If you have a summer skincare routine, it may go out the window when you travel.
It’s not easy, after all, to stay with your normal routine when you’re going to a different climate and time zone.
But that doesn’t mean you should have to suffer from acne, dry skin, and other issues while on vacation.
We have seven tips to help you create your best routine for summer travel.
Summer Skincare Routine #1: Pack Travel Sizes
Travel is a lot easier when you already have travel sizes of your favorite and most critical skincare products. Not only will the airlines not allow you to carry on full-sized bottles, but they can also take up a lot of room in your luggage even if you’re going on a road trip.
A good way to gauge how much skin care product you’ll need on your trip is to imagine how much you use each day and then multiply that by how many days you’ll be away. You may want to add in a little extra just in case.
Then if you can’t find travel sizes of your favorite products, pick up some empty travel-sized bottles and use those.
Once you have your travel-sized products, pack them away so that when it’s time to go, all you have to do is plop them in your bag. We recommend our CV Traveler, which includes travel-sized versions of our products.
#2: Don’t Skip on Cleanser
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not to take your regular cleanser with you. You may think that a few days of hotel soap won’t hurt you, but you’d be wrong. Cleansing sets up your skin for the day, and for any other products you may use. When you use something drying or unfamiliar, your skin may quickly react in negative ways.
Your skin also needs cleansing more when you travel than when you’re going about your normal day at home. You’re often exposed to more dirt and pollution when venturing out, and long days in an airport or car can leave your skin covered in a film of sweat, dirt, grime, and bacteria that will cause problems if you don’t cleanse it off.
So make sure you have some of your usual, gentle cleansers with you when you go. Then never go to bed without cleansing and moisturizing your skin first.
Summer Skincare Routine #3: Pack a Multi-Tasking Moisturizer
There’s no doubt that your skin will require more moisture while you’re traveling. Airplane air is notoriously drying and will leave your skin parched. Even long car rides can dehydrate you.
If you regularly use a face and eye moisturizer, choose one that can serve as both while you’re on your vacation. In the summer, you’ll probably want a light (rather than a thick or heavy) moisturizer that won’t clog your pores, unless you have particularly dry skin. If so, you can apply your light moisturizer more often, or take along an extra serum oil that you can use when your skin needs it.
We recommend our Calming Moisture. It won’t clog your pores and you can apply it to your face, neck, under the eyes, and even on your scalp if needed.
Consider as well taking a refreshing mist with you, like our Rescue + Relief Spray. You can use it on top of makeup to give your skin a hydrating boost while on the plane, in the car, or anywhere your skin starts to feel dry and tight.
#4: Pack a Safe Sunscreen
It’s common to be outdoors more while traveling than you may be normally, particularly if you regularly work inside during the day. Your skin may not be used to that much sun exposure, so be sure you have a safe sunscreen with you.
Sometimes people figure they’ll buy sunscreen when they arrive at their location, but your skin is still exposed to the sun while on the airplane or in the car, so it’s best to have a small travel bottle with you. Your destination may not have the sunscreen you like, either, so try to get one that you can easily pack.
We recommend using zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as your sunscreen, as both of these are considered safe for your skin. Chemical sunscreens like avobenzone, oxybenzone, and others can create free radicals in the skin that may cause damage in the long run. Some of these sunscreens have also been found to have benzene in them, which is a known carcinogen.
Learn more about how to choose a safe sunscreen in our post, “Study Finds Harmful Ingredients in Sunscreen—How to Choose a Safe Product.”
Summer Skincare Routine #5: Help Your Skin Recover
Once you get to your destination, realize that your skin is stressed out. It’s dealing not only with the consequences of travel, but the fact that you’re eating different foods, sleeping at different times, and exposed to different elements in the air.
The best thing you can do, then, at your first opportunity, is to carefully cleanse your skin, then apply a cooling, hydrating mask if your skin feels dry. If it feels oily and grimy, try a mud mask to help sop up that extra oil.
It will take only about 10 minutes and can make the difference between comfortable, healthy skin and stressed, dry skin that’s breaking out.
#6: Don’t Forget Your Body
We tend to focus most of our efforts on our faces, as that’s what other people see most often. But the skin on your body suffers when traveling too, and if you’re going to be wearing skin-baring fashions on your summer vacation, the last thing you want is dry, flaky skin.
Forget the hotel moisturizers. Most are not quality moisturizers that are going to help your skin. Instead, they provide temporary surface-level moisture that will quickly disappear.
Instead, take along some of your own moisturizer that you can use on places like your arms, legs, hands, and feet. Choose a moisturizer with natural oils and butters that will help your skin recover from all the travel-related stress.
We recommend our Body Repair Lotion. It’s ultra-soothing and fast-absorbing, so your skin will not feel greasy. It also imparts a natural glow to your skin that you’ll love in the summertime.
Summer Skincare Routine #7: Care for Your Lips
Your lips are likely to show your stress when traveling. They dry out faster than other areas of skin, and can quickly become flaky and chapped. This isn’t only unsightly, but it can be dangerous if lips crack and bleed.
Realize that your lips go through a lot while you travel. They become dehydrated, but they may also be exposed to unusual ingredients and preservatives in food and in other materials that may touch your lips, such as the detergents in your clothing or on your travel blanket or pillow.
Lips need a good amount of care while you’re on vacation. Drink water whenever you can, avoid licking your lips, and regularly apply a healthy, nourishing lip balm. We recommend the travel size of our Restorative Skin Balm. It instantly softens severely dry and chapped skin and can double as a solution for bug bites, scrapes, cuts, and dry cuticles while you’re on the road.
What is your summer skincare routine while traveling?
