Skincare can get complicated when we travel. Flights can be drying to the skin and we don’t always have all of our normal skincare products with us. Don’t worry, I am here to help you navigate skincare travel debacles.
I focus on minimalistic skincare when I travel, with only my absolute essentials. Without a doubt you will be needing extra moisturizer, chapstick and water due to low humidity levels on airplanes. Let’s break down the bare necessities for when you travel.
Face Moisturizers:
Let’s start with face hydrators and moisturizers….
- CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF-30: This lotion provides a nice moisturizing effect to the skin, packed with ceramides and some UV coverage and comes in travel size versions, making this one of my “go-to’s” for travel moisturizing.
- La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water Face Mist: This thermal spring water is a great way to spritz on hydration mid-flight without breaking out the jar of moisturizer.
Hyaluronic acid:
If you don’t love the feel of creams and lotions or are feeling like you need an extra moisture boost, hyaluronic acid can be a great way to hydrate the skin and repair the skin barrier.
Lip Hydration:
Next step is lip hydration, although good old fashioned vaseline is perfect for hydrating the lips, finding a moisturizing lip product that also provides UV protection is a win-win for me.
Body Moisturizers:
When we discuss skincare, I don’t just mean the face. ALL of the skin can become dry when weather and humidity are changing. Don’t neglect your hands, neck, décolleté and the rest of your skin.
Water Bottle
Don’t forget to stay hydrated and bring a water bottle to refill. Those mini airplane water bottles aren’t going to cut it.
Sunscreen:
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the importance of sunscreen. Multiple studies have been conducted on aircrew, which revealed an increased number of melanomas and skin cancers than in the general public. We do know that UV and cosmic ionizing radiation is higher at aircraft altitudes than sea levels, which is postulated to be the reason for this increased incidence in skin cancers among flight crews. An interesting statistic from an article in Dermatology Times reported, “Aircrew flying for an hour at 30,000 ft receive the same amount of UV-A radiation as a 20-minute tanning bed session.”
- Colorscience Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield Flex SPF 50: This has become my newest sunscreen affair. Not only does it provide broad spectrum UV coverage, but also blue light, pollution and infrared radiation.
- Supergoop Glow Stick SPF 50: Excellent option for clear SPF reapplication for mid-flight sunscreen touchup without wrecking your makeup or worrying about missing a white streak of sunscreen across your nose for the remainder of the flight.
“Aircrew flying for an hour at 30,000 ft receive the same amount of UV-A radiation as a 20-minute tanning bed session.”
Empty Travel Containers
My final tip is finding travel size versions of your normal products and if not available, putting samples of your products in smaller containers. Using complimentary hotel skincare products often leads to irritation for people with sensitive skin, which is the last thing you want to worry about when you are off on your much anticipated vacation.
Now that you know how to care for your skin while traveling, where are you going to travel to next?
