You’ve booked your flights, planned an itinerary, and you’re ready to start packing your suitcase for your next adventure. It’s time to travel! Whether you’re flying abroad for work, driving somewhere warm to escape the winter, or heading a few states away to visit friends or family, any trip involves packing the essentials. If you’re vacationing, it can be easy to remove yourself from your regular routine, but your skincare routine shouldn’t get a vacation. Between flying, sun exposure, air conditioning in hotels, and different temperatures, your skin goes through the wringer while traveling, so it’s important to keep it hydrated, healthy, and protected. Here are a few of our skincare travel tips to keep in mind before embarking on your upcoming trip.
Pack Smart
While we may not be able to help you pack your clothes, we can offer some skincare packing advice. Head to your nearest drug store or shop where travel-size containers are sold and stock up. These will be helpful when it comes to traveling with your skincare products, especially if you’re flying with carry-on luggage. This way, you won’t have to worry about toting around full-sized containers, which can take up a lot of room in a suitcase. You may also be able to find travel or sample size products that are already used in your routine, which means there’s even less work to do.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Has your skin ever felt incredibly dry after a long plane ride? The air conditioning on airplanes is different than what we’re used to in our homes, so it can easily dry your skin. Airplane air conditioning uses only about 20 percent humidity, while our skin is typically used to 40 to 70 percent. This can also give skin a dull appearance, even if you’ve applied makeup prior to the flight. Not to mention, airplane air is recycled and pressurized, which is a rude wake-up call for your skin. Moisturizer will be your best friend before, after, and during long flights, especially if you are already struggling with dry skin. Before and during a flight, it’s important to drink plenty of water to keep moisture in your body, which can greatly benefit your skin on long trips. This also includes your lips, which can become easily chapped on planes. Bring your favorite lip balm with you and apply frequently to lock in moisture.
Protect Yourself
Even if you aren’t heading to a tropical location, you won’t want to forget sunscreen, which should be a regular part of your skincare routine. A moisturizer containing SPF can be especially useful on the plane. You may not think about it while sitting on a plane, but the sun’s rays are even harsher thousands of feet above the ground where the air is thinner. If you have the window seat and find yourself gazing out onto the horizon, you will want to have some SPF handy.
Be a Tranquil Traveler
Traveling can lead to stress, especially prior to long road trips or while heading through airport security, which can impact your skin. Between travel stress and the dry air on planes, your skin can take a beating and become inflamed. Aside from staying hydrated, wear lighter makeup that won’t add to the skin’s irritation and use soothing makeup remover wipes. If you find yourself becoming stressed, just relax, rest, and picture yourself on the warm island you’re heading to.
Adjust to Changes
Once you’ve arrived at your hotel, condo, or rental house, it’s important to remember that your skin still has some adjusting to do. Hotel air conditioning can be different from what you’re used to at home, and it can produce similar results to what your skin experiences with the dry air on a plane. Depending on your location, the water can also be different. Water in certain parts of the world is cleaner or more chemical-filled than water elsewhere, so keep that in mind if you are still noticing changes to your skin throughout your trip.
Stick to Your Regimen
As mentioned before, you don’t get a vacation from your skincare routine if you want to keep your skin looking happy and healthy. Be sure you’ve packed the necessary steps in your regimen and use the products as you normally would at home. If you forget to stick to your regular routine or forget any parts of your typical regimen, your skin won’t be thanking you later.
Traveling can definitely be overwhelming, which tends to show on our skin. If you stick to your routine, moisturize as much as possible before and after flying, remember to apply SPF, and remain as calm as possible, your skin can enjoy your trip right along with you! But, if you have some skincare concerns before traveling, get in touch with Art of Dermatology. Request a consultation with Dr. Jessica Krant prior to your trip to discuss what you will need to have with you during your travels, and how to deal with dry or sun damaged skin.
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