Making trails? While your toothbrush and phone charger are obvious must-haves, things can get a little hazy when you’re parsing through your daily skincare routine — since it isn’t always feasible to pack everything.

Not only that, but simply traveling itself can pose some challenges for skin. “Skincare is all about a routine and travel is often the opposite of sticking to your daily routine,” says NakedPoppy research scientist Marisa Plescia. Plus, just as your body needs to adjust to a new time zone, your skin might need help getting acclimated to a brand-new environment. 

Making a few tweaks to your regular skincare steps can help you make the trip with ease — and without causing skin to have a meltdown.

How traveling impacts your skin

First up is the journey. “Air travel is the most impactful on the skin because the recycled air in an airplane and altitude is very dehydrating to the skin,” says NakedPoppy skin specialist Tara Parenti. That can lead skin to become dull, feel itchy, or some combination of the two.

“This is because planes often have low humidity with recycled air with a pressurized environment,” explains Plescia. “Studies have found that being in a low humidity generally decreases skin barrier function and increases skin’s susceptibility towards stress. Pro-inflammatory responses are released by the skin, so it also becomes more reactive towards skin irritants and allergens.” [1] In other words, skin might be more likely to freak out on you, and it might be drier once you’ve landed than it was when you rolled away from the gate.

That said, road trips can still be a concern, too, namely because of the sun exposure. One photo from The New England Journal of Medicine, which went viral, showed that a trucker had significantly more sun damage on the left side of his face — where there’s sun exposure versus inside the car.

How new environments impact your skin

Next up is the destination. Depending on where you’re going, the new climate can impact your skin. For instance, are you hiking in the Rockies? “High altitude places and dry climates mean less humidity,” says Parenti. “This can increase dehydration and reactivity.”

Again, this low humidity manifests in a few ways. “In addition to the dullness, itchiness, and discomfort that comes with dehydrated skin, your skin can even become more oily as the skin compensates for the dehydration by producing more oil to reduce the water-loss from the skin,” Plescia says. “The skin becomes very imbalanced.”

Meanwhile, if you’re heading to a beachy locale in the tropics, you might be dealing with more sun exposure than usual. If that’s the case, “hyperpigmentation can also be a risk factor due to increasing UV exposure and intensity in certain demographics,” Parenti says. This is especially a concern for skin of color, which is naturally more predisposed to discoloration.

How to keep skin healthy anywhere

The good news? There’s something you can do about it. For starters, says Plescia, “consistency is key with any skincare routine and thus sticking to your normal routine while on the road can be essential.” That said, a few tweaks can help.

Dial down the actives

When you’re traveling, consider paring down your skincare routine to the basics. “I don’t recommend high levels of resurfacing or retinol usage during travel, especially when you’re in extreme weather conditions such as really hot or really cold that can shock your skin,” says Parenti. “Focus on hydration and SPF!” That means cleansing, moisturizing, and protecting — the foundation of a good skincare routine.

Not sure where to begin? We’ve got you covered: Just take our quick, 3-minute beauty assessment to get the right products for your skin and concerns.

Hydrate on the go

To Parenti’s earlier point, hydration is paramount. “Packing a hydrating mist or essence, a hyaluronic acid serum, and a richer moisturizer is just the ticket,” says Parenti, who recommends packing them with you in your carry-on bag or having them accessible in a car. Plescia recommends seeking out humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin.

Try Kari Gran’s Lavender Hydrating Tonic; not only does it replenish hydration with glycerin, but the bottle clocks in at 3.4 oz., making the cut for toiletry size on planes. Tata Harper Hyaluronic Gel Moisturizer delivers the immediate plumping effect and hydrating benefits of hyaluronic acid, but if you find you need more moisture, our NakedPoppy Revitalize Organic Facial Oil will do the trick.

Fake awake

Jetlag got you down? “Packing an eye cream is essential as travel can mess with your sleep schedule, and lead to puffy eyes with dark circles,” says Plescia. If you need to re-up, consider our top-rated NakedPoppy Awaken Eye Cream, which relies on a strategic blend of caffeine, vitamin C, and upcycled avocado extract. In fact, find Awaken paired with the Revitalize Organic Facial Oil — plus our best-selling Refresh Foaming Cleanser — in the Clean Travel Kit.

Sleep it off

Let your skincare work while you snooze. “Overnight masks are a lifesaver,” Parenti says. “These types of formulations are multi-functional and can be used on the plane or on the go to help quench a dehydrated skin.” Try KYPRIS Cerulean Mask, which soothes stressed skin while you sleep with a blend of algae and seaweed extracts.

While all of the above will help keep skin balanced and healthy throughout your vacation — and, of course, once you return home — remember that you can choose what works for you if you find it compounds your pre-travel stress. (For instance, Plescia likes to reserve one night of her vacation to a little extra self-care with a mask.) If anything, try seeing it as part of your self-care routine as Plescia does. After all, if vacation isn’t a form of taking care of yourself, we’re not sure what is.

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References

[1] “Studies have found that being in a low humidity generally decreases skin barrier function and increases skin’s susceptibility towards stress. Pro-inflammatory responses are released by the skin, so it also becomes more reactive towards skin irritants and allergens.”

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jdv.13301