Skincare on the Move: How to Maintain Skin Routines While Traveling
Whether it’ food, sleep, or skincare, it can feel impossible to maintain your routine when traveling. And your routine may not be your top priority when you are out of town for work or a fun weekend with friends. However, nothing is worse than breaking out and dealing with irritated skin when you are away from home and wanting to look (and feel) your best. And let’s face it, the products at your hotel probably don’t help the situation.
Keep reading today’s article with tips for skincare for traveling and skincare product suggestions to bring along. Let’s jump right in!
Skincare Tips While Traveling
It may be easy to let your skincare routine go when traveling, but it’s precisely when your skin may need it the most! Traveling can be stressful, and that stress can show up on your skin as pimples, redness, and irritation. As you change climates, your skin may be drier, oilier, or more prone to sunburn.
So, just as you think you can get away with skipping your skincare routine, try thinking about skincare while traveling ahead of time so you are prepared. Let’s dive into some of the most helpful skincare tips.
Moisturize the Night Before Travel Days
Airplane air is dry. Long plane rides dehydrate your body and skin. Plus, you may drink less water or eat more salty snacks, contributing to further dehydration. If your skin tends to appear dryer, duller, and with more pronounced crepiness or wrinkles with travel, dehydration could be playing a role.
Anticipate the dryer conditions by providing extra hydration and moisturizing the days before you travel, especially the night before.
Recommended products:
NassifMD® Hydro-Screen Serum is a travel-size skincare product is our best-selling hydrating serum with hyaluronic acid and ceramides to pull moisture into the skin and support a protective skin barrier. Use it on a clean face twice a day as a hydrating serum and as the last step in your skincare routine before sunscreen and makeup. Pack a bottle in your carryon for a quick refresh whenever needed, or mix a few drops with your moisturizer for added benefit.
NassifMD® Pure Hydration Rejuvenating Night Cream is the perfect moisturizing solution to use at night before a day of travel (and pop it in your carryon for travel-size skincare). This formula contains vitamin C, galactoarabinan (a natural polysaccharide), and antioxidants for deep nourishment and moisturizing.
Stay Hydrated and Eat Antioxidants
The best skincare routine isn’t only about what you put on your skin but also what you put in your body. Did you know you can decrease inflammation and improve skin health by focusing on nutrition? You can, and this is even more important with travel when your diet and eating habits are likely to shift, and usually not for the better.
Here are some ways to support skin health on the go:
- Drink plenty of water, at least eight cups per day, and more if you’re drinking caffeine, alcohol, or traveling to a hot or dry climate. Add electrolytes to water at least once per day.
- Eat hydrating foods like lettuce, cucumbers, watermelon, and other fresh produce.
- Increase antioxidants from plant foods that help protect skin cells. Good choices include bell peppers, berries, dark leafy greens, green tea, dark chocolate, turmeric, rosemary, and more.
For more anti-inflammatory diet tips, please read Skincare From the Inside Out: The Skin-Gut Connection.
Recommended product:
NassifMD® Immunity Booster is a dietary supplement that supports immunity while traveling when fruits and veggies may be harder to get in your diet. It contains powerful antioxidants, immune-enhancing nutrients, and bioactive compounds, including vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, selenium, elderberry, curcumin, and more. Take two capsules daily when traveling and at home to prevent premature aging from the inside out.
Pack Your Skincare Kit
Regarding how to take care of your skin while traveling, you may not need to pack every skincare product you own but don’t leave home without the essentials. Consider packing a quality cleanser, serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen.
Many of your favorite products will already be under the 3.4-ounce TSA limit to bring in your carryon. For larger products, bring a small amount in a smaller travel container. It’s a great way to reuse those little shampoo bottles you get from hotels or source silicone travel containers for a matching set.
Recommended product:
NassifMD® Detox Facial Pads are our go-to for travel when it can be hard to wash your face. Use them on the airplane or at a hotel in addition to your facial cleanser (or in place of it in a pinch) to cleanse the face, remove makeup, and provide gentle exfoliation. For sensitive skin, try NassifMD® Detox Pads – Gentle. Best of all, they won’t spill in your purse. Read more about the benefits of detox pads here.
Regularly Apply Moisturizer
Moisturizer is a travel skincare staple for all the reasons discussed above about skin dehydration. For daytime use, we suggest a light moisturizer with antioxidants and SPF to protect the skin from excess pollution, sun, and other factors your face may face while traveling. In addition, sunscreen, as part of a daily skincare routine, protects the skin from sun damage that causes aging.
You may need to regularly apply sunscreen throughout the day, at least every two hours when out in the sun. Packing a wide-brimmed hat and sun-protective clothing is also good for hot weather vacations.
Recommended products:
NassifMD® Simply Hydration contains antioxidants and SPF 40 to protect the skin. In addition, this sunscreen is extra-hydration because of hyaluronic acid. It’s lightweight, oil-free, and comes in a two-ounce bottle, perfect for slipping into your purse or backpack to reapply while on the go.
NassifMD® Protect & Hydrate Daily Mineral Sunscreen is part sunscreen and part moisturizer, with hyaluronic acid for hydration and vitamin C for antioxidant protection. Best of all, it’s waterproof and contains a universal, sheer tint to offset the mineral sunscreen. It’s another excellent skincare travel option!
NassifMD® Hydrating Lip Balm is the perfect travel lip balm for soothing dehydrated or chapped lips and protecting them from sun damage. Use it on its own or under lip gloss or lipstick.
Avoid Alcohol
Some people may tend to drink more when traveling, but if you drink less (or avoid alcohol altogether), your skin will thank you! Alcohol dehydrates you, uses up antioxidants, and can leave your skin looking inflamed and uneven. Not to mention hangovers, impact on sleep, and other negative health consequences of alcohol consumption.
If you consume alcohol, keep it minimal and focus on hydration and an antioxidant-rich diet.
Don’t Touch Your Face
When you touch your face, you transfer oils, dirt, and bacteria from your hands. Think about all your hands encounter when traveling and in public places. Avoiding the transfer of dirt and germs helps prevent breakouts and keeps your skin looking smooth and hydrated. It also helps reduce the spread of germs that cause colds, the flu, and other illnesses. Keep your skin and immune system healthy while traveling by keeping your hands away from your face. If you need to touch your face, wash them first.
Consider Skipping Makeup
Because of the changes your skin may experience with air travel and travel to new environments and climates, less is more when it comes to makeup. Consider going sans makeup or minimizing makeup on travel days. Instead, prioritize moisturization so your natural beauty and glow shine through.
When your skin acclimates to your destination, add light makeup back into your routine if desired.
Prioritize Sleep
Sleep is essential to a good skincare routine and one of our best skincare tips while traveling.
When you travel, it’s easy to get off your sleep schedule, which can show up on your skin. When you sleep, your skin cells release toxins and repair, but without enough quality sleep, these processes can get sluggish and affect your skin’s appearance. It’s estimated that eczema is related to sleep disturbance in 33 to 99% of adults with the condition!
It isn’t called “beauty sleep” for nothing!
Some sleep tips for travel include:
- Try to maintain a regular sleep-wake pattern as much as possible
- Wear a sleep mask and earplugs
- Wind down before bed with a relaxing routine, including self-care and skincare
Consider adopting a simple skincare routine while traveling that includes packing your essential skincare products and planning for healthy behaviors that keep your skin youthful, hydrated, and glowing wherever your travels take you!
References
- Eda, N., Nakamura, N., Inai, Y., Sun, Z., Sone, R., Watanabe, K., & Akama, T. (2023). Changes in the skin characteristics associated with dehydration and rehydration.European journal of sport science, 23(4), 552–560.
- Guan, L. L., Lim, H. W., & Mohammad, T. F. (2021). Sunscreens and Photoaging: A Review of Current Literature.American journal of clinical dermatology, 22(6), 819–828.
- Simon, L., Souza-Smith, F. M., & Molina, P. E. (2022). Alcohol-Associated Tissue Injury: Current Views on Pathophysiological Mechanisms.Annual review of physiology, 84, 87–112.
- Bawany, F., Northcott, C. A., Beck, L. A., & Pigeon, W. R. (2021). Sleep Disturbances and Atopic Dermatitis: Relationships, Methods for Assessment, and TherapieThe journal of allergy and clinical immunology. In practice, 9(4), 1488–1500.
