Arrive in Style: How to Keep Your Skin Fresh While Traveling

Feeling suddenly outdoorsy with the changing seasons? Have a wedding to attend three states over? Or maybe you’ve got a serious case of cabin fever, and you’re ready to hit the road to just about anywhere.

When that traveling bug hits, it can be thrilling to embark on a new adventure. But it can also be seriously stressful for your skin!

Fortunately, there are easy steps you can take to arrive at your destination glowing, flawless, and ready for your vacation photos. Get started with this complete, start-to-finish guide to keeping your skin fresh during your travels.

Why Do You Need Special Skincare Tips Just for Traveling?

• Recycled air in a plane cabin and different humidity at your destination can unbalance your skin’s usual oil production, causing your complexion to dry out or clog up.
• Disruption to your daily skincare routine can contribute to a dull, uneven skin tone and/or increased breakouts.
• The logistics of travel get pretty stressful. Such stress can trigger inflammatory hormones, increased puffiness, and angry breakouts.
• A big shift in your schedule can upset your body clock and sleep cycle, which can then upset your skin. There’s a reason it’s called “beauty sleep!”

Preparing for Your Journey

Often, the real work of traveling comes before you even leave. You have to buy tickets, book accommodations, rent a car, pack all your bags...the list goes on. But it’s so worth it when departure day finally comes, and you’re whisked away by the romance of an escape.

To put your best face forward on each long-awaited trip, your prep list should include some skincare goals before you’ve even left the house.

What to Pack

When developing your skincare packing list, there are a few key questions that will help you figure out the must-haves for your particular trip.

Where are you traveling?

Is it a dry or cold climate? Then don’t forget some thoroughly hydrating creams and balms. More on the humid side? Perhaps opt for products that are more light and breezy. With the local weather in mind, build out your routine accordingly.

Will you have limited luggage space?

If so, you may need to prioritize a few products of top importance. Cast an eye over your routine and ask yourself, “What can’t I live without?” This will look a little different for everyone, but skincare pros generally recommend including at least a cleanser, a moisturizer, and your all-important SPF.

How long is your trip?

If it’s a short jaunt, you can leave full-sized products at home and get clever with travel-sized bottles. This will help you maximize space in your bags so you can make room for a few additional items — like your favorite toner or serum. If the product isn’t already available in a travel size, you can purchase empty travel bottles and fill them with whatever you like!

Looking for your perfect mini-sized skincare companion? With our Clear Skin Travel Kit, keep your complexion luminous anywhere and everywhere!

 

Prep Your Skin for the Trip

If you’re rolling out of bed at the crack of dawn or hustling to get to departures on time, it can be tempting to gloss over your skincare routine. But before you get swept up in the tide of your travels, make sure your skin is ready to go!

1. Reinforce your skin with extra moisture to protect it from recycled plane air or strong A/C. Consider using your favorite serum, hydrating mask, or even a heavier, nighttime moisturizer.

2. SPF. Yes, even if you’ll be mostly indoors! The sun through windows can be stronger than you think, especially if you’re flying high through the atmosphere. Plus, some sunscreens may also protect your skin from damage from artificial light. It’s a win-win.

Skip Makeup (or Keep It Light)

Your skin will already face stress during your trip, so consider giving it a leg-up by starting with a breathable, makeup-free journey.

Skipping makeup can be a scary prospect for some of us, like leaving behind a treasured security blanket. But the anonymity of travel can also be freeing! Apart from your travel buddies, you probably aren’t going to encounter these people again. So unless you’re dodging the paparazzi, there’s no need to stress about looking your absolute, night-out best.

That said, we’re not here to shove you out of your comfort zone. If a bit of makeup will make you more comfortable in your travels, go for it! But why not opt for something lighter than full-face? For example, you’d look great with a quick layer of tinted moisturizer and a natural lip. 

On the Go: 6 Tips for the Road (or Sky)

Your pre-trip tasks have all been completed, and now you’re ready to get going. Whether you’re flying to some distant shore or heading cross-country on an epic road trip, there are ways to make your journey more comfortable for both you and your skin.

1. Get Quality Hydration

Every skincare enthusiast knows that hydration is vital for a glowing complexion. But when you’re busy traveling, it’s easy to let your water levels slip through the cracks. Between liquid restrictions at airport security, waiting for the beverage cart on your flight, or the long stretch of road between rest stops, maintaining hydration may be tougher than usual.

To help ensure that you’re getting enough to drink, carry a refillable water bottle or thermos. It’ll be miles better than a tiny airline cup or a sugary vending machine soda. Just make sure it’s empty if you have to pass through security!

Why choose a thermos? They can go hot or cold! Hot drinks can help fortify you against a chilly plane cabin or a driver who loves too much A/C. Plus, you can bring along a few of your favorite glowing-skin teas. Just refill with hot water from your flight attendant or a gas station carafe.

2. Keep Your Hands (and Face) Clean

Nowadays, we hardly need to advise you to keep a bottle of hand sanitizer close. But we’d be remiss to skip this all-important tip! With so many people in an enclosed space, airplanes can be a hotbed of bacteria and germs, so wash or sanitize your hands often. The same goes for your next road trip — make sure to thoroughly clean up after each pitstop.

And wherever possible, minimize touches to your face. The less you touch it, the less chance of transferring any lingering microbes!

For an extra line of microbial defense, introduce your travel bag to our handy Maskne Face Spray, crafted with potent antibacterial botanicals.

3. Leave Behind the Sheet Masks and Makeup Wipes

We wouldn’t waste precious carry-on space on these two extras. Makeup wipes don’t get your skin clean, so you’re better off using a cleanser that’s powerful enough for light makeup. And as for sheet masks? Even if you’re brave enough to mask up in a cabin full of strangers (we applaud your confidence!), those trendy masks are quickly sucked dry in a plane’s recycled air. So you won’t see much (if any) benefit from your efforts.

4. Refresh With a Mid-Trip Routine

Instead of a fast but ineffective touch-up with makeup wipes, why not treat yourself to a real travel-friendly routine? Your skin will feel so much better afterward.

(As per our earlier tip, don’t forget to clean your hands first! A quick dab of sanitizer will help eliminate bacteria, so they don’t migrate to your products or face.)

For an easy refresh, our recommended travel routine includes:

A Hydrating Mist

Whether you’re traveling by plane or by car, your face will thank you for a quick, refreshing spritz. Especially if you choose a product like one of our No 1 Hydration Dews, which are brimming with restorative botanicals to help revitalize your tired skin.

A Rinseless Cleanser

Traveling can be a dirty business, but nobody wants to attempt their skincare routine in the cramped, questionable bathroom of an airplane or gas station. That’s why we like to take running water out of the equation! A rinseless cleanser means you’re free to indulge in a quick cleanse wherever you feel most free and comfortable. With one of our No 2 Cleansing Nectars, all you need is a cotton pad to easily sweep away impurities and deposit skin-enhancing nutrients.

A Nourishing Moisturizer

No skincare routine is complete without a quality moisturizer, even when you’re jet-setting to and fro. So you can round out your mid-trip reset with a luxurious cream to revive and protect your complexion! Our No 4 Nourishment Creams are up to the task, crafted with deeply enriching natural oils that help keep your skin supple and hydrated, no matter the conditions.

Ready for takeoff? Whether you’re seeking an answer for blemish-free skin or the key to a radiantly ageless complexion, you can find your perfect Hydration Dew, Cleansing Nectar, and Nourishment Cream in our lineup of natural-based products!

 

5. Don’t Forget Your Sensitive Eyes and Lips

Two areas on your face are extra delicate, and therefore extra sensitive to all the travel disruptions that can make your skin cringe: your lips and the area around your eyes. So when you’re putting together your travel pick-me-up, why not throw in something to keep these fragile areas happy?

For your eyes, soothing eye creams will help lock in moisture and battle puffiness. (Especially important if you’ve been up all night, last-minute packing.)

Meanwhile, your lips are facing off against drying influences like recycled air, the wind from rolled-down car windows, or a sudden shift into a cold or dry climate. Regularly apply a hydrating balm or lip mask to help stave off drying or chapping and keep your pout pristine.

6. Set Yourself Up for Quality Sleep

Napping in the passenger seat or trying to get 8 hours in an airplane aren’t ideal sleeping conditions. But setting yourself up for the best sleep possible can help ward off dull and temperamental skin.

Some tricks that may help:

• If crossing time zones, change your watch to the time at your destination. It’ll help hack your brain to adjust your sleep schedule.
• Create some privacy with a comfortable sleep mask and noise-canceling headphones.
• Get in the mood for rest with body-calming snacks like almonds, banana chips, or chamomile tea.

Glowing On Arrival

Once you’ve reached your destination safe and sound, it feels fantastic to stretch your stiff muscles and get some proper rest for your weary mind. Why not pay the same courtesy to your skin with a quick reset from all that traveling?

When in Doubt, Detox

Purify your skin back to a clean slate by pulling out any nasty toxins or bacteria that may have piled up while you were migrating from point A to point B. We especially love using a deep-reaching night mask, like one of our No 3 Elixirs. Not only will they help provide your skin with thorough detoxification, but you can wear them to bed and jump straight to that full night’s sleep you’ve been longing for!

Just Say No to Hotel Soaps

We’ve all been lured in by free hotel products. But most of these freebies are not of the highest quality and can be quick to trigger dryness, allergies, or other unpleasant skin reactions. Is it worth the gamble? Instead, stick with the beloved products that made it through your packing checklist and kept your skin sane on the journey so far.

 

Traveling provides a chance to form precious, life-affirming memories — the kind that you’ll always look back on with pride and nostalgia. Wouldn’t you rather thumb through those irreplaceable travel photos with fondness rather than embarrassment?

When it comes to embracing your unique, natural beauty, a little self-care goes a long way. So set yourself up for success with Averr Aglow’s skincare solutions! From refreshing mists and eye creams to rehydrating lip balms, you’re sure to find perfect travel companions in our natural-based product range.

When the time comes to expand your horizons, greet the world with a confident glow. Adventure awaits!