, the next time you travel, remember all the essential details and products highlighted above.
