8 Skincare Tips to Maintain Beautiful Skin While Traveling

Fewer travel restrictions and beautiful summer weather means vacations are top of mind! With August being a significant travel month, it’s time to talk about maintaining healthy, glowing skin on your trip.

Between stuffy air on the plane, change in humidity and climate, sleeping less, and typical travel stress, keeping your skin in the best shape can seem daunting. We’re here for you! Skincare while traveling comes down to prioritizing the essentials. As much as we’d all love to bring our entire beauty cabinets, sometimes less is more. 

By following these simple tips, you won’t compromise the gorgeous skin you’ve worked so hard for while relishing every moment of precious vacation time!

Prioritize Cleansing

Travel days can be long and filled with germs, which means a good facial cleanser is just as important as that bottle of hand sanitizer that never leaves your bag.

When it comes to cleansing, being gentle is a top priority. Wash with warm/cooler water and use a clean towel to gently pat your skin dry rather than rubbing the towel across your skin. Depending on where you’re traveling, the water levels can be harsher and contain different minerals than what you’re used to so this will lessen the risk of irritation.

Consider a double cleanse. This is especially important if you’re wearing makeup. Using two different cleansers, one after the other will remove stubborn traces of makeup, sunscreen, dirt, and even pollutants from deep in your pores, leaving your skin radiant and less congested. Start with an oil cleanser, like Jurlique’s Nourishing Cleansing Oil, massaging it into dry skin, then rinse with warm water. Next, you can use a cream, lotion, gel, or foaming cleanser, depending on your skin type, and wash your face as you normally would. If you’ve already maxed out your suitcase capacity and opt for makeup wipes rather than an oil cleanser, make sure to follow with a gentle hydrating cleanser to ensure you remove all of the dirt from your face.

Moisturize. Hydrate. Repeat. 

A quality moisturizer should always have a home in your toiletry bag. The humidity level on many airplanes is typically around 20%, which is far lower than our skin would like, leading to a major loss of moisture. Try a hyaluronic acid moisturizer before you embark on the travel day to set your skin up for success and set regular reminders on your phone to sip water throughout the journey.

Protect Your Skin

Packing a heavy-duty sunscreen seems like a no-brainer, but it is easy to forget to reapply throughout the day, especially if you’re having fun on the beach! You should also consider an SPF on the flight, where there is still significant UV exposure through the windows, not to mention a much higher elevation. Road tripping? Same thing! For all-natural sunscreen recommendations and our favorite after-sun products, check out our blog post, Sun Protection & After-Sun Skincare.

Stick to the Routine

It’s easy to reach for the convenient travel-sized products from a grocery store or hotel when you’re on vacation, but this means sacrificing the effectiveness of your carefully cultivated skincare routine. Did you know it takes about a month for a product to really start showing results? We’d recommend picking up some empty travel-sized bottles and bringing your favorite products along for the ride. Stick to the basics and consider your destination’s climate. If you’re headed on a beach vacation, it’s probably best to skip the heavy serum and night cream, but if you’re traveling to a cool dry climate, these are must-haves.

A great all-in-one option is Color Up’s travel pack available in the Jalan Shop at the spa, and complete with products for every step of your skincare routine.

Pull Back Your Hair

Getting in the habit of tying your hair away from your face in a pony while on the go is a simple yet effective way to avoid breakouts. Your hair is essentially a magnet for dirt and pollution, which will then be transferred to your face if your hair is down.

Skip the Long-Lasting Makeup

While it’s tempting to apply makeup to last until you arrive at your vacation destination, hold off until you arrive and moisturize instead. Try a hydrating lip oil and your favorite moisturizer while you’re traveling, especially for long flights.

If you want to arrive wearing makeup, take a few minutes once you get off the plane to wash your face and then put on makeup. You won’t risk the negative impact on your skin, and you’ll have a fresher application!

Wash Your Hands

After the past year+, this should be a no-brainer. We are all guilty of touching our face with less than pristine hands, so do it for your skin as well! No matter where you’re traveling or how you plan to get there, airplanes, gas stations, and trains are bustling with bacteria, and you want to avoid getting any on your skin.

Treat Yourself & Your Skin

A sheet mask is an easy addition to your packing list, and your skin will thank you after a long day of dry airplane air. If there’s time before you leave for your flight or a long drive, you can also do a sheet mask at home, followed by that hyaluronic acid moisturizer we talked about above to proactively lock in hydration. Elemental Herbology’s Nutrition Infusion Sheet Mask is a great option! Infused with nourishing botanicals rich in vitamins and enzymes, this mask will instantly brighten your complexion!

These simple tips and tricks should allow you to enjoy your long-awaited summer vacation while maintaining beautiful skin!