5 min read
Summer is here, the perfect time to release your travel bug that has been itching to fly off the past 2 years. While exciting, remember that travelling and bouncing between climates can take a toll on the skin, and even trigger new blemishes and spots as a response. Follow these tips below to get rid of breakouts caused by hot weather and enjoy your well-deserved vacation without worry! Read till the end for travel skincare hacks to keep your skin well protected.
1. Stay hydrated
Did you know that the humidity levels in an airplane can reach as low as 2%? Ideally, the skin prefers about 40-60% air humidity to keep itself looking fresh, strong, and barrier-ready to defend against environmental stressors. So if you are wondering why your skin looks a little rough around the edges after your flight, the mystery is solved. But even this short interval of dehydration can possibly trigger your skin to produce extra oil to try and seal in any remaining moisture, increasing the risk of clogged pores and breakouts. You can combat this by adding a hydrating serum or moisturiser with humectants into your routine. Humectants draw in moisture from the environment into the skin, keeping it plump and resilient against any environmental stress.
2. Eat well
Eating foods rich in essential fatty acids (good fats) and minerals helps support the skin's natural cell turnover, a healthy sebum environment and regulates inflammation, helping to prevent the clogging of pores that leads to breakouts. Most importantly, keep sugary, overprocessed and starchy foods in check. These increase the glycemic index of the body, which has shown strong links to the formation of pimples. And for overall skin and skin barrier health, top up on water and antioxidants rich foods regularly - think juicy fruits and vegetables.
3. Step up on antioxidants
Humidity is not your only problem. Beware of UV rays that come in full force during the summer. UV rays do more damage than we think. Apart from causing sunburn and damaging the skin structure, they also create free radicals. Free radicals are extremely reactive molecules that cause damaging chain reactions in the skin. This results in oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation (degradation of important oils in the skin), which is known to be one of the driving forces of acne as it creates the ideal environment for acne-causing bacteria to survive. Antioxidants have the ability to deactivate free radicals, thus topical application of antioxidants can help to halt the chain of damage that occurs in the skin under UV exposure. This is where products like antioxidant rich Triphala Pigmentation Corrector come in. They provide a second line of defence under your sunscreen for complete sun safety.
4. Gently exfoliate
Once you’ve landed, dehydration becomes the least of your worries. You are now sticky with sweat and which is not just uncomfortable but it attracts more dust and bacteria to the skin too. They then enter pores to grow new blemishes and worsen existing ones. Introduce or increase your exfoliation frequency during this time to consistently clear any clogged pores.
5. Go light with layers
The more changes your skin goes through, the more sensitive it is to skincare overload. Every unnecessary layer risks further clogging of pores. Don’t want to skip a step? We get it. Consider switching up your moisturiser for a lighter, oil-free one, or you can even repurpose one of your previous skincare steps for a moisturiser to reduce the number of layers on your skin. This is easy to do if multifunctional products are part of your routine. Consider the Complexion Clarifying Accelerator, a blend of exfoliants and purifying oils that moisturises and clears pores at the same time.
6. Spot treat
Be prepared and keep spot treatments handy for sudden breakouts. Salicylic Acid is an ideal go-to treatment to unclog pores and quickly flatten any new spots. We love Salicylic Acid as an all rounder preventive step. So even if you do not notice any new current breakouts we still recommend it to ward off potential new ones. Otherwise, acne patches can also be one way of helping the blemish to subside quickly and stop you from picking at your face.
More skincare tips for travel
- Don’t forget to drink lots of water when you are on the go - even if that means more trips to the toilet.
- Fight maskne by layering antibacterial ingredients like the ayurvedic superfruit, Triphala, under your mask to keep blemishes away.
- With your spot treatments locked away in your luggage, new spots during a flight are a nightmare. Be prepared with acne patches to protect it from worsening.
- If you are on a long-haul flight, a rocky and narrow plane seat is no place to do your skincare. Pack sheet masks in your carry-on for a fuss-free skincare session.
- There are UV rays present in planes too. Stick with your regular sunscreen application and reapplication every 2 hours on day flights.
We hope this guide stops you from getting distracted by your skin during your holiday. Overall if in discomfort, stay hydrated and keep your layers light and manageable. Ultimately, listen to your skin and focus on maintaining skin health and prevention instead of quick fixes.
Enjoy the summer days ahead!
