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Have you ever gotten off of a flight and felt as dry as a sun-ripened raisin? Or returned from an escape to some beautiful beachy destination filled with sunshine and piña coladas and your skin was screaming for help? Wait, aren’t holidays meant to result in a relaxed state of “ahhhh” after time off and a full-bodied feeling of euphoria? Well, it’s not often the case for our skin after travel, leaving it in more of a mummified state versus a zen state. 
All types of travel and modes of transport involved in it can have a varying degree of negative effects on our skin due to sleep disruption, stress, and the overall atmosphere on planes, trains, buses and more. Or, the big culprit – too much UV exposure. Heck, even keeping up with our normal skincare routine while on travelling on holiday or for business can feel like an impossible feat, leaving our usually well cared-for skin feeling dry, inflamed, and looking drained.
Don’t worry, we aren’t going to say that you need to avoid travel to save your skin, but we have some simple yet effective tips that you can implement into your skincare routine to keep your skin happy and healthy while on holiday.
Hydration is Key for Maintaining Skin Health and Appearance on Holiday
Hydration is one of the most important parts of maintaining health and luminous looking skin, but hydration often goes off the rails when we travel. Can you blame us when the crashing waves on a sandy beach are calling for forgetting to? Well, skipping that morning and evening skincare routine or failing to keep up with your normal water drinking habits will end up leaving you with skin woes afterward. From days out on excursions, or time spent en-route, the drastically different holiday diet we usually have, elevated exposure to the sun, and increased amount of cocktails and drinks – all of these add up. 
An in-depth study published in 2015 proved just how much hydration levels affect your skin, and showed severe negative impacts on skin barrier function when traveling if you aren’t drinking enough water. They recommend upping your water intake a week or so before a trip to accommodate this shift in lifestyle and keep up water intake while traveling. This will ultimately lead to improved skin health when you return home, and help to keep your skin looking younger and healthier.
Sunscreen is Your Skin’s Best Friend, Even When In Transit
We already know the dangers of too much sun exposure, yet we always LOVE to over-indulge in a bit of that sunshine when on holiday. Even in cold climates when we have our winter escapes or ski holidays, UV exposure is just as much of a problem to be diligent about. Not only that, it’s been proven that UV exposure is dramatically higher when on airplanes, with pilots having double the rate of skin cancers than most.
Besides the higher risk of skin cancers, UV rays dramatically decrease the hydration levels of skin. And it’s not just that dreaded sunburn we don’t want to return home with, forgetting to apply SPF can leave skin inflamed, irritated, coarse, and damaged. Our tip – apply sunscreen regularly even when in transit to get in the habit (especially in a window seat), and keep a bottle of SPF in a day bag to grab when you need to reapply. Layer up when you can and bring a good hat to shade your face which will help prevent sun spots, wrinkles, and fine lines. And lastly, make sure to pack a hydrating skin oil that helps defend the skin against UV rays.
Avoid the Harsh Free Hotel Toiletries
We know, it can be tempting to ditch your regular array of skin products while on holiday, but those hotel toiletries are doing a number on your dermal layers. Typically, these free toiletries pack a lot of harsh chemicals and fragrances that will sap the moisture from your skin and can irritate it with the faux fragrances produced from a long list of synthetic ingredients.
Instead, try to find travel-sized versions of your skincare products so you don’t have to miss a day on holiday to pamper your skin while pampering your soul. If you can’t find convenient travel-sized products, pick up a couple refillable travel toiletry bottles that you can fill up with your favourites before leaving home. The environment will thank you too!
Simplify Your Skincare Routine
When we travel, things can get complicated very fast from tracking flights or trains, booking hotels and restaurants, figuring out the lay of the land, or even just finding the best activity or excursion to jump on. This also goes for those hectic work retreats and conferences where everything is schedule in, except the your routine for skin. The last thing you want is to complicate it even further, which is why we believe simplifying your skincare routine while exploring the world is the way to go, and poses less of a risk of ditching it all together while travelling. That means grab some skincare products made of multi-tasking mastery with versatile face creams and skin oils that tackle a plethora of potential skin problems.
Pack a Mist Toner To Uplift Skin
For the quick-grab skincare superhero on the go, a mist toner is an essential way to keep skin ultra-hydrated while traveling. Mist toners, like our Hydrating Mist Toner, are an easy way to boost skin with just a quick spritz, and the perfect thing to pack for travel to use with skin starts to feel dry. Our mist toner is made with rose water and geranium that feels fresh on the skin, while powerful ingredients like rosehip oil introduce invigorating vitamins and nutrients that lock in moisture and improve moisture retention. Rosehip and East Cape mānuka oil help protect skin that can be more vulnerable while traveling while defending against UV rays.
Now you know how to travel like a pro and keep your skin looking lush and lively whether you’re abroad for work or play!
