Traveling can do a number on your skin (and even your hair), leaving it dull, broken out, red and dry. The next time you hit the road, make sure to pack these products and follow these tips for flawless-looking skin no matter where your travels may lead you.
1. Go Bare-Faced
One of the best things you can do for your skin while traveling is to fly without any makeup (or go minimal if you can’t skip it altogether) so that your skin can breathe and not get bogged down with a mix of makeup, dirt, recycled air and oil. A tinted moisturizer, like Kora Organics Tinted Day Cream, works too—you’ll get light coverage without clogging your pores. $62, koraorganics.com
2. Load Up on Lip Balm
Recycled airplane air coupled with a dip in temperatures can leave your lips dry and cracked (not to mention your lipstick won’t wear well either.) The solution: Drink lots of water and keep your lips hydrated with an emollient-rich balm to lock in moisture. Our pick: L:A Bruket Lip Balm—a natural stick lip balm that relies on sweet almond, coconut and jojoba oils, plus vitamin E to soothe parched lips. $15, anthropologie.com
3. Skip the Hotel Bar Soap
Packing every single beauty product may not be realistic. But, one that you shouldn’t gloss over is a good cleanser. Bar soaps are notorious for throwing the skin’s pH off balance and leaving it uncomfortably dry. Spill-free cleansing towelettes like Dermalogica’s Skin Purifying Wipes are also a good option. These contain salicylic acid to keep travel-related breakouts at bay. $19, dermaologica.com
4. Exfoliate No Matter the Weather
Exfoliating your skin, especially when traveling to a cold locale, is important for keeping your skin looking fresh so it boasts a natural glow. Suitable for all skin types, Jan Marini Instant Refining Exfoliator gently lifts away dead skin with glycolic acid and pineapple enzymes, leaving your skin refined and smooth, and never irritated or red. $90, janmarini.com
5. Protect Your Skin
Despite the weather, it’s important to shield your skin from the sun every day of the year. Not only will you prevent sunburns from occurring (which can happen in cold climates as well as hot ones), you’ll also limit the incidence of premature aging. Stick with physical blockers, like 3Lab Perfect Lite Sunscreen, which won’t clog pores. $45, dermstore.com
6. Pack a Good Moisturizer
“A lot of people think that drinking water is the best way to combat the effects of a long flight. And, while this is true, your skin needs a drink as well,” says Deborah Mitchell, founder of Heaven Skincare by Deborah Mitchell. Hitting the road without a reliable moisturizer is a major beauty no-no. Apply it to your skin while flying, once you’ve landed and then as needed from there on out. A good one to try: Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour Cream, which the brand says is a favorite among flight attendants. $21, elizabetharden.com
7. Touch Up Your Locks Instantly
Traveling can sometimes leave your hair looking and behaving out of control. Rather than washing your entire head, use dry shampoo to spot-treat oily patches. Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk is a travel must because it absorbs excess oil and gives a boost of volume to limp hair, too. $19.50, kloraneusa.com
8. Don’t Forget a Good Concealer and Spot Treatment
You never know when a blemish is going to pop up out of the blue, which is why it’s always a good idea to have a full-coverage concealer and spot treatment on hand. Pack Clinique Acne Solutions Clearing Concealer in your dopp kit, which infuses salicylic acid with oil absorbers to shrink pimples while also covering them up. $17, clinique.com
9. Bring Along a Multipurpose Oil
From dry cuticles and chapped lips to do-nothing skin, a facial oil does the trick to solve just about any beauty problem under the sun when you don’t have your full beauty arsenal at your disposal. Pure Marula Oil Travel Roll-On does it all—hydrates, protects and reduces the look of lines—with a quick-to-absorb formula that leaves skin looking matte and soft to the touch. $15, marula.com
10. A Quick Skin Pick-Me-Up
Hours of traveling, a lack of sleep and being on the go can make your skin look tired and in need of some serious TLC. That’s where a revitalizing mask, like the Essential Mask from Karin Herzog, comes in. It wakes your skin up by infusing it with oxygen, vitamins and nutrients so that you don’t look the least bit sleep deprived or overworked. $60, karinherzog.com
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