How To Glow On The Go: A Natural Skincare Guide For Frequent Flyers

Headed up, up, and away? Here's what travel does to the skin, with tips on how to keep it dewy and supple while jet-setting.

Travel is a treat—but our skin doesn't love it as much as we do. Changes in climate and altitude, recirculated airplane air, and abrasive hotel towels and bedding laden with harsh chemical residue take a noticeable toll on your skin. Taught texture, dry, flaky, itchy, and exacerbated symptoms of preexisting skin conditions like acne and eczema. Sound familiar? No gatekeeping here! We're sharing why skincare pros swear by adjusting and maintaining a healthy skincare routine while on the go and how The Green Kiss is your TSA-friendly skincare destination.

How To Prevent Dehydrated Skin While Traveling

Long flights, exposure to different climates, and reduced water intake while travelling can lead to dull, flaky, dehydrated skin. Airplane cabin air, in particular, is notoriously arid and known to worsen acne symptoms and trigger chronically irritated skin. This happens when your skin's built-in hydration system tries to adjust to abrupt changes in your environment. Lucky for you, moisture barrier repair is our middle name.

How to prevent moisture loss while travelling:

• Drink oodles and oodles of water before, during, and after your flight to hydrate from the inside out.
• Use an all-natural, non-stripping, hydrating facial mist to refresh your skin during your flight.
• Apply a few drops of well-formulated facial oil, like our bestselling Indie Lee Squalane Facial Oil, every hour during your flight to help your skin retain moisture. This oil comes in a TSA-friendly size: liquids or gels in containers of 100 ml / 100 g (3.4 oz.) or less.
• For an added oomph of moisture, layer your nutrient-dense moisturizing cream with a natural hydrating serum.
• Taking a red-eye? Throw on a hydrating overnight mask to maintain a healthy skin barrier and wake up fresh-faced, dewy, and plump.
• For extremely dry and irritated patches, pop a travel-size CV Skinlabs Restorative Skin Balm into your carry-on. This liquid gold has rescued many a dry cuticle and chapped lip.  
• GK ProTip: If you're not afraid of scaring your fellow passengers, treat yourself to an in-flight hydrating sheet mask layered over a brightening eye mask.

How To Battle Travel Breakouts and Skin Sensitivity

While handy, hotel skincare products and towel and bedding detergents are generally loaded with fragrances and chemicals that can trigger breakouts and increase skin sensitivity.

How to prevent breakouts while travelling:

• Bring your own natural skincare routine in small travel bottles. A cleanser, moisturizer, SPF, and one or two treatment products will do the trick.
• Consider multi-use products to maximize space in your travel bag.
• Dermatologists recommend adjusting your skincare routine to your destination's climate. If it's humid, pack lightweight, non-comedogenic natural skincare. If it's dry or cold, incorporate richer moisturizers, hydrating serums, and overnight treatments.
• Wash hands frequently, and spritz often with a natural hand sanitizer.
• Pack your own pillowcase to avoid harsh detergents used on hotel linens (hello, contact dermatitis!)
• Everyone knows calories don't count while on holiday, but unhealthy changes in diet and alcohol consumption aren't great for your skin (sadly). Avoid excess alcohol, sugar-dense, or processed foods to curb lacklustre skin and potential skin reactions.

Tips To Avoid Sun Damage On Your Tropical Vacation

Increased sun exposure during outdoor activities, through airplane windows, or at a higher elevation can accelerate skin aging and lead to sunburn. UV rays are present even on cloudy days and at high altitudes, making mineral sunscreen an essential addition to your luggage.

How to prevent sun damage while travelling:

• Pack your favourite mineral sunscreen! This is a non-negotiable if you want to protect your skincare investment. Thankfully, our bestselling Clear Choice 45 SPF comes in a handy travel size.
• If exposed to direct sunlight, reapply every two hours. Our Sun Protection Mineral Powder SPF 30 from Derma E is non-comedogenic and lightweight, making reapplication easy-peasy! GK ProTip: This natural tinted powder absorbs excess oil to double as a setting powder!
• Craving a sun-kissed glow?  SunnaTan is the sunless tan industry glow-up we've been waiting for. These sunless natural tanning products are free of synthetics and gradually darken over time, so you can easily achieve your perfect glow while nourishing your whole body.

How To Avoid Bad Hair Days While On The Go

Being on the go often results in neglecting your standard hair care routine. Like skin, hair is a great communicator. If travelling to a humid destination, you may find yourself fighting frizz and flatness. If you're headed somewhere dry and cold, moisture will be stripped from your hair and scalp, making hair brittle and the scalp itch. Exposure to hard water with high mineral content can leave deposits on the hair, making it appear dull, rough, and difficult to manage. And swimming in pools with chlorine and in the ocean's saltwater can strip the hair of its natural oils, leading to dryness and potential discoloration. Chemicals in pool water can also damage the hair cuticle over time.

How to keep hair healthy while travelling:

• Pack an ultra-soft and absorbing microfiber hair towel.
• Pack travel-size Innersense Organic Beauty shampoo, conditioner and styling products fit for the frequent flier.
• A reparative hydrating hair mask, like this travel-size treatment from Innersense, is the answer to smoothing frizzy travel hair, repairing brittle ends, and helping prevent fairy knots (single-strand knots).
• Wear a wide-brim hat for hair UV protection.
• Rinse hair well after swimming.

How To Avoid Bug Bites Naturally

Ah, yes. One of the telltale signs of a good holiday spent outdoors is those itchy little bites left behind.

How to prevent bug bites while travelling:

• Mosquitoes and pests do not like the essential oils in this Vault Hair Revive Scalp & Body Oil formula, making this oil double as a natural bug repeller for outdoor adventures! There is no need to pack a full bottle—a little goes a long way with this formula. Pop some in a reusable travel container, and you're good to go!
• Leave it to Honey Candles to craft an all-natural beeswax travel candle infused with citronella to keep insects away. This candle gives a long-lasting, cozy glow and has an approximate burn time of 15 - 17 hours.
• Be sure to obtain proper malaria treatment before travelling to a malaria-endemic destination. Malaria is transmitted by the bite of an infective female mosquito.

Our Takeaway

You've worked hard to build your natural skincare routine—protect your investment by maintaining consistency while travelling and always protecting with SPF! Perfecting the right travel skincare routine without overwhelming your luggage is an art! We're here to help you tailor your natural skincare regimen accordingly so you can pack your essentials with ease. Shop our trial and travel green beauty collection to travel like a pro! For personalized skincare guidance, reach out to your knowledgeable Green Kiss Educator today. 

All copy found on The Green Kiss website is written for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.