4 Tips for Healthy Skin While Traveling
IT’S VACATION SEEEEASOOOOOOON!!!! I know that many of you are preparing for your summer vacations by booking the perfect places to stay, obsessing over travel outfits, planning adventurous itineraries, and delightfully making dinner reservations. With all of these things bouncing around your brain, it is easy to forget to plan for your skin’s health while traveling. But you definitely do not want to find yourself relying on hotel soaps and tiny bottles of perfumed body lotion to carry your complexion through your summer adventures. Here are some simple tips to follow before, during, and after your summer trip to help maintain the beautiful healthy complexion that you have worked all year to achieve.
Tip #1 Prepare for glowing skin.
Clients often ask me if it is better to have a facial treatment before or after a trip. My answer is, “do both!” Who doesn’t want sparkling, fresh skin for their big vacation? I recommend losing the peach-fuzz facial hair prior to your getaway by incorporating dermaplaning into your pretravel facial. Choose the EB Glow treatment for combination to normal skin types which will leave you exfoliated, hydrated, and prepared for pictures and selfies. This treatment includes professional dermaplaning, a mild lactic acid peel, cryotherapy, and a brightening peptide infusion. Another option for drier skin types is the Vitamin C Enzyme Treatment with a dermaplane add-on. This facial will drench your skin in antioxidants and hydration, preparing your complexion for climate changes and skin-dehydrating flights. You should avoid any major skin exfoliations such as microdermabrasion and aggressive chemical peels prior to fun in the sun, as they can leave your skin vulnerable to damage and sunburn.
Tip #2 Pack a simple regimen.
If you're a skin fanatic like me, your arsenal of professional skin care products might be a bit much to drag around in a suitcase during your summer travels. Take a deep breath! It is ok to leave some of those fantastic serums and masks behind. Nothing terrible is going to happen to your face if you don’t use all 20 of your professional products for just one week! Scale down to the bare necessities of your regimen and enjoy a lighter bag and less cluttered hotel bathroom for a change. The 5 essentials are cleanser, antioxidant serum, moisturizer, eye cream, and sunscreen. I also recommend packing some samples of an acne spot treatment in the case of a pimple emergency, as well as one or two doses of an exfoliating scrub to help maintain your glow. A small tube of hydrocortisone cream is also a smart thing to have on hand in case you encounter something that causes an allergic reaction. Leave any alpha hydroxy acid products and retinols at home, as these can cause sun sensitivity especially when heading off for a beach or ski trip.
Tip #3 Layer your sun protection.
When it comes to summer travels, sun protection should be your top skin priority! While packing a professional sunscreen such as Body Shield SPF 50 by Colorscience is a must, think beyond sunscreen and take a layered approach to your sun protection. This starts with antioxidants. Topical vitamin C and natural antioxidants such as pomegranate and green tea scavenge cell-damaging free radicals in the skin caused by sun exposure reducing the risk of damage to collagen and elastin. Apply your antioxidants such as EverActive CE+Peptide by Alumier MD or Pomegranate Acai Antioxidant Serum by Sorella Apothecary prior to your SPF before heading out in the morning for added protection and the prevention of hyperpigmentation.
Embracing sun protective clothing and hats can also be a game changer for your skin during summer travels. Look for tags that boast a UPF 50+ rating for sun protection. Some of my favorite brands include Wallaroo Hats, Tutu Blue, Coolibar.
Finally, protect your skin from the inside out with oral sun protection. The herbal supplement polypodium leucotomos, a tropical fern high in antioxidants, is clinically proven to lower the risk of sunburn and protect against hyperpigmentation when taken orally. Heliocare is the leading brand for this ingredient, and taking one pill 30 minutes prior to sun exposure adds a significant level of protection for your skin.
Tip #4 Book a post-vacation Hydrafacial.
Nothing gives your skin the reset that it needs after returning home from travels like a Hydrafacial. The Hydracial device will exfoliate away any cell buildup that has resulted from the lack of retinol usage. Vortex suction is utilized to vacuum away all of that sand, sunscreen, and sweat from your pores restoring a fresh, clean look and feel to your skin. I recommend adding the Dr. Nassif Hydraclucan booster serum to your post-travel Hydrafacial to deeply moisturize and restore plumpness and radiance.
Happy Travels, Glowgetters!!!!!