Caring for Your Skin While Traveling – A Guide to Maintaining Your Routine on the Road
If you’re a frequent traveler, then you’ve likely experienced the ups and downs that come with taking care of your skin while you’re on the road.
You don’t want to be loaded down with a suitcase full of products, yet the stresses air travel, changing climates, and a disrupted schedule can easily throw your skin out of whack.
When you determine what you really need for healthy, balanced skin wherever your travels take you, you’ll be set for all your adventures with a few packing tips and a little climate strategy.
General Travel Tips
If you have trouble editing your skin care routine to fit nicely into your carry-on, you’re not alone. We recommend a couple of tactics to help condense your array of products:
- Pack multi-tasking products; and/or
- Invest in travel sizes of your staples
One product with many applications
Multi-taskers are an excellent option for travelers, as they can address several skin care needs in one swipe and pack nicely in your toiletry bag. Some of our favorite multi-tasking products include our:
- Facial serums: Multi-purpose serums can combine several skin care steps into one convenient bottle. Taking care of your toner, protective serum and a light hydrator in a few drops makes caring for your skin easy and convenient to pack.
- Aromatherapy MultiSprays: Available in a variety of scents, multi-purpose sprays can be used on your clothing, your body, in your room, or anywhere that needs freshening up.
- Micellar Cleansing Water: Removes makeup with ease while gently cleansing the skin of dirt, oil, and debris. Great to easy cleanse the skin while flying – no water or rinsing needed.
Going small to save space
Not only do travel-size products ensure that your favorites meet TSA standards, but they help lighten your load and free up space in your suitcase. If you’re running low, easily refill your travel-size bottle with product from the full size you keep at home.
Unable to leave your favorite mask at home, and you don’t have a travel size isn’t available? Or, can’t decide which mask to bring with you? Clean out an old contact lens case to make a travel-sized pot to hold your preferred mask or treatment.
Packing for Different Climates & Seasons
Travel typically means you’ll visit a different climate than what your skin usually experiences. From fluctuating sun and humidity to wind and cold, changing climates can place a lot of stress on your skin.
Just as you would take the weather into account when packing your clothing, you need to consider the same when preparing your skin care regimen.
Hot, Sunny Climates
Depending on your skin type, you may want to consider swapping out your current cleanser and moisturizer for one that better suits your skin’s reaction to the climate you’re visiting. For example, if you know your skin tends to get oily in hot or humid climates, opt for a gel cleanser to cut back on oil and bring a lighter moisturizer over a heavy cream.
If you plan on spending any time out in the sun, sunscreen and after-sun care should both have a place in your toiletry bag.
Cold Climates
Again, depending on your skin type, your skin care needs may change if you’re entering a cold or windy climate. If your skin is sensitive to wind or lower humidity, opt for a gentle, non-drying cream cleanser and an emollient moisturizing cream.
Avoid chapped lips by bringing at least one lip balm – you won’t want to be caught without it!
Body & Personal Care
Travel comes with its own set of body care concerns, and you need to be ready to meet them – without packing the bathroom cabinet.
The Basics
While hotels typically offer a few essential personal care items, they often leave much to be desired. For a basic travel bag, we would recommend packing these items from home:
- Deodorant
- Body wash
- Body lotion
- Shampoo & conditioner
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
You may be tempted to skip bringing your own body wash, body lotion, shampoo, and conditioner, but you and your skin will feel much more comfortable by maintaining these fundamental elements of your routine.
Recommended Additions
While these items may not be crucial to bring along, we highly recommend them for an elevated travel experience:
- Lip balm: Don’t forget a handy lip balm to protect and moisturize your lips.
- Essential Oil Roll-On: Travel can be stressful. Bring the soothing power of aromatherapy on-the-go with our Essential Oil Roll-Ons – available in a variety of scents.
- Hand sanitizer: New environments mean exposure to new germs. Protect yourself by keeping hand sanitizer in your handbag or carry-on bag.
Travel Must-Haves
Finally, while you probably need to leave your special bath oil at home, there are a few items we consider to be “non-negotiable” when packing for a trip. No matter the climate of your travel destination, you should never leave home without:
- A facial cleanser
- A facial moisturizer or cream
- Sun protection
- Lip balm
As skin care lovers, we understand that culling down your skin care routine can seem like an overwhelming task. It’s easy to fall into that mindset of “You never know what you might need!” However, by planning ahead and taking the time to truly consider your skin’s basic needs, you can pack a toiletry bag that readies you for any climate, season, or skin care conundrum that may come your way.
Whether you’re headed to Denver for a business trip, the Swiss Alps for a snowy adventure, or the sunny Caribbean for a beachside escape, we hope these tips help you when packing for your next big adventure.
