Skincare Travel Hacks: Keeping Your Skin Happy on Vacation

Travel can overwhelm you- even if it's fun. Between jet lag, sightseeing itineraries, and late-night gelato runs, it can be easy to not prioritize, or straight-up forget, your skincare routine. But your skincare shouldn’t get a summer break! Your skin craves consistency, and the different foods, climate, water, and sleep routines are already breaking that cycle. With all these changes, forgetting your skincare can wreak havoc on your already vulnerable skin. So let’s go through some tips that can help you keep your skin’s glow while traveling this summer!

Tip 1: Keep It Simple

With all the craziness that comes with travel, it’s pretty clear that vacation is not the right time to start testing out a bunch of new skincare products. Stick to your well-known routine- usually a gentle cleanser, moisturizer, and SPF sunscreen are all that’s needed.

In a study from the International Journal of Dermatology, overly complicated routines are said to cause increased sensitivity and inflammation by weakening the skin barrier- bad news for already compromised skin. A great option for the simple essentials is the 3-step Glowing Girly Routine from Girlyish Skincare. Remember to give your skin some consistency before and during your fun summer travels!

Tip 2: Don’t Let Hydration Fly Away

Ever felt serious dehydration after taking a flight? That’s because cabin air generally has below 20% humidity. This is due to the air in the cabin being pulled in from outside at high altitudes. To put this into perspective, the Sahara Desert has an average of 25% humidity. You are essentially flying through a desert, and the length of the flight and your exposure to this dry air increase its effect on your skin.

Additionally, if you’re traveling to a location that is much drier than you’re used to, this can also cause issues for your skin- especially since your skin doesn’t get time to adjust before being thrown into a new environment. To combat this, it is incredibly important to hydrate your skin often with a good moisturizer and to drink plenty of water.

Tip 3: No Skipping Sun Protection

Summer is the ultimate time to rack up fun in the sun. Be careful that you don’t add sun damage and premature aging to that sunny activity list. It’s common sense to splurge on sunscreen when you go to a tropical location, but remember that even in cooler, overcast areas, you can still get sun damage. Over 80% of UV rays can penetrate through cloud cover, says the Skin Cancer Foundation. There’s no excuse for skipping out on SPF!

Refresh Your Sunscreen Habits

Review proper sunscreen application before you catch that flight. It’s never fun to get back to the hotel and find a painful sunburn keeping you inside the next day. Sunscreen needs to be reapplied every two hours, especially when swimming or sweating.

Remember to apply sunscreen everywhere! It’s easy to forget your scalp, ears, eyelids, neck, hands, and feet- some of the most common areas for sun damage and skin cancer.

What Type of Sunscreen?

Not sure which sunscreen to go with? It can be confusing to know whether chemical or mineral sunscreen is the right choice. Mineral sunscreens create a physical barrier to reflect UV rays and are great for sensitive skin, while chemical sunscreens are absorbed by the skin and more likely to cause irritation.

Mineral sunscreens like the one from Girlyish Skincare are free of harmful chemicals and easy to reapply, keeping you safe in the sun all vacation long.

No Breaks for Skincare

We know you’ve been waiting all year for your summer getaway. It’s easy to enjoy your trip without letting your skin’s health take a vacation. Just remember to be consistent, stick with your well-known routine, and save that fancy new serum for when you’re back home.

Traveling has a host of struggles that can overwhelm your skin, and keeping your routine simple can help it stay relaxed- so you can enjoy your summer fun!