Simple, Must-Have Skin Care for Holiday Travel
If you’re one of the estimated 45 million traveling by air this holiday season, you’re probably making a mental list of everything you need to bring with you – gifts, all-weather clothing, toiletries, iPad, ear phones, a neck pillow, and the list goes. Before you know it, packing your suitcase is like a game of Tetris.
If you’re like me, you try to avoid checking a bag at all cost, as such stripping down your bag to only the essentials is a necessary part of the process. It also requires a little creativity when it comes to the grooming products and toiletries you take with you, as you don’t have much room, and of course have TSA rules to comply with. When this is the case, what is your best bet for skin care during travel?
The necessities for travel
One way to keep skin care simple during travel is to get a good travel kit. It will help eliminate the guess work of putting one together and they are generally approved sizes for carry-on luggage. These can be as simple or as complex as you’d like, but at a minimum you want to look for a something with a cleanser, toner and sunscreen.
The cleanser will help energize your skin in the morning and get rid of residue in the evening. This is important, because it paves the way for other products (like moisturizers) you use to actually penetrate the skin rather than just sit on the surface.
Toners make excellent traveling companions. They’re simple and quick to use, and they help regulate and maintain balance, hydration and skin nutrition. Toners remove excess oils and debris from the skin allowing its antioxidant, mineral and hydrating properties to work deep into skin tissues. This helps prevent water loss, and depending on the formula, can also help firm up the skin.
Sunscreen should go without saying by now – even if it’s cold out. You still need it.
To build upon this simple travel kit there are three other products you may want to consider. One is a hydrating serum with ingredients like D2O (heavy water), grape seed extract and soybean protein. Air travel tends to dehydrate your skin because the humidity level in the plane’s cabin is typically 20 to 40 percent lower than most indoor environments. This depletes the skin of moisture, and can also lead to a dull appearance and ultimately premature aging. A hydrating serum can help combat this.
Finally, you may need to groom your facial hair while away. Opt for a shave gel and shave oil. Sometimes, if it has the right ingredients, the shave oil can also double as your antioxidant and hydration and you may be able to forgo the hydrating serum.
Bottom line, strive for balance. Don’t let your skin care routine slip while traveling, but you also don’t have to pack the entire medicine cabinet, especially if you find products that pull double duty like the shave gel. Happy travels.