Illustrated by Mary Schafrath.
Illustrated by Mary Schafrath.Must-Have Essentials For Every Trip
No matter where you're going, there are a few essentials you need for every trip. Never leave home without a cleanser, alcohol-free toner, daytime moisturizer with SPF, nighttime moisturizer, and facial scrub. These are all part of a basic skin-care routine and should be packed no matter what.
Illustrated by Mary Schafrath.If you’re traveling to the beach or lake, you’ll want to skip any exfoliation five days prior to your trip and while you are there — especially stop using products containing lactic, glycolic, and salicylic acid or the ingredient retinol, because these ingredients may make the skin more sensitive to the sun. Be sure to pack plenty of sunscreen to prevent sun damage. It’s also wise to pack an SPF-infused, water-resistant mineral powder that can be easily dusted on the skin for additional sun protection. I also recommend bringing a cooling gel mask or hydrating and calming skin serum to use post-sun, especially if your skin is feeling red, tight, inflamed, and parched. Look for a mask or serum containing ingredients like white tea, licorice, bisabolol, or chamomile. When using a gel mask, you can keep it in the refrigerator for an extra cooling effect. Apply it to clean skin, leave it on for 15 minutes, rinse well, apply a hydrating serum, and then follow with moisturizer.
Illustrated by Mary Schafrath.Special-Occasion Skin
For a special-occasion trip like a wedding or class reunion where you want your skin to look good under makeup, you’ll want to bring along exfoliating products (as long as it’s not a beach wedding) to smooth out the skin and soften the look of lines, wrinkles, and large pores. I always recommend that my clients use an at-home peel, containing ingredients like lactic, glycolic, or salicylic acid, a day or two before a big event to get your skin instantly glowing and healthy. If you’ve flown to your destination (airplane travel is really drying to the skin), the peel will help remove surface dead-skin buildup, and it will also help add moisture to the skin.
Illustrated by Mary Schafrath.The Best Way To Pack Your Products
We’ve all experienced a trip when we’ve arrived to our destination to find that our toiletries exploded in our luggage. That’s why it’s important to pack products properly to avoid any leaks inside luggage due to cabin pressure when flying. When packing products, let out any extra air from the bottles, because air that’s trapped can cause the plastic containers to explode when the pressure changes. Open the cap, squeeze out all excess air, and replace the cap quickly. For added insurance, place plastic wrap over the opening of each bottle, and then screw the cap back on. This simply provides an extra layer of protection should the cap come loose during travel. Lastly, put each product in its own zip-top bag because it’s still possible for them to leak even if all of these steps are followed. This may seem tedious, but you’ll be glad you did it in the event something does leak.