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A well-rounded travel beauty routine is essential to enjoying your trip. I’ll show you my favourite travel skincare routine and recommend travel-friendly skincare products. I’ve battled acne and oily skin my whole life, so if you’re in the same situation, then there are some skincare products that I find work better for travellers like us.
Don’t forget about your beauty routine after you get back from your trip! I’ve got tips for rejuvenating your skin after you return home from your marvellous adventures. I’ve made sure to include advice too for taking care of your hair during your travels. I mostly recommend travel-friendly toiletry products. But even if they’re not travel size, you can always divvy up the liquids into travel-size bottles for easy packing.
Travel Beauty Routine for Jetsetters
Here are my favourite tips for how to protect your skin while travelling. If you’re like me who has oily skin, this skincare routine could be for you. Jet lag and long-haul flights can dry out your skin pretty quickly, so make sure to stock up on some hydrating skincare products before your next trip!
Invest in high-quality, cleansing face wash
My go-to face wash of all time is Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser. I’ve been using Kiehl’s products for years now and they have done wonders for my acne-prone, oily skin. This foaming cleanser cleans my skin exceptionally well and leaves it feeling hydrated and refreshed. It also keeps it shine-free without over-drying my skin.
An alternative I like to use is Neutrogena Deep Clean Face Wash if Kiehl’s facial cleaner is sold out and I’m in a pinch. This cream cleanser is also for sensitive,
acne-prone skin, and I like how mild and gentle it is.
Hydrate your skin with gentle moisturizers
After using face wash, I hydrate my skin with Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Moisturizer. This moisturizer actually makes my face feel buoyant and plump! My skin feels newly invigorated each morning; like it’s armoured against all the exploring I’m going to do for the day. It also keeps my face shine-free and oil-free for the entire day. I used to rely on blotting sheets a lot, but I don’t need them anymore thanks to this moisturizer.
I recently discovered Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Night Moisturizer Moisturizer and it is the most divine moisturizer I’ve ever hydrated my skin with. It’s made with hyaluronic acid ensuring that your skin is intensely hydrated and re-plumped every night. Though it’s got the word night in the name, I’d use it as my one go-to moisturizer if I ran out of Kiehl’s products.
Armour your skin with sunscreen
Never. Skip. Sunscreen. Period. A sunburn will wreck your trip faster than anything else. I’ve had bad sunburns in the past. Trust me, enduring flaky, burning skin on vacation is not amusing.
Therefore, don’t forget to apply Biotherm Face Sunscreen SPF 50 1 hour before you head out. This lets the cream soak naturally into your skin and maintain its efficacy. I personally don’t like applying sunscreen because I find most products to be greasy. But Biotherm’s sunscreen is non-greasy and I find it light on my skin.
Pamper with a face mask at night
You’ve been out all day exploring the incredible sights the city has to offer. Your skin worked hard! Reward yourself by pampering it with Kiehl’s Calendula Petal Infused Calming Mask. I use this mask every night during my trips to rehydrate, refresh, and reinvigorate my skin. This calming mask leaves my skin feeling super smooth and gives it a lovely glow.
If you don’t have enough space for a liquid mask, I recommend the Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb Sheet Masks. I like travelling with sheet masks to cut down on the amount of liquid I bring on a plane. However, I don’t find it as eco-friendly since you’ll have to dispose of the masks afterwards. But these masks are super hydrating and are a great alternative for the occasional times you might not want to pack liquid masks.
Travel Beauty Tips for Hair
A travel beauty routine would not be complete without tips for caring for your hair. I have thick, unruly hair that is a pain to manage, so I need travel-friendly toiletries that are effective, but also easy to travel with.
Tame thick hair with Pantene’s Shampoo and Conditioner
I swear by Pantene’s shampoo and conditioner set. Their shampoo foams really well for my thick, thick hair and their conditioner smoothes it out like butter. I’ve always had a hard time combing my hair, so this conditioner detangles it like a no-brainer.
After a good wash, I dry my hair with the Revlon dual-voltage hair dryer. This little thing packs a lot of power! I always use the diffuser to ensure my hair dries straight and smooth.
Sometimes, the humidity levels in certain places can make my hair frizzier than usual. I like bringing a bit of OGX Renewing Argan Oil of Morocco to smooth out the ends of my hair. I don’t bring the whole bottle; just a few squirts of it into a small jar is enough. That’s how powerful this oil is. But it is a lifesaver for me in a pinch during bad travel hair days!
Smooth just a few drops of the oil onto your fingers and comb it through the ends of your hair. Don’t use too much of it as I find it can dry out the nape of my scalp.
Travel Beauty Tips for your Lips
It’s easy to forget to take care of your lips in your travel beauty routine. Lips can become cracked and dry from the stresses of travel and long flights.
I always pack DHC Lip Cream in my travel purse to rehydrate my lips on-the-go. These little lip balms soothes my lips and are a bit glossy too; adding a touch of elegance even if I’m jet lagged!
Other options I like to travel with are Burt’s Bees Moisturizing Lip Balm. They revive my dry, chapped lips after a long day and they come in a multitude of flavours. I particularly love the refreshing, mint flavour.
I prefer the DHC Lip Cream as the texture is similar to petroleum jelly. It smoothes out my cracked lips without the sting sometimes Burt’s bees gives me (depending on the flavour).
Post-Travel Skincare Routine
Your travel beauty routine isn’t, well, only for when you’re travelling! Once back home, I’d like to replenish my skin and rejuvenate from my vacation. Get your robe, lock yourself into your bathroom and pamper yourself after the fact!
Exfoliate to renew your skin
Lots of dirt and debris can build up during an intense trip! Exfoliate thoroughly with the Neutrogena Acne Exfoliating Face Scrub. I love the grapefruit fragrance of this face scrub. It always reminds me of some paradise island. And it scrubs my skin squeaky clean before I apply a facial mask.
Detox skin with clay mask
Once I’ve scrubbed my skin clean with a face scrub, I like to apply a clay mask to revitalize my whole face. Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Mask works wondrously to smooth out all the bumpiness on my skin.
It also clears and minimizes my clogged pores. I like that his mask stays fresh for a long time because I only use it once a week or so. I then finish off the treatment with my favourite Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Moisturizer and my entire face feels like it got a vacation!
How do you pack skincare for travel?
Sometimes travel-size toiletries aren’t available, so always remember you can buy the face products at regular sizes and then squeeze the liquids into travel-size containers. Just make sure all bottles are 100ml or less if you’re bringing liquids in your makeup bag to carry onto the plane.
All liquids must fit inside a 1L clear plastic bag. Carry some Ziplock plastic bags with you on your trips so you always have plastic bags ready.
And there’s your complete travel beauty routine for any trip, anytime.
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