Between the stale air on planes, airport stress, and often less-than-stellar food choices, keeping your skin radiant while traveling can feel like an impossible feat. While it is difficult, there are things you can do when going on a trip to keep the healthy glow you love about your skin. As with everything, it just takes a bit of preparation. But when you arrive at your destination without feeling like a dried-out raisin, you’ll be happy you did. Read on for ways you can keep radiant skin while you’re on the road (or in the air!). Happy travels!

Traveling

If you’re prone to breakouts, make sure you take your skin care regimen along with you as your skin will become very oily on planes to combat the dehydrating effects. Combine travel with Acne’s link to genetic factors and you have a dangerous cocktail for terrible breakouts. If you typically feel oily mid-flight, consider bringing a pack of makeup remover wipes. You’ll feel amazing and can always reapply.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. The air is so dry on airplanes that it robs your skin of its natural moisture, so hit that airport bookstore and load up on H2O. You might be tempted to use the spray misters for your face (or your seat mate’s face!) in-flight but experts warn to skip this step, as it actually can cause more dryness. Another shocking revelation is that you should skip adding your typical moisturizer to your skin while you’re flying. “When there is no water in the air, moisturizers don’t work as well since there is nothing to grab onto,” says assistant clinical professor of dermatology at George Washington University Medical Center Elizabeth Tanzi via Allure. Instead, she recommends using a hyaluronic acid-spiked serum followed by one pump of a moisturizer with ceramides, as the form a barrier that keeps moisture in.

We know that we are what we eat—particularly our skin—so you don’t want to be a greasy cheeseburger with large fries. Of course, we all indulge every once in a while, as we’re only human, but if you travel a lot for work or leisure you don’t want to constantly eat that way. Your waistline and skin will cry out in agony. Instead, think ahead and pack healthy snacks like a bag of almonds, a banana, and/or a healthy trail mix. Don’t buy the latter at the airport, as their version is always filled with far too much salt and sugar! Wash these down with the aforementioned water in lieu of that oh-so-tempting Diet Coke and your skin will thank you. If you were too pressed for time, refer to this list of healthy snacks that you can get at most airports.

Traveling

Also, don’t fall victim to the belief that you can skip the sunscreen while traveling because you’re technically inside, particularly if you’ve scored the window seat. UV rays can pass through these and damage your skin and, although you obviously won’t see the issues right away, they will show up over time if you’re a frequent traveler. Skip the wide-brimmed hat on the plane unless you want others to give you the eye roll of all eye rolls.

Because your eyes and lips can also be affected by the lack of moisture while flying, remember to pack some eye drops and some Aquaphor or whatever your favorite lip balm is. Your lips will feel amazing and the eye drops will help you feel more alert, which is crucial if you’re traveling for work.

Lastly, one thing you likely experience each and every flight is bloating. There is nothing worse than feeling like you’re going to burst out of your own skin. The good thing is there is a simple solution, and that’s to get the blood flowing. If you can get a workout in when you land, this will solve it, but even a nice walk will do. Explore the sights!

Follow these tips to keep your skin radiant while traveling and you’ll look and feel your best once you reach your destination … which is hopefully Hawaii for a week’s vacay!

 

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