No matter where you’re headed – spring break, home for the holidays, your dream vacation, or a relaxing weekend in the country – traveling is tough on your skin. Changes in temperature, climate, and altitude, coupled with hydration and nutrient depletion, combine to really stress your skin.
It doesn’t have to be that way. To keep skin beautiful and glowing while you travel, I’m sharing my top natural beauty travel tips.
Pre-Travel Skin Treatment
Ensuring glowing skin while you travel begins while you’re still at home, that’s why I recommend a hydrating, toning face mask before you leave. This is one of my favorites, because cucumber’s high water content is great for hydrating your skin. This mask also has natural soothing properties that help rejuvenate your skin.
Cucumber & Yogurt Face Mask
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Ingredients:
– 2 Tbsp grated cucumber
– 1/2 cup plain, organic yogurt
Mix cucumber and yogurt together, apply to your face, and allow to dry. Leave the mask on for five to 10 minutes before rinsing with warm water. Finish with a mildly acidic, clean, nourishing skincare routine such as this one.
6 Tips for Healthy, Glowing Skin
You’re all packed and your skin feels hydrated and refreshed after your cucumber and yogurt face mask. It’s time to hit the road! Before you do, though, remember these six tips to protect and nourish your skin.
1. Stay hydrated
Your skin is simply another organ, which means it relies on hydration the same way your other organs do. To stay hydrated while traveling, drink plenty of water, aiming for at least eight 8-ounce glasses every day. You can add extra nutrients by adding mineral drops or powders to your water. Carry a refillable stainless steel water bottle and take advantage of the airport’s refillable filtered water stations (most have them these days). This way, you reduce waste as well as your exposure to the harmful toxins found in plastic water bottles. A win for the planet and a win for you!
2. Hold the makeup
If you’re traveling for more than a few hours, it’s best to skip the makeup, which clogs your pores and leeches moisture from your skin. And, the longer you wear it, the more damage it does. Besides, your skin is already battling the dangers of travel: dry air and exposure to toxins such as fuel.
3. Use essential oils
There are some great essential oil blends that are fabulous for both your psyche and purifying the air (useful when you’re breathing in other people’s germs for 20 hours). Blends can include Sandalwood, Eucalyptus, Juniper, Neroli, Lavender, and Chamomile. Apply a few drops to the back of your neck or mix them in with your moisturizer.
4. Catch up on sleep
Sleep is when your body repairs and rejuvenates itself, including your skin. While you sleep, your body releases important hormones, such as growth hormones that stimulate new cell growth throughout your body and yes, that includes your skin. Aim for 8 hours of sleep every night, whether you’re at home or on the road.
If time zone changes and red-eye flights make it difficult to get those 8 hours, consider a melatonin supplement (1 to 3 mg). Your body produces melatonin naturally; it’s the hormone that governs your circadian rhythms. When you change time zones or sleep at irregular times, it may interrupt your body’s natural melatonin production. Taking a supplement helps make up that deficit. However, it’s best to use melatonin in the short-term, as long-term use may impact your body’s natural melatonin production.
5. Eat a healthy skin diet
I realize that this may be more difficult when you’re traveling, but it’s still important for glowing, smooth skin. Limit or avoid processed foods, sugar, dairy, and any foods you are sensitive to. Instead, choose whole, skin-healing foods such as avocados, wild salmon, coconut oil, green tea instead of coffee, high fiber foods, green leafy vegetables, colorful fruits and veggies (including berries), and bone broth.
6. Protect your skin
Traveling exposes your skin to a plethora of chemicals, including jet fuel in the air, pesticides in food, and chlorine in your shower water. It is essential to use clean skincare products to reduce your overall exposure to toxins, so traveling is definitely not the time to use synthetic ingredients with hormone-disrupting effects.
Cleanse, hydrate, protect, and nourish your skin every morning and night with a quality, clean, organic, and nutrient-rich skincare system, such as The Spa Dr.’s Daily Essentials.
And, wherever your travels take you, don’t forget the sunscreen. Apply it daily to protect your skin from the sun’s damaging rays, even when it isn’t sunny and hot!
Skincare may be a little trickier when you’re on the road, but, with a bit of advanced preparation and attention, you can maintain a high-quality skincare routine, even with the craziest travel schedule.
Try these six tips to optimize your skin health while you travel, and share your favorite skincare travel tips or tricks in the comments below.
Have a safe trip and happy traveling!
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